Category Leadership Styles

 Do you feel overwhelmed at work?

If yes, you are not alone. According to a recent Deloitte survey of 2,500 organizations in 90 countries, two-thirds of managers say they’re overwhelmed.

This is a problem; your responsibility is to ensure the company succeeds.

The result is that managers and leaders take on too much work. A survey by eVoice found that 44% of entrepreneurs reported wearing five or more hats in their business at any time.

The answer is to delegate more effectively.

Delegate so you can spend more time on strategic decisions.

You should delegate every task that DOES NOT move you closer to achieving your objectives.

But how can you decide which tasks to delegate and what you should keep control of yourself?

Jenny Blake, in a Harvard Business Review article, suggests we conduct an audit using the six T’s to determine what tasks make the most sense to offload:

Tiny: Tasks that are so small they seem inconsequential to tackle, but they add up. They are never urgent, and even if they only take a few minutes, they make you out of the flow of more strategic work. For example, they are registering for a conference or event, adding it to your calendar, and booking the hotel and flight — on their own. These things may not take much time, but they all add up.

Tedious: Relatively simple tasks are not the best use of your time and can (and should) be handled by anyone but you. For example, you manually input a 100-item list into a spreadsheet and colour-coding it or update the KPIs in your presentation deck.

Time-Consuming: Although they may be significant and even somewhat complex, tasks are time-consuming and do not require you to do the initial 80% of research. You can quickly step in when the task is 80% complete and give approval, oversight and direction on the next steps.

Teachable: Tasks that, although complicated-seeming at first and possibly comprising several smaller subtasks, can be translated into a system and passed along, with you still providing quality checks and final approval and, for example, teaching one of your direct reports how to draft the presentation deck for the monthly all-hands meeting and even how to be the one to deliver those updates to the team.

Terrible At: Tasks that not only do not fall into your strengths but an area where you feel unequipped. You take far longer than people skilled in this area and still produce a subpar result. For example, designing those PowerPoint slides for the team meeting.

Time Sensitive: Tasks that are time-sensitive but compete with other priorities; there isn’t enough to do them all at once, so you delegate an essential and time-sensitive task to be done parallel to your other project-based deadlines.

Once you have decided what to give away, learn how by reading “The #1 Secret “ & 4 Tips You Need To Know To Delegate.”

The legendary poet and activist Maya Angelou once said about herself: “I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’ll find me out.”

 

Are you faking it until you make it?

Can you move past the imposter syndrome to the following levels of personal confidence and, thereby, the next level of leadership competencies?

You need to understand a few inalienable thoughts.

To transition successfully, leaders must become good students of their own experience and remain open to adapting their mindset and behaviour.

 

The 50-Percent Rule

The 50-percent Rule goes like this:

Half of what made you successful in the past is essential to success in your next role.

And half of what made you successful in the past won’t help in your next part and may get in the way of success.

The thing is, no one can tell you which half is which!

 

Transition Traps

Without attending to the 50-percent Rule, leaders easily fall into any of the following transition traps:

• The big speech.
• There’s a new sheriff in town.
• I know what good looks like.
• Get stuff done at any cost.

Trap No. 1: The Big Speech

The big speech is precisely that: trying to be articulate early on, tying the business and yourself into a nice bow.

The trap is that you, the leader, mentally check the box that you have been clear, but everyone else remains in wait-and-see mode or thinks, “I’ve heard that before.” 

Trap No. 2: There’s a New Sheriff in Town

Some leaders intend to be candid about their expectations, ensuring everyone knows who is now in charge. They may think they are telling people how to be successful.

If the leader isn’t clear on what distinguishes high from underperforming, they drive honest conversation underground and foster a rumour mill about who might be in the doghouse—or worse. 

Read More About the New Sheriff

Trap No. 3: I Know What Good Looks Like 

Ironically, leaders can fall into this trap precisely because they desire to share best practices. The first time a leader in transition offers benchmark comparisons of how similar issues were handled at their last company, people listen attentively. But by the fourth or fifth time, the same people discretely roll their eyes or mentally recite the benchmark story they have heard too many times.

The trap is that leaders isolate themselves from the people they want to work with.

Trap No. 4: Get Stuff Done at Any Cost 

As you up your leadership game, you may commit to driving the change that previously could not be achieved. You may start leaning on people until the shift occurs. Progress may be realized at the cost of creating a reputation for being unreasonable and dismissive.

By falling into this trap, you will be forced into investing time in rebuilding your brand, re-establishing relationships, and discovering ways not to alienate everyone around you. 

 

What can you do?

For all of your positive aspirations to be the leader you want to become and your people deserve, you can fall into almost every trap imaginable.

 Instructions:

1. 1. 1. The quiz should take about five minutes.
      2. Answer the following questions by circling the letter (A, B, C, D) that best reflects you.
      3. At the end of the quiz, add the number of A’s, B’s, C’s, or D’s you have.
      4. Then discover what kind of leader you are, as well as tips for success with that leadership style.

Click Here To Download You Own PDF Copy Of This Quiz

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1. Do you enjoy working in a group setting?

A. No, telling the group what we will do is easier.

B. Groups can be a good way of promptly achieving what you want to be done.

C. I would rather let the group work alone and then give them my thoughts on what they come up with at the end of the meeting.

D. Yes, I enjoy hearing what my peers have to say.

2. A colleague comes in late for work the third day in a row after promising you it would never happen again. She begs you not to tell your supervisor. What do you do?

A. You had already told your supervisor the first time she was late, and now you will put in a complaint to HR.

B. You tell her that it will be ok and that you will make sure no one finds out.

C. You don’t want to get involved, so you slip off and perform your duties. 

D. You tell her that you have already caught her up on the work she was behind but that you are worried she might get in trouble. You ask her kindly not to be late again.

3. If you had chosen a career path other than what you are doing now, which of the following would you have chosen?

A. A job in criminal justice (Judge, Police Officer, Lawyer).

B. A job in entertainment (Dancer, Singer, Actor).

C. A job in finance (Accountant, Business, Stock Broker).

D. A job in events (Event Planner, Wedding Planner, Manager)

4. Your colleague is having problems at home and is asking you for your advice at work. What do you do?

A. Tell them to keep their personal problems to themselves, especially at work. 

B. Tell them everything will be ok, and you will work out a solution for them. 

C. Ask them what they think they should do about the problem, and then tell them to follow their intuition.

D. Tell them you would be happy to help them every step of the way, whatever it takes.

5. How do you feel about rules?

A. You make the rules

B. It’s ok to bend the rules if you need to.

C. Rules need to be established to get work done.

D. Rules are made for a reason and should be followed. 

6. A new employee was hired last month, and he still hasn’t gotten used to how fast-paced your department is. What do you do?

A. You usually tell people what to do to be efficient, and he is no different. You don’t mind directing your colleagues. 

B. You encourage him to shadow you to learn how to do the job properly and efficiently, just like you. 

C. You let him work the job out on his own. He was given all the necessary tools in school to be successful.

D. You tell a few colleagues about the issue and work together to ensure he gets the proper training.

7. How do you prefer to make a big decision at work?

A. I like to make the decisions and then let my colleagues know what I have decided we will do.

B. Encourage your team to see it your way; after all, you usually have the best ideas.

C. You like to let your staff know all the information needed to make the decision and then let them brainstorm on their own.

D. You like to work with your peers to find the best solution possible, even if it takes a while to arrive at a conclusion.

8. How responsible do you feel for your coworkers?

A. I feel very responsible. I have always felt nothing will ever be done on time if I don’t constantly direct my team.

B. I am somewhat responsible for them because they admire how well I do my job. They might get confused if they didn’t have me as a role model.

C. I am not responsible for any of my colleagues. They have the materials they need to succeed.

D. We are all responsible for each other.

9. When you are learning something new you,

A. Want to gather the information needed and learn the facts quickly?

B. Read some of the material, but eventually, you teach yourself how to do it independently.

C. Like to learn only the required information so you are efficiently using your time.

D. Read all the provided material, as well as research it yourself. Also, you speak to your peers and exchange information and opinions on the subject.

10. What words describe you best?

A. Powerful, efficient and independent.

B. Energetic, motivational and charming.

C. Relaxed, trusting and helpful.

D. Logical, social and creative.

Click Here To Download You Own PDF Copy Of This Quiz

Exam Time is over! Now, count your A’s, B’s, C’s and D’s:

A’s _____ B’s _____ C’s _____ D’s _____

 

If you have chosen mostly A’s, you are a Rigid leader. 

• • • You are a powerful and intelligent worker; work is all about efficiency. 
    • You can sometimes come across as strict when you give directions, but in your mind, you are just doing your job well. 
    • Your leadership style is most helpful when there is a matter of urgency. 

However, this leadership style can come on as too strong in most situations. By delivering your message in a friendlier way, you will be able to do your work efficiently but also as one of the most well-liked employees.

If you have chosen mostly B’s, you are a Charismatic Leader. 

• • • You are a very energetic worker and carry a large amount of responsibility. 
    • You love to encourage your team to do the best that they can do, although, sometimes, you may believe that you are the only one who knows how to get tasks done correctly. 
    • This is not always a problem for you; this leadership style makes you likable. Your coworkers tend to admire your work ethic. 

However, if you aren’t at work one day, some of your coworkers will have difficulty figuring out how to perform tasks without your direction. You need to ensure that your team has their independence from you so they can succeed as well. 

If you have chosen mostly C’s, you are a Laissez-Faire Leader.  

• • • You are a leader that expects a lot from your coworkers. 
    • You give them the freedom to work independently without judgment, which works well if they are proficient workers and have a lot of experience. 

However, this leadership style can become disastrous if your colleagues are not as skilled as others. To avoid a lack of focus and motivation, you must make sure that you are checking in on your coworkers; They will benefit from more group work, and you will benefit from taking a more hands-on approach.   

If you have chosen mostly D’s, you are a Democratic Leader. 

• • • You are a team player and believe in equal participation; therefore, you are bothered when your peers don’t work together.
    • Discussion and debate are your forte, which can hold you and your team back.
    • This can be one of the most effective leadership styles because your people feel like they are being treated fairly.

However, you ensure you are using your time effectively and avoid getting caught up in being fair such that you lose sight of the task at hand.

How Did You Do?

Is There Space For Improvement?

Maybe You Should Join The Better Leader Inner Circle Program To Invest In Making You A Better Leader!

There are many schools of thought about the role of a leader. What are the essential qualities of a leader? What are the must-haves?

Well, I have three distinct opinions.

What makes a great leader?

1. A leader taps into their team’s talents to achieve results.
2. A leader’s role is not to engage their team but to achieve their mission by motivating and inspiring their people.
3. A leader does not run a country club; they lead people to achieve something more significant than they could ever achieve as individuals.

The essential qualities of a leader

We also know that each leader should have a mission. Often, there are overlapping qualities between leaders in any industry and for all kinds of teams. For example, their mission is to create a cohesive, effective team in almost every case. Their mission could be to inspire, motivate, and bring out the best in their team.

But one thing is for sure, regardless of the exact details of their mission, there are certain qualities a leader must have to achieve them.

Here are the nine qualities of a leader they must tap into to lead effectively and in line with their goals.

Be Creative

Leaders must be creative and unafraid to take creative risks. Creativity allows competency to move to excellence. It is the spark that captures peoples’ attention and builds a cohesive whole.

Know the Structure

Leaders know and understand the structure of their organization. But they also know when to move beyond the boundaries of these structures. While we all work within parameters and limitations, a great leader knows not to let structure slow the process. Knowing the structure enables you to guide others to work within it effectively.

Use Your Intuition

Intuition is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence. And emotional intelligence is one of the cornerstone qualities of a leader. Use your insight to sense what others are feeling and thinking so you can respond to them with understanding.

(We discuss more why emotional intelligence is critical to becoming a better leader in this post.)

Be Committed

A leader is committed to success. One of the qualities of a leader who leads effectively is that they can articulate that vision to the team. Then, they can also move and inspire the team toward the goal.

Be Human

Employees value humble and selfless leaders who don’t hide behind authority. The best leaders are those who aren’t afraid to be themselves. They respect and connect with others and inspire loyalty.

Be Versatile

Flexibility is the ability to be not overly attached to how things are ‘supposed to be’ and allows you to respond to events that will inevitably come up.

Have Fun

A light touch and a laugh balance out the seriousness of the task at hand and the team’s resolve and contribute to results and retention. When appropriate, levity can go a long way to energize your team members and promote a positive team environment.

Discipline

Discipline is the ability to choose what one pays attention to and consistently model leadership. It’s one of the qualities of a leader that, by demonstrating, they can also inspire in their team.

Focus

Do not take your eye off your objectives … a leader achieves results!

(On the topic of results, take a look at this post next: The Last Thing You Need Is Another Leadership TED Talk: 3 Tactics That Leads To Action & Results)

Develop these qualities of a leader in yourself.

When you read through this list, chances are you mentally checked off some items. Maybe discipline and focus are two of your strong suits as a leader. But chances are, there are also some qualities of a leader you would like to work on developing in yourself. In that case, we should talk. My one-on-one coaching is for new or uncertain leaders who need help finding their way forward. Please read all about how it works here.

Did you like reading about the qualities of a leader?

Here are three posts to read next:

• 14 Secret Habits That Will Make You A More Effective Leader
• 4 Actions To Ensure That Your Leadership Adheres To The ‘First Team’ Model
• Five reasons you need to improve your Leadership Skills

This post was first published in 2017 but was updated in 2021, just for you.

A pencil is a little wonder-wand: a stick of wood that traces the tiniest motions of your hand as it moves across a surface … As a tool, it is admirably sensitive. The lines it makes can be fat or thin, screams or whispers, blocks of concrete or blades of grass, all depending on changes of pressure so subtle that we would hardly notice them in any other context – Sam Anderson, New York Times 12 Jan 2018

For 130 years, the General Pencil Company of New Jersey has been making pencils.

Pencils so wonderfully simple they inspired Sam Anderson’s prose.

The General Pencil Company’s mission statement reads that they believe in quality, tradition, value, and the fun of creating. It is a company that has employees who have worked there for 47 years, and one, Maria, matches the colour of her shirt and nail polish to the shade of the pastel cores being manufactured each week.

I challenge you to momentarily think about your mission and vision statement(s). Does it sound loftier and grander than making the best pencil we can? Now look around your organization. Can you imagine that level of dedication and commitment?

I expect that you believe that your work is more important than mixing pastels for colouring pencils, but would you colour-coordinate your fashion to match your most important work?

I know that hardly anyone is motivated by mission and vision statements.

The things that motivate people at work are based fundamentally on the very exact needs they have in every other aspect of life – Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

 

Basic Needs – The lowest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is essential, such as food and rest. When it comes to the workplace, this translates into money.

If a job pays employees enough that they can pay their rent and utilities and buy food and clothing, then the position satisfies the employees’ basic needs.

Safety and Security – Employees must have safety and security to succeed in the workplace. Employers should help employees feel physically safe by taking sexual harassment and threats seriously and having policies to deal with potential violence.

Employees must also feel that their jobs are secure. Suppose a company lays off many employees or doesn’t communicate with employees about layoffs. In that case, employees may feel frightened of losing their jobs — which would mean no longer being able to meet their basic needs — and be unmotivated to work.

Read more about talking safely to your people

Belonging and Love – Once basic and security needs have been met, employees seek to meet their needs by feeling comfortable with their coworkers and supervisors. Even if they don’t like or get along with everybody, they need to feel like they belong to the group they work with.

If an employee feels alienated from the company, she may not do her best work. This is doubly important when it comes to employer/employee relationships. Employees who don’t feel their bosses value them or their contributions won’t want to do their jobs.

Self-Esteem and Self-Actualization – The highest levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs relate to how employees feel about themselves and how they like and value themselves.

Employees who feel productive and do something worthwhile with their time tend to have higher self-esteem than those who don’t. An employee needs to feel like he is living up to his potential and is using his creativity & passion and may look elsewhere to meet these needs.

Read more about high potential

I certainly do not know all there is to know about the General Pencil Company, but reading about them, I can almost 100% assure you that they work hard – every day – to meet the needs of their employees.

Otherwise, how can you motivate a person to shovel and mill graphite for 47 years?

You are not your 2 AM conversations;

not your 3 AM nightmares;

not your 4 AM regrets

– Mark Dimaisip

I don’t mind telling you that business could always be better.

Or I miss the energies created by surrounding myself with a powerful team.

Or that I am often awake at 4:00.

So maybe that is why Mark Dimaisip’s poem resonated with me, as did the Hidden Brain podcast episode on regret.

Everyone has regrets.

Some say regret is the most common emotion.

Amy Summerville, who runs the Regret Lab at Miami University in Ohio, says:

‘we ruminate thoughts that spring unwanted to mind, and we chew them over without getting anything new out of them, they’re just repeatedly, intrusively, becoming part of our mental landscape.’

We don’t have time for all of my regrets; besides, that is why they invented rye.

But I would like to touch on my three leadership regrets that run rampant in my mind at 4:00 AM

1. Anger

Given the right set of triggers, I have a temper that can flash and lash out.

I’ve written about this and don’t understand where it comes from.

When it happens, it diminishes me, my leadership, my organization, and my people.

I have learned to manage it by being more aware of situations that may trigger the flash and trying to excuse myself, walk away, and disengage.

Read More About Not Being An Ass

2. Mediocrity

Far too often, I have allowed people to push me toward mediocrity.

As leaders, we know the right thing to do, yet people and systems cause us to settle.

And when we settle, nobody is happy.

People-pleasing only creates soup sandwiches, a mess where no one is satisfied.

Read More About Soup Sandwiches

3. Kindness

The business decisions I regret the most are those I wish I had acted out with more kindness.

Too often, I made decisions based on what I, our bosses or the mission demanded.

Decisions are made without humanity and care for the people impacted.

I know some of the decisions I have made hurt people.

That doesn’t make them wrong or even bad decisions.

But I wish I could get mulligans on a few where I could have been more honest, kind, and generous.

 

Final Thoughts

My experience tells me that your leadership experience would undoubtedly be happier with less anger, less mediocrity, and more kindness.

Happiness is a choice.

Focus on the positives.

Be self-aware.

Practice deliberate, purposeful, and thoughtful actions.

Understand that ambition and success will not lead to a life of fewer regrets.

Don’t get caught up in what you don’t have.

Be mindful and purposeful of the opportunities right in front of you.