Employees follow leaders who they believe are real. Authenticity is important for trust to develop.
One of my recent senior vice president executive coaching clients was being considered as the successor to the CEO. He told me the following story. At one of the Board of Director meetings the bulb in the overhead projector burned out. My client quickly rolled up his sleeves and changed the bulb. He received feedback from a couple of Board members that it created an impression of not looking like a CEO. My client is the heart and soul of the company. People love him.
Do you think he did the right thing by changing the bulb? What would you do in a similar circumstance?
Successful executives develop leadership styles that fit their business needs, as well as their personal beliefs and personality. While many leaders ask themselves about the former, few analyze the latter.
Companies require leaders who can express strongly held views, rather than mimic the party line. Do you hold back for political reasons? Do you encourage your people to express their opinions and make waves, if appropriate?
Don’t tiptoe around significant issues or foster an atmosphere that encourages employees to do so.
Ask yourself:
• Is my leadership style comfortable? Does it reflect who I truly am?
• Do I assert myself sufficiently, or have I become tentative?
• Am I too politically correct?
• Does anxiety about my next promotion or bonus cause me to hesitate when I want to express my
views?
In the early stages of your career, you may have received plenty of guidance and support from superiors and mentors. As you’ve been promoted, however, you’ve probably encountered fewer sources of honest and useful feedback. By the time mistakes have come to light, it may have been too late to fix them.
Successful leaders continually ask themselves hard questions to stay on track in a world of rapid change. Remember to step back and gain fresh perspectives so you’re prepared with a new game plan when change occurs. If you’re standing too close to the blackboard, you won’t see mistakes until it’s too late.
These questions are designed to ignite serious introspection. They can be even more productive when discussed with a trusted advisor, coach or mentor.
When is the last time you had a leadership checkup?
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