You know a good leader when you are working for one. Articulating the specifics of what they do that makes them so great is hard. There are five daily habits of great leaders that help them identify hidden potential and then develop that potential. They paint a vision of an ideal state and inspire others to pursue that vision.
Great leaders know their style has to be dynamic to be effective at leading today’s diverse workforce. They have to combine a variety of skills to maximize their impact on the team. Become more influential in your leadership style by adopting these five daily habits of great leaders.
1. Be Mindful in Your Interactions
Vastly different things motivate people. Great leaders don’t approach people the same way. Great leaders know what motivates each individual on their team. Beyond that, they can read their team in-the-moment and adjust their style accordingly. Changing their leadership style based on who they are interacting with is a daily habit of great leaders.
2. Self-Awareness is a Habit of Great Leaders
Great leaders are self-aware. They know their strengths and their weaknesses. They are intentional in who they surround themselves with. As a result, great leaders assemble teams with complementary and diverse skills. Maintaining self-awareness is a daily habit of great leaders.
3. Demonstrate Personal Accountability
Great leaders are accountable for providing clear expectations. They are responsible for communicating the right information at the right time. Having their team’s back by accepting the blame and sharing the fame. Holding themselves to a higher standard because they know they set the pace. Holding themselves accountable first is a habit of great leaders.
4. Shhh… Be Quiet and Really Listen
Great leaders know how to be quiet and listen. They listen with their ears and their eyes. Great leaders make a habit of knowing their people and as a result, can read what they aren’t saying. They explore the unsaid and in doing so, have more meaningful conversations. Listening to the unspoken is a habit of great leaders.
5. Courageous Conversations are a Habit of Great Leaders
Helping individuals improve requires a leader to have difficult conversations. Great leaders aren’t known for sugar coating, nor do they delay delivering difficult feedback. If some behavior is holding someone back, they will bring it up and help them improve that behavior. More so, great leaders talk about the great things too. Having courageous conversations is a daily habit of great leaders.
Adopting the five habits of great leaders will take time, practice, and effort. But you can develop these habits and engrain them into your leadership style. The benefits of having great leadership habits are improved employee engagement, relationship building, and higher performance.
Last updated on August 16th, 2019 at 08:37 am
