The Truth About Leadership Today
Sadly, the truth about leadership today is that many smart people fail at it.
While the principles of effective leadership are simple to understand, putting it into practice isn’t always so easy. Our human imperfections and emotions can and do get in our way of being an effective leader.
This sad truth about leadership is why there are so many books, seminars, assessments, etc. on the topic of effective leadership.
It’s also why social media is flooded every day with people sharing their thoughts on leadership. Just spend some time reading what others are sharing and it’s clear that people everywhere are begging for effective leadership!
There is so much discussion about effective leadership because effective leadership is uncommon everywhere — including in the workplace.
There's so much discussion about effective leadership because managers who excel at getting the best out of their people are actually uncommon. They're hard to locate! Share on XWhy is Effective Leadership Uncommon in Business?
In reality, various organizational stakeholders are to blame for the lack of effective leadership in business.
The failure often begins with an organization’s management recruitment practices. Too often, when promoting people, senior executives and HR professionals pay too much attention to a person’s technical skills (can they get things done) and too little attention to their people skills (can they work well with others).
Senior executives and HR professionals then make the leadership problem worse with their organizational reward strategies. Specifically, by rewarding the wrong individuals with more power, resources, and responsibility, they send a message that the organization cares little about how managers treat their employees as long as these managers get results for the organization.
How exactly does this work?
You’ll see this flawed management reward strategy in organizations where the valued managers can best be described as technical superstars who are also interpersonal underachievers. As these individuals assume more senior leadership roles, they create workplace spaces in their own image.
It should not be surprising that over time all of these interpersonally-challenged managers create a difficult work environment that is more about politics and retaining power than it is about ethics, sound decisions, and strategic direction.
By rewarding the wrong individuals with power in an organization, senior leadership sends a message that the organization cares little about how managers treat their employees as long as these managers get results for the organization. Share on XWhat Do Effective Leaders Do?
So, what is it that effective leaders do that makes them stand out among other managers?
What can you learn from them and implement in your own workplace as you lead your own team of employees?
Effective leaders understand that they must excel in both the technical and interpersonal aspects of their job. Simply put: They have to do both well!
Here’s six principles that these rare managers practice to effectively lead their teams:
1. Effective Leaders See The Possibilities in People!
Effective leaders first view people as assets rather than problems that have to be neutralized or discarded.
Effective leaders look for the natural strengths that their team members possess and they align what they need with those talents. When their team members have difficulties, the first thoughts of these leaders are how to help their team members succeed—not how to get rid of them.
Effective leaders start from the perspective of value. They offer training and development, mentoring, and stretch assignments to help these team members succeed. They remove organizational obstacles that hinder performance.
Ultimately, they get team members in the right roles where the team members can both excel and help the leader fulfill the organization’s goals. If a team member really cannot cut it, leaders will make the necessary tough decisions but they will do it with dignity.
Leaders who are callous in their execution of tough decisions hurt their own effectiveness–particularly with those stakeholders that remain in the organization.
2. Effective Leaders Experiment!
Effective leaders are about results–positive outcomes.
They challenge the routine and they look for better ways to accomplish strategic goals. They tweak their approach and they recognize that not every problem needs a complete overhaul.
They keep reinvention alive in the organization by making small improvements on what already exists, eliminating what is no longer needed, and spearheading bold new initiatives as necessary.
They use experimentation to remain viable!
3. Effective Leaders have the Courage to Fail!
The old saying nothing ventured, nothing gained is true.
Business professionals who are paralyzed by fear or an excessive amount of caution (as opposed to a healthy amount of caution) cannot lead their organizations.
There is a misconception that effective leaders are fearless. This is a myth.
Effective leaders are human like everyone else and they feel fear. In fact, a wise man knows both what and when to fear.
Effective leaders are just more emotionally intelligent about how they deal with any fears that they have. They are not paralyzed by their fear. They confront it and move on to accomplish their goals.
4. Effective Leaders Have a Clear Vision of a Desirable Future!
Effective leaders are very clear about their end goals!
They have a clear vision of “what needs to be done.”
They do see the big picture and they are relentless in their pursuit of it.
Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King were examples of leaders who used the tactics of non-violent protest to reach their goals of freedom from oppression and equal rights. Despite the many setbacks they endured, they persistently pursued their end goals and never strayed from reaching the future that they envisioned.
5. Effective Leaders Communicate and Communicate Again!
Effective leaders are effective communicators.
They send clear messages and their words unite people around a common purpose. Whatever their common purpose, these leaders communicate it with a simple and compelling message of the future.
Here’s how this looks in the real world:
- Business leaders do this when they communicate a clear market direction and business strategy
- Non-profit leaders do this when they rally volunteers to unite behind a difficult cause
- Coaches do this when they inspire their teams to fight on in what looks like certain defeat
6. Effective Leaders Are Ethical!
Leadership cannot be discussed in terms of communication, motivation, and strategic thinking alone. Effective leadership is also ethical leadership.
The truth is that there are some people with organizational power who communicate clearly, take risks, see the possibilities in people, and have clear end goals.
The problem is that these leaders are not ethical. These leaders inspire other people to follow them in the wrong direction often for the leaders’ self interests.
Leadership without ethics is not effective.
Conclusion
Effective leadership is about seeing the potential in others, exploring new possibilities, communicating clearly, questioning and listening, and inspiring others to follow you.
Effective leadership is also about ethical behavior. It’s not selfish or hypocritical.
Whether an individual is leading an organization, a social group, or a family, effective leaders follow the same standards they impose on everyone else and they serve the greater good — not their own good.
We know effective leadership when we see it but how often do we really see it in practice!
The sad truth is that effective leadership is rare.
Effective leadership is about seeing the potential in others, exploring new possibilities, communicating clearly, questioning and listening, and inspiring others to follow you. It's also about being ethical. Share on X
This article is accurate to the best of the author’s knowledge.
Content is for informational or educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional advice in business, management, legal, or human resource matters.
