The Five M's of Modern Leadership

Modern, progressive leadership is changing and is an on-going matter of personal refinement, balance and adjustment.

Organisations are flatter, traditional hierarchies are being demolished and change is the new business as usual. You can no longer just wield a big title or “pull rank” in your communications as your direct reports are assessing your capability as much as you are theirs.

As the MD of an International Executive Search Firm we are constantly working with small to medium sized business owners looking for fresh leadership who can bring clarity and direction for the future. Our teams headhunt and interview over 10,000 leaders per year, and there are clear trends and themes in terms of the behaviours our clients are looking to see in the shortlisted candidates that we ultimately present to them.

To help you further understand the behaviours you should be looking to develop in yourself and others, we have devised our 5 M’s leadership model for your reference below:

Magnetic

The top leaders of today have charisma that makes them a human magnet to top talent and target customers. Their passion is contagious and attracts high results and preferable outcomes through, whilst ensuring that they don’t develop an uncontrollable ego. Their positive psychology attracts results, referrals and goodwill.

Magnanimous

Modern (another important M) leadership is a very human endeavor and top leaders treat their team with respect and as human beings whilst also ensuring their businesses have a positive social impact. Their benevolence is displayed in their generosity with their time, setting of realistic expectations and care for those they work with. This is not to say that modern leaders are soft……far from it. Whilst they are value driven they will not accept poor standards or performance as there is nothing magnanimous about allowing someone to fail who is in the wrong seat.

Meaningful

A Players in today’s business world believe in purpose and are very mission driven – they focus on “The Why”. They undertake meaningful and impactful work and are not the types to go through the motions, or simply tow the corporate line. By bringing greater meaning to the repetitive world of work they can mobilise people around a vision and drive high engagement.

Manoeuvrable

To succeed in the ever-changing environment a leader must be agile, flexible and open to input. Great leaders know that it is okay not to know all the answers and are secure enough to take advice, change position and hire individuals that can plug gaps in their knowledge.

Measuring

To be able to make effective decisions and react to the changing requirements of your business you must be able to measure your activity. The most successful business leaders are not just thinkers – they are executors. They use data, technology and visual management systems to implement continuous improvement and confront the (often brutal) facts within their operation. 

What have we missed? Anything else you have seen in great bosses who are successful?

For more thought leadership, check out the EO Blog: https://blog.executivesonline.co.uk/blog