Four KEY CRITICAL Attributes to be a Dynamic and Impactful LEADER

 We are moving forward into a totally different world with an exceptionally stronger need to handle global changes and to adapt to new leadership approaches. Organizational cultures are evolving at an accelerated pace and there is a need to build on successful accomplishments to create an optimistic future.

             As stated in the past articles, workforces are changing rapidly, and new critical skills for leaders are being reinvented. These transformational activities are impacting organizational development and general expansion. Company successes and outcomes are being altered to meet the needs of businesses of the future, along with the needs of the total employee population.

So, in this complex world, there is a need for some level of simplification, if possible. The eight well defined competencies and characteristics for future-leaders (past two articles) have been consolidated into four key and critical attributes that can strengthen organizational unity.

1.     SELF-AWARENESS Leadership - Focused on Personal Self and Others

2.     STRATEGIC Leadership - Alignment with Adaptive Actions

3.     MOTIVATIONAL Leadership - Optimization with Courageous Diplomacy

4.     COMMUNICATION Leadership - Connections from Head and Heart

 These leadership competencies and characteristics need to be fully interrelated as well as directly connected, each driving, building, and enhancing the skills and behaviors of leaders.

 By providing support with empathy and compassion that creates trust, respect, and stability.

v By providing agile presence with active listening that can drive risk-taking, working together, and creative innovation.

v By providing complete transparency with authenticity and inclusion that helps enhance optimism and reality as a leader.

  By providing appreciation and praise with acknowledge of contributions and accomplishments that shapes and boosts personal commitment.

v By providing direction with specific goals and long-term strategies that strengthens engagement and magnifies business results.

The following are the four key consolidated critical attributes.

Number One: Awareness

SELF-AWARENESS Leadership - Focused on Personal Self and Others

Critical…..critical…..critical is leader self-awareness with passion and trust in continuously learning.

Humanistic leader / Developer leader / Authentic leader

Building personal self-awareness is based on a deep understanding of leadership attributes as well as insights into individual behavioral characteristics. Authentically connecting with inner knowledge and with current meaningful relationships can provide a consciousness that will impact potential experiences as well as intelligence into future results. By comprehending individual social and psychological make-up, a leadership growth-mindset can shape creative and collaborative work communities. Truly self-aware leaders will use skills and competencies to become real enhancers of emotions as well as drivers of conflict management actions. As previously stated, leaders that are compassionate and humanistic are successfully aware of their positive feelings and always show concern for others, their needs and desires. They value contributions made with transparency and integrity. Continuous development of self and others helps grow new competencies and boost skills as part of the learning journey. Future leaders need to use best practices, find work-life balance, and reward successes. Once again, self-reflection can lead to self-discovery, and can invigorate self-awareness with creative approaches and impactful learning methodologies. Effectful and meaningful leadership is truly based on awareness of the personal self and critical business situations by harmonizing intelligence and emotions.

Number Two: Strategic

STRATEGIC Leadership - Alignment with Adaptive Action

             Critical…..critical…..critical is having strategic leaders with valued behaviors

and clear organizational direction.

Visionary leader / Action leader / Analytical leader

A truly visionary leader is always focused on an inspiring direction and on a long-term plan that can result in transformational successes. The organizational goals and purpose are carefully established based on the knowledge and experiences of the forward-thinking leaders that have developed imaginative and innovative ideas. There must always be a tactical focus on financials and anticipated future needs as well as trends. Effective problem-solving activities are critical, helping adapt to required changes in the economy and technology. Leaders need to model personal trust and encourage passionate loyalty to completely synthesize all business ideas and the visionary direction. So, analytical and strategic thinking is about establishing clear purpose, invigorating connected teams with specific actions, and openly providing authentic communication.

 Number Three: Motivation

MOTIVATIONAL Leadership - Optimization with Courageous Diplomacy

             Critical…..critical…..critical is being a people motivational leader driving team

             actions and contributions.

People leader / Coaching leader / Executive leader

Motivational leaders are real action-drivers, always fostering company commitments that encourages consistent and dramatic organizational growth. Even during uncertain times with unclear future requirements, getting others to make complex decisions, having ownership of challenging plans, and being committed to strategies, are all driven by shared expectations and an exceptionally creative vision. Leaders need to be courageous negotiators, able to influence involvement that can strengthen changes and invigorate business successes. Being an action-oriented and goal-executing leader is about being a discipled individual that can invigorate achievements through a modeling of key responsibilities as well as behaviors. Again, being fully people focused with optimism, connections can really help others find meaning in work along with partnerships that are both rewarding and growth driven. Motivational leadership needs to be a compelling art that demonstrates skills and behaviors of empathy, diplomacy, and humility. And, these motivating leaders are also coaching leaders that can drive loyalty in learning to grow and have a willingness to use experimentation to try new practices. Impacting cultures and politics, they are networkers, inspirers, and active listeners. So, future motivating leaders are always compelling influencers of spontaneous and courageous risk-taking that can enhance successful business results.

 Number Four: Communication

COMMUNICATION Leadership - Connections from the Head and the Heart

             Critical…..critical…..critical is being a leader that is open, accurate, and truthful.

Influencing leader / Listening leader / Partnering leader

Communicator leaders need to be exceptional and outstanding connectors with the total organization and the customer base. They need to openly share and transfer information and company purpose with energy, enthusiasm and authenticity that expands relationships and courageous trust. Yet, the communication future-leader must demonstrate humility and respect along with real appreciation. They open channels for credible conversation flow with full transparency and passionate engagement. Besides listening with wisdom and getting diversity of input, feedback becomes the foundation to problem-solving from the head and the heart. Securing diverse input is always valued and can help provide clarity along with personable insights for conveying information. Strategic and impactful communication is core for down-to-earth and realistic leadership, clearly going beyond emails and texting. As always, a communication leader must bridge collaborative relationships by showing behaviors of caring and respect, along with appreciation and humility. 

Closing Remarks – Future Leaders with Character and Influence

Effective and impactful leadership is founded and shaped on real credibility as well as open honesty and solid trust. And, leaders with personal self-awareness help define and establish a value organizational culture based on genuine strategic competencies and skills. Authentic, passionate, and compassionate communication that is clearly from the head and the heart will always drive optimistic courage along with connections between people. This is true and empowering collaboration that is based on “human chemistry”.

Today, there are many leadership challenges based on the significant global issues specific to the current social and economic instabilities, as well as the vast need for required transformations going forward. There is a great opportunity to find a successful future by building a strategic plan and being accountable to reach this new place.

v There is a need to boost personal leadership self-awareness.

v There is a need to drive champions of organizational values.

v There is a need to enhance courageous conversations.

v There is a need to formulate a development and growth mindset.

v There is a need to empower positive and valued partnerships.