Dare to Be Different
Are you working in an organization where leaders are emotionally and socially intelligent? Do the leaders in your organization stand out as being different?
One of the most powerful questions one can ask oneself is “Am I demonstrating that I have unique leadership qualities?” Inspiring leaders consistently demonstrate their uniqueness.
Are you a leader who stands out from the crowd? Are you able to create a high performance workplace by creating a workplace climate where employees are fully engaged and leaders communicate their uniqueness?
Inspirational leaders capitalize on their unique qualities, using their differences to great advantage. This is probably the most important trait of the four we’ve been discussing.
The most effective leaders deliberately use their differences to maintain a social distance. Even when drawing their followers close to them, they also signal a separateness.
This may be a distinctly different dress style, physical appearance or manner of speaking—or it may be a larger-than-life personality. Typically, such leaders will show imagination, loyalty, expertise or even a unique handshake. Anything can be a difference, it’s important to communicate it.
Many people are hesitant to communicate their uniqueness. It may take years for them to become fully aware of what sets them apart. This is a serious disadvantage in a world where networking is so critical and teams need to be formed overnight.
Inspirational leaders use separateness to motivate others to perform better. They recognize instinctively that followers will push themselves if their leader is just a little aloof. After all, leadership is not a popularity contest.
The danger is that leaders can overdifferentiate themselves in their determination to express their separateness. Losing contact with followers is fatal. Once they create too much distance, leaders lose their ability to sense out situations, identify with people and care about them.
Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-i and CPI 260 can help you become an and inspiring leader who displays the qualities authentic leadership. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.
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