Last year, a business partner of ours asked me to present to a group of up-and-coming managers on leadership. This forced me to reflect on the lessons I have learned that might help steer a professional toward a successful future.
While admittedly I am still growing (as we all should be), I think these seven characteristics create great leaders:
1. Find your moral compass … and anchor it.
Never lose sight of your personal values. In business you’ll invariably run into people or companies that don’t share the same values. Truly successful people don’t let others move them from their standards. Stand for something and stick to it.
2. Be intellectually curious; ask why.
We never stop learning. It’s a journey that never ends. Along the way, don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something. I believe that you learn something new every day. A healthy curiosity helps leaders understand rather than assume.
3. Know your unique selling proposition and put yourself forward.
Assess your skill set and expertise, and know where you add value. More importantly, don’t be shy in speaking up when you could benefit a project or company. It’s not about arrogance, rather leveraging those strengths to better your organization.
4. Be an influencer within your organization, despite where you sit in the organizational chart.
Everyone knows who has influence within a company — the people others turn to for opinions. Strive to emulate them.
They have the ability to influence a decision, direction or strategy without having organizational responsibility for it. Their influence moves beyond departments and they use it without trying to get credit. They break out of functional responsibilities and contribute in a meaningful way.
5. Take risks; open the door.
Trust yourself enough to take a risk without fear of retribution. If you’re trying something new, you’ve likely done your homework and analyzed the pros and cons. You may not be 100 percent right, but you’re prepared to risk it.
In a healthy work environment, it’s OK to fail as long as you learn from it and recover quickly. In fact, people will want to share the lessons from failures. But it’s up to you to burst through the door.
6. Engage people; coach and don’t manage. Know which leadership style to use.
Situational leadership — using varying styles to create a healthy, high-performing climate for your teams — will make you a great leader. Leaders often need to be visionaries to help people understand and engage in the company’s overall direction. Other times, they may need to be directive during a critical situation.
Effective leaders know which style is required to engage their people.
7. Be results driven. Know the difference between activity and accomplishment.
We can’t forget that the essence of business is results. Don’t get stuck in the status quo. Always move the business forward, but recognize that quality is more important than quantity.
Most importantly, leaders never stop evolving. In another year, I too hope to have another list of lessons as I continue my personal journey.
Tom Feeney is the President and CEO of Safelite AutoGlass®. In his 27 years with Safelite Group Inc., Tom has been instrumental in establishing Safelite AutoGlass® as a nationally well-known brand.
