Cultivating a Culture of Confidence and Success (Part 1)

Leadership is a quality that often isn't even talked about until it is seen as missing when a plan goes awry, or a team falls in a mess of miscommunication and broken promises. So what is it about the leader who successfully leads his or her team with seemingly effortless ease?

The "Effortless" Leader cultivates a culture of confidence and success within his or her company, and they don't do so by wielding a hypothetical sword. They cultivate confidence and success through vision, communication, teaching, influence, and team building.

An Effortless Leader is a: Visionary

Theodore M. Hesburgh once said, "The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet." In other words, without a clear and concise reason to come together – without known goals and objectives – teams float aimlessly. They don't know what they are working towards, and eventually, they get to a place where they don't even care; they are uncomfortable and lack motivation. But, a team guided by a leader with vision knows their objectives. Team members understand the part they play in reaching the ultimate goal/vision, which helps to make them much happier, active, and productive members of the team. The Effortless Leader instinctively knows that a clear vision of what's next for the company, team, and him/herself is necessary to break free from the status quo and accomplish great things.

An Effortless Leader is a: Communicator

The Effortless Leader knows the importance of communication and is a master communicator of the spoken and written word. They are master listeners, too! Effortless Leaders know how to put into both written and spoken language what they envision. Their communication is clear, decisive, and un-condescending. They make room for others to express their own views, and they don't just tolerate what others have to say, but they take it to heart. While this type of genuine communication is anything but effortless, it is necessary for any leader to create trust, understanding, and overall respect within the team as a whole, all of which are required to create a strong, unstoppable, and cohesive team.

An Effortless Leader is a: Teacher

Think about your favorite teacher from grade school. Was that person judgmental, overbearing, condescending, and unforgiving? Or, was your favorite teacher someone who made learning fun and effortless; someone who taught you, not just from a book, but from their hearts; someone who cared and was able to move beyond any deficiencies you might have had and forgive any missteps you might have taken; someone who taught you to use your creative mind and how to solve issues on your own?

Effortless Leaders are teachers, and not the teacher of old who ruled their classroom with a stick in one hand and their other hand knotted up in a fist! Instead, Effortless Leaders are the favorite teacher from grade school. They make learning fun, they ask questions and cultivate their team's minds, and they are able to see any limitations of their students and when those limitations or barriers come up, the effortless leader becomes a seed planter! Instead of balling up their fists, they know when to plant seeds; they know when a team needs to grow, even when they’re not ready to take on 100% what they need to learn. Instead of dropping trees, they plant and cultivate seeds that in turn prosper and grow.

I think we can agree that leadership is anything but effortless. So why even discuss Effortless Leadership? As leaders, our teams and businesses will thrive much more readily when our actions occur effortlessly! Forced leadership does nothing but strong-arm and intimidate. Effortless Leadership on the other hand cultivates a culture of communication and accountability, respect, pride, and a desire to be the best that every single team member can be.

[to be continued…]