Leadership isn’t mystical and mysterious. It has nothing to do with having “charisma” or other exotic personality traits. It is not the province of a chosen few or anyone with any special powers. Leaders are really ordinary people with extraordinary determination to a make a difference in the lives of their family, their community, their company and by extension the world.
Take for instance, Howard Schultz and his dream to bring the Italian coffeehouse tradition to the U.S. when he brought and grew Starbucks into a powerhouse in the coffee business. His thinking was different and despite the constant challenges he stuck with it and “the rest is history.”
But what about Schultz and many others like him that makes them so different from every other leader. Let’s explore and look at the 5 things these great leaders do differently than any other leader.
Inspire a shared vision
Martin Luther King, inspired millions with his “I have a dream” speech in 1963, a time when African American rights were all but nonexistent. It was this enigmatic man who stirred a nation with his clear vision that rallied support throughout the U.S. while his message resonated throughout the world. Great leaders have the ability to develop and articulate a forward-thinking vision, instill trust and drive passion in their team to be part of the big picture. By broadcasting positive energy and defining a better end state, these leaders can motivate and inspire their followers to accompany them through their journey into greatness.
Challenge the status quo
Great leaders question the old ways of doing things, imparting new perspectives to think about a situation or project or challenges differently. They are auto critic, making their followers understand that they are all at the same level and transmitting that success to every individual. They challenge the status-quo and encourage their team to be innovative and creative; creating a safe environment for experimentation and sharing ideas.
Enable others to act
Contrary to what other leader usually do, great leaders develop each employee individually, with full credibility. They understand their employees’ needs, and they genuinely care about them. They give each and every employee the importance that they deserve by soliciting feedback and engaging their people in topics of a personal nature as well.
They enter into real valuable dialogues that builds a healthy relationship between the two parties. They are comfortable involving others in the decision-making process and delegate’s authority and responsibilities in the decision-making process. When leaders foster participation with others in the decision-making process, there is a less likelihood of any conflict to emerge. The leader has a mentality that is inclusive to all people including diverse and multicultural groups. They listen to everyone and seek to create an atmosphere of empowerment in their organization.
Model the way
Great leaders are capable of transmitting a message to each person in their team. They spread enthusiasm, integrity, and passion by acting as a role model for their team. They have one or more characteristics which make them really authentic, without caring about what others think about them. They are really good at setting real-life examples which make people identify with them.
Because the team trust and respect their leader, they emulate his/her ideals and as a result, if the leader does not demonstrate a commitment through their actions, their organization will slowly become a very toxic place to work. It is extremely important leaders always walk their talk especially when your team trust you.
Encourage the heart
Great leaders are capable of leveraging the meaning of goals and tasks; touching the most buried feeling inside of their people. They give purpose to the organization, explaining the personal reasons to achieve them as opposed to following an order from a manager.
They are capable of communicating an attractive vision; when leaders inspire and empower others, the work becomes stimulating, motivating, challenging, and fascinating. By building on their strengths and enhancing their knowledge and skills, leaders can have a transforming effect on the lives of their employees by helping them stay engaged and competent in their chosen career.
Great leaders are change agents. They exhibit characteristics that reflect a vision for the future, demonstrate an ability to influence others, provide inspiration and encouragement to others, and express high-performance expectations. You must remember leadership is about people, it's about inspiring people to believe that the impossible is possible, it is about developing and building people to perform at heights they never imagine and it's about making a positive impact on your community, your company, your department, your employees and by extension the world.
About The Author
Gifford Thomas is the founder of Leadership First, a Council Member at German Lehrman Group (GLG), a member of Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and one of the leading writers for leadership development at Quora.