The Best Leaders Know 3 Things Average Leaders Don’t
The best leaders aren’t made with cookie-cutters.
The best leaders know 3 things average leaders don’t:
#1. Wiring is only part of the equation.
Personality assessments are excuses for lousy leaders to justify poor performance.
The list of personality assessments includes:
Assessments like Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, DiSC, Eysenck Personality Inventory, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Hogan Personality Assessment, Californian Psychological Inventory, Keirsey Temperament Sorter, CliftonStrengths Assessment, and many more.
Personality assessments are fun because we are fascinated with ourselves.
The best leaders live beyond their wiring. Introverts learn to practice extrovertish skills. Thinkers learn how to get things done and Doers learn to develop relationships.
The best leaders don’t say, “That’s how I’m wired,” when they screw up.
Anyone who rises to meet challenges knows natural ability is essential but not all.
The best leaders climb beyond natural ability.
#2. People don’t like you until you like them.
People don’t care if you’re successful. A few want you to fail.
Most people look at leaders with skepticism. They wonder about your motivation. Are you in leadership just for yourself or will you lookout for the interests of others as well? This is a question of heart. Is your heart big enough to make room for others?
We are fascinated with ourselves. The best leaders are fascinated with people.
A leader who doesn’t care about being liked is a tyrant or a fool.
#3. Trust is given, not earned.
The best leaders know trust is a gift.
Micromanagers use fear to get things done. Leaders use trust.
The ability to trust is about you long before it’s about others.
Humility extends trust; ego withholds it.
Productivity begins when you extend trust to competent people.
What might you add to that above list?
Added resources:
Cracking the Doer-Dreamer-Feeler Code
Trust: Better To Give Than Receive
The best leaders are the ones that know that the little things are actually big. Things like knowing and saying people’s names, saying please and thank you, and picking up the phone to call their staff. These actions make staff feel important, respected, and that they matter. In turn, the staff will go above and beyond in their work with that leader.
Thanks Bonnie. “…the little things are actually big.” Now that is a sentence to tack on the wall. I think we’re in love with dramatic stuff. Big stuff. Our fascination with big things is one reason we stagnate.
The beauty of little things is we can do them. The problem with little things is they eliminate excuses.
The best leaders know:
1. There are hidden talents and underutilized resources in every organization.
2. There is something unique in each person that when tapped will move them from good good to great.
Thanks Paul. Wonderful additions. Regarding #2: It’s easy to develop a negative attitude about people. It would help if we thought more about developing and maximizing their passion and strength.
Dan, so true especially Trust. Coming out of the pandemic, the next economy is the trust economy.
Good one Anthony. It’s so obvious. Who will work with greater joy and intensity? Someone who trusts you or someone who doesn’t?
The best leaders know the art of listening to understand not to respond.
Thanks for another good thought starter… I might add — the best leaders know how far their energy will take them. I mean that both the limitless things (vision, passion) and the limited things — my capability can only take this so far, so I need to gather others and reset myself as an encourager to them.
Brilliant Ken. Feeling invincible is a great way to crash and burn.
Thanks Jennifer. That’s a big one, It’s hard to listen when you have all the answers. 🙂 Cheers
Hi Dan. Always enjoy your posts and the insights you share. I am curious about the personality assessment comments though. Sure, managers can use them poorly, justify poor performance or use them as labels to hold over people. I’m familiar with a number of these assessments and the Core Strengths SDI2.0, which you don’t list, is my favourite. It’s about how we are wired differently – sure – and it’s also about how that impacts our relationships, how we experience conflict, and how it anchors the relational strengths we bring to work with others. It even builds awareness about how we can sometimes overdo strengths in a way that can trigger conflict for others. It builds a common language for setting agreements in teams about how we will “be” together leveraging the awareness of what’s important to us as individuals. It’s not easy. It’s certainly not a “fix” for broken, poorly managed teams, toxic behaviours etc. but, I think it’s useful for getting powerful conversations going that lead to improved communication, collaboration, and trust. Some of the other assessments, properly, openly, safely administered with commitment to building healthy and productive teams can be valuable too I’m sure.
Thanks for jumping in today, Mark. The number of assessments continues to grow. I left many off the list, including SDI2.0. The list is just an illustration.
I’m glad you jumped in to speak a good word for assessments. They are definitely a leg up when it comes to getting to know ourselves and helping others get to know us.
Self-knowledge is essential to leadership success.
My best manager was clear that making mistakes was not something to be afraid of, however, trying to hide them was! We learn from our mistakes and the quicker we recognize and admit the problem, the sooner we can all get back on track.
I enjoyed your blog. For me, having a simple conversation with a staff member will give you more insight to theirs needs in the organization than anything else. I learned by conversation with a staff member that they needed more structure than i was giving her. We sat down together and organized a development plan for her and she has excelled all of my expectations and also her expectations. no personality assessment can give you what a conversation with listening ears can.