5 Signs That Will Confirm You Were Meant to Lead People

Join over 358,000 people and?subscribe here ?for future editions.?Managers and emerging leaders:?Check out my special offer at the bottom of this post.

* * *

A quick Google search of the word?leadership?gave me about 376 million results. And while it wouldn't give me the total?for "leadership books," the same search on Amazon landed me with more than 100,000 possibilities.

With endless resources, the question of the day is, "How do you define great leadership?" While I've?read my fair share of books, I can confidently say that it boils down to this:?

Great leadership is about serving others.

More specifically, it's?about serving your employees and putting them on equal par with customers (and sometimes even ahead of them). No, this doesn't imply giving the?inmates the keys to the prison. It means empowering your knowledge workers and setting them up for success.

5 Signs of Great Leadership

So what does that look like in practice, whether strategically through the eyes of the C-suite or at ground level if you're in a line manager role?

1. You connect with people

Strong leaders connect with others by showing their humanity. They accept that they're not perfect and that they make mistakes (and will admit to making them!). If the leader model authenticity, then when employees make mistakes, it's safe for them to risk being open enough to say, "Hey, boss, I messed up."?

2. You value diversity of thought in a safe work environment

There are no lone rangers in leadership or a?leadership culture of high performance.?Good leaders aim to create a?diverse environment of people with differing ways of doing things and viewing the world; they pump fear out of the room and allow for risks to be taken;?and they let people?feel safe to exercise their creativity, communicate their ideas openly, and provide input to major decisions. Because there's trust there, not fear. It communicates to employees a sense of "Hey, we're all in this together."

3. You show?compassion

Is it a natural tendency of yours to want to help others? While?empathetic people have this ability to feel what others feel,?compassion is a more objective form of empathy . It's feeling what others feel but taking?it to another level by?doing everything in your power to remove the obstacles that stand in their way. The?Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science ?extensively documents and?verifies?that "compassionate management" leads to high organizational performance, innovation, customer retention, profitability, and less employee turnover.

4. You are open and transparent

If you claim to be a transparent leader, then this may be true for you: People don't stress around you, and teamwork isn't undermined because you share information and let everyone know what's going on at all times. In fact, studies prove?that organizations that share privileged information with their employees reduce uncertainty and alleviate stress about where they are headed and why.

5. You understand what makes people tick

Perhaps someone has told you that you're really good at getting people to go above and beyond. Where does that come from? Truth is, experiencing positive emotions is at the root of human motivation. Therefore, you'll find that the best of leaders have a good understanding of?human behavior and?what?inspires people?to perform their jobs at a high level. Companies should always hire or promote into leadership roles those who play to the strengths, gifts, and talents of employees. You'll find that they are the ones crafting and assigning work that is meaningful and has purpose?(beyond a static?job description) and bringing out employees' passion and creativity.

Your turn: What would you add to this list? Leave a comment and add to the conversation. And thanks for your contribution!

=====================

Shout Out to Managers and Emerging Leaders!

Looking for tools and strategies to make you a better leader? Then check out the ‘From Boss to Leader ’ course -- a top-rated hybrid immersion into Servant Leadership. My team designed it specifically to help emerging leaders and managers acquire the necessary skills to perform at their best. Watch this?2-minute video ?to see if it may be right for you or your management team. Start here ?with a free 15-minute discovery call?and I will personally speak with you to ensure it's a good fit. If you enroll, I will give you a 10% discount for being a subscriber to this newsletter.?Serious inquiries only.

=====================

About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes ?is a global speaker whose keynotes and workshops spotlight the human side of work and how cultures of care, connection, and belonging outperform the competition. He's an executive coach, syndicated columnist, and the creator of the highly-acclaimed "From Boss to Leader " course. Marcel has been recognized as one of the Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers by Inspiring Workplaces. His work is regularly featured in?Inc., Time, Business Insider, Fast Company, and CNBC.