4 Things People Who Thrive In Respected Leadership Roles Do On A Regular Basis
They consistently earn trust without needing the spotlight.
Ground Picture | Shutterstock There are many CEOs, founders, bosses, and mentors in leadership positions, but they don’t exactly lead. They don’t inspire. They don’t teach. They abuse their positions. They are not respected. For them, having a title and being a leader rarely go hand in hand.
The asynchrony is nauseating. Yet, so many people show true potential as leaders even if they don’t have a title. "Leadership isn't about the position you hold or the authority you command. It doesn't matter if you're a manager, a CEO, or the president — it's about leadership qualities and skills you can develop in any role you take on," advised career coach Lisa Petsinis.
Here are 4 things people who thrive in respected leadership roles do on a regular basis:
1. Learns what fires each person up
Kobe Bryant never actually hung out with his teammates just to hang out. He didn’t take vacations just to take vacations. Everything Kobe Bryant did was an attempt to be a better basketball player. Everything.
That is why, even when he hung out with his teammates, he had a purpose. He wanted to know them individually so that he knew what nerve to touch to get them inspired. And that’s what made him an excellent leader who won five rings.
Because the thing is, no matter what a person’s goal is, their reason to chase that goal might be different. Their triggers might be different. That’s why inspiration is person-specific. Great leaders try to capitalize on this.
They don’t throw around generic inspirational words and expect results. They don’t use a cookie-cutter approach. Instead, they try to know their teammates on a deeper level, and then, their words of motivation are also specific to that person.
Hence, if you love to learn what fires up someone’s belly — be it your friend or your colleague — it’s a sign that you’re a great leader.
2. Gives freedom to let people make decisions
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A via Shutterstock
Some people love micro-managing. They just don’t let others make any kind of decisions. Whether it’s planning a trip or working on a project. This is bad leadership. A 2015 study showed how not allowing others to make decisions "can lead to employee disengagement. There is an implied lack of trust between the employee and the manager when micromanaging is used inappropriately."
But great leaders do the opposite. They allow others to make decisions. I’ve often had my brother tell me, "Make the decision and let me know. Don’t bother me." This is great because this enables and forces me to think for myself. And if the decision turns out to be wrong, I’ll learn firsthand.
However, giving others the freedom to make some decisions is hard because:
- You have to make peace with the fact that their decision might not meet your standard.
- And that the decision might do damage.
That’s why great leaders begin with the delegation of low-stakes decisions. And then, when the people get better, they slowly raise the stakes. If you do this in your everyday life, it’s a sign that you’re a great leader.
3. Gives credit where it's due and owns their mistakes
M.S. Dhoni was one of the most successful and beloved Indian cricket captains in the sport’s history, and there’s this one little detail that people love about him: In every picture with a trophy or a cup of a tournament that they won, Dhoni stood on one of the sides. He never stood in the center.
He never held the cup or the trophy in the team picture. This is because, as a person and a leader, he was always biased to give away the credit to his team, even though it was evident that he was the one who led his team to victory.
At the same time, he often took the blame when his team lost a game. He pointed out his own mistakes and emphasized less on the mistakes of others. Great leaders do this because, unlike others, they don’t care about appearing "great" in front of people. They care about their team’s morale and learning from their mistakes.
Hence, if you’re biased to accept the blame but give away the credit, it’s a sign that you’re a great leader.
4. Understands that small steps can lead to massive results
insta_photos via Shutterstock
True leaders care about the growth of everyone around them. They understand that everyone around them is a part of their team.
- You and your wife are a team.
- Your family is a team.
- Your office is a team.
- Even the members of the opposite team — in the bigger picture — are your team. (I’ll explain why below.)
This is because growth is infectious. When you grow, your growth will rub off on people in the form of inspiration and lessons, and they’ll grow too. And when they grow, you’ll grow too, for the same reason. This is even and especially true for your competitors. For instance, if the Boston Celtics level up their game, it would force the LA Lakers to get better, too.
People who aren’t great leaders get it wrong. They’re threatened by the growth of others. They think it somehow reduces their worth. And hence, they care for their growth but try to pull others down at the same time. This might help in the short term, but in the long term, such people lose.
However, great leaders understand the real truth about growth. They understand that growth is infectious. This is why they care about the growth of everyone around them, as they know this will eventually get back to them and lead to their growth.
Personal development coach Pamela Aloia explained how good leaders weave opportunities for growth into the team they build, "When you know areas within yourself that need additional development, you can bring people into your life who are better at those skills or qualities for assistance. These folks can help you grow those aspects or take care of them completely in support of your success."
Remember:
- You love to learn what inspires people. And hence, your everyday life inspirational speeches are not through a cookie-cutter approach. You hand out person-specific motivation.
- You allow people to make decisions, with low stakes at first. But you raise the stakes slowly as you trust people’s abilities more.
- You’re biased to accept the blame but give away the credit.
- You’re not a crab who pulls others down to elevate your image. You care about the growth of everyone, as you know it’ll make its way back to you.
Dr. Akshad Singi, M.D., has been published in Better Humans, Mind Cafe, and more.
