What Great Leaders Do - 2
'Bukola ''Buks'' KOGBE -FCIPD, SHRM-SCP
Global HR Executive | Transformational Leader driving 6000+ workforce optimization | FCIPD, MBA | Expert in M&A, Talent Strategy & Organizational Change | Board Director specializing in emerging markets
What Great Leaders Do – 2
When you think one of the most important actions a great leader does, it is her to commit to help you grow. Growth is hardly automatic, it is ego, hubris deprecating, deliberate, conscious, requires the investment of time and a personal commitment.
''Great Leadership is about human experiences not processes. it is not a formular or program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the heart of others. It is an attitude not a routine''. Dr. Lance Secretan
As a leader, getting to know each team member, their strengths and development areas is the starting point. To understand how each person ‘’ticks’’ is the key to get the most of their contributions to your goals and the team. Before you can get optimal results, you need to be willing to touch the hearts, heads and hands of your team.
People are a sum of many parts and knowing what drives them- (their intrinsic motivations) is a key to unlock stronger relationships. Some leaders do this before one is hired, others during development sessions. Do you know each team member? Truly know them? Do you understand what drives them? Do you understand how each member fits into your team? Paul J Meyer’s The Wheel of Life. Is a great start and I like the one from the Coaching Tools Company ??
Great leaders leverage your unique strengths: There are no perfect employees nor leaders. Yes, it is not easy to lead but one can learn to do key things right. A leader knows her own strengths and leverages her teams’ strengths.
While a leader can help you work on improving your weaknesses, it is equally important that she rearranges the team to reduce the impact of the weaknesses and focuses on getting core actions right. I like the timelessness of the Johari window. It offers great insight to self awareness. How have you worked on reducing the impact of the weaknesses with your team?
Great leaders set the time for development: The best bosses we remember are those who help you set the course of action for your development. They dedicate time to articulate in which areas you need to grow and together you can map a plan of how you need to grow. They invest the tools to help you become skillful and consistent in your current performance and future roles.
As your growth is a journey, so are the skills and competencies you need to grow. How often do you spend time talking about growth and development??How have you sought to improve the potential of your team? Some might not even know where or how else they can grow, do you take the time to assess how your team could function better?
Give effective feedback generously: Often said that feedback is a gift. The sandwich method will not work with certain cultures. Erin Meyer’s book on cultural dimensions. If you lead a diverse team of people, when you give feedback and more importantly ‘’how’’ you give feedback will determine if it is effective or not.
How often do you give non-sugar coated, impactful and candid feedback with kindness and genuine empathy? ?How do you do it in a way that the person ‘’gets’’ it, the bigger picture, the impact on self and on others?
How do you measure feedback given such that the action is corrected and the behavior is adjusted? ?(I should write about giving effective feedback in future) As an Insights Discovery practitioner, knowing your color energies and how it impacts others is a great tool to use within a team.
Great leaders release talent. Most times, a leader hires a team member for her strengths and value they will bring to the team. She needs to be a conduit and willing to see beyond this role to the next one. Hire for performance as well as potential.
She ensures that when you have grown, be willing to offer other opportunities or to let you grow elsewhere! She has to be ok with the fact that this might be either within or outside the company.
Growth is hardly automatic, it is ego, hubris deprecating, deliberate, conscious, requires the investment of time and a personal commitment. Which of your bosses has taken the time, to coach you, guide you, advice you in recent times? Why not tag them in appreciation today??'Buks