We are living in unprecedented times and technological advancement. One of the questions one must ask is what will not become obsolete in the world of AI? What will stand the test of time and fortify resiliency in the human condition? Leadership is the one thing, in my opinion, that will stand the test of time.
Many ideas, concepts, technologies, and philosophies have risen and fallen, but leadership has remained constant. As John Maxwell says so well “companies rise and fall on leadership”. Leadership, by definition, is the ability to inspire people to willingly do what you believe needs to be accomplished. The key word here is ‘want,’ as opposed to coercion or manipulation, which might achieve short-term compliance but lack long-term impact.
Let me spend a few moments discussing some of the top leadership traits I believe matter most. The first one is managing priorities. Every day a leader is faced with two problems. The first is the finite nature of the clock. This merciless clock does not care about all you have to do, but it has one mission….move in one direction and never stop. We are all beholden to the thing we have no control over…time is moving. Secondly is the tsunami of things that are thrown at us every day, i.e. tasks, emails, meetings, relationships, conferences, and the like.
These two relentless forces underscore why managing priorities is crucial to a leader’s success. The better you manage your priorities, the more tangible results you will see. No ands, ifs, or buts. The second leadership trait that is critical for success is vision. A great proverb says “Where there is no vision, the people perish….” Vision is simply put a clear and compelling destination. People need a clear end goal they can visualize, get excited about, and feel personally connected to.
Your job as the leader is to be intentional to develop a vision and then ravenously communicate this with your team. Jack Welch after he retired was asked what he wished he would have done more of, and his response was to communicate his vision and values more than he did. The next leadership trait that is critical to success is integrity. You could have all the competencies in the world, but if you lack integrity everything is lost. Integrity, by our definition, is that your inner life is consistent with your outer life. Are you a person of your word and someone to be trusted? Do people see what they get? Not that you are perfect, but are you permanent? When you fail, do you own it? When you rise, do you give others the credit?
A fourth critical leadership trait is what I call baton handling. Will you carve out the time to train the next in line? Are you putting people, and processes, in place to replace yourself in every area of your business? A great leader is intentional in finding ways to work him, or herself, out of a job. A generous leader is trying to find ways to give others the opportunity to grow and shine. And the final leadership trait that is critical to success is daily wisdom-seeking. A great leader is on purpose about daily finding ways to grow their head, heart, and hands. They are constantly seeking ways to develop their skills and their character.
At Integrity Capital we are committed to leadership development because by doing so we can best be positioned to delight our customers. Furthermore, it allows our people to know they have a one-track course for reaching their personal dreams!
For further questions please contact David Kotter at dave.kotter@integrity-capital.com or 480-219-1205.