Cultivating a Culture of Confidence and Success (Part 2)
After reading Part 1 of Cultivating a Culture of Confidence and Success, you understand that leadership is clearly anything but effortless! In the midst of all that you as a leader are responsible for accomplishing, being a visionary, communicator, and teacher can be difficult. Yet, without being a visionary, communicator, and teacher, accomplishing all you need to accomplish would be difficult to do too!
So, what do these three traits have in common? They all empower your team members! Ultimately, having team members who are empowered to act on your behalf, in the best interests of your company, and to the best of their abilities allow- you to "effortlessly" lead your company through what's next. What other traits are necessary for seemingly Effortless Leadership?
Team Builder: The Effortless Leader must be a masterful team builder. They think and speak in terms of "we", not "I." When you speak in terms of "we" you create a culture whereby every member of the team is responsible for their actions; what each team member does or does not do has a direct impact on the rest of the team and their effectiveness. Thinking and speaking in terms of "we" also lets your team members know that you are a part of their team, that you value them as team members, and that success is not something that only you will be acknowledged for. Instead, ultimately the team as a whole gets credit for their success!
Influencer: Oftentimes when we talk about influence, we are talking about negative influence. For instance: teen peer pressure that results in poor decision-making. However, when we talk about the Effortless Leader as an Influencer, we are speaking of positive influence. It is through positive influence and example that team members are motivated to perform at the best of their abilities. By being an example of integrity, you influence integrity in your team.
When you trust, you influence others to trust.
When you have empathy, you teach others how to be empathetic.
When you are able to forgive, you influence forgiveness in others.
When you are a leader, you influence others to step up as leaders — and isn't growing and mentoring others what leadership is ultimately about?
The Effortless Leader appears "effortless" because the team they build around them is empowered, inspired, and motivated by that leader's actions and commitment to the team! Throughout the entire team, there is a culture of communication and accountability, respect, pride, trust, integrity, "We", and a desire to be the best that every single team member can be. And it is when "we" function as a cohesive, unstoppable, and successful team, leadership becomes effortless!
"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."— Bill Gates