Even More Traits That Describe Leadership
Problem solving:
defined as finding solutions to overcome obstacles, to find a way
around, or through difficulties. Again,
I think that this is one of the easier qualities for us to recognize in our
team members. We usually hear about it
after the problem has been solved, when a team member explains how they
achieved the outcome. It may be after we
ask why it was late, or in a form we didn’t expect. You may find that many of your team members
were affected by some unexpected event. At best, the work of some was delayed,
and at worst the work of others stopped.
Then you will likely have one or two who found a way to continue working
and get done on time. These are the
people you want by your side.
The people who are good problem solvers will have varied
backgrounds, they will have connections outside of the department, and they
will be open minded. These people will
have read and be familiar with any training materials they received, and they
will know more about the machinery/systems/materials you use than most other
team members. Sometimes they will come
to you to ask if they can skip steps; add steps; change the order; or alter a process…
if at all possible your answer should be ‘yes, of course… let me know how it’s
going’. These are the people who will
help your business grow.
Relationship building:
defined as the ability to identify and initiate working relationships,
ability to find and maintain a mutual understanding. In your team members, you will have a few who
seem to know, and be known by an unusually large number of their
coworkers. Alternatively, it may not be
that large a number, and they will have developed connections to people outside
of their normal work group. Most people,
if asked, will have a high regard for team members with this quality, and they
will find them trustworthy.
The people you want will not be involved in gossiping, so
you will not usually find them in the normal gossip group. These people will probably have a positive
attitude, and they will usually be wearing a smile. In fact, they will probably have spent at
least a little time attempting to develop a relationship with you. They will be the ones who ask if you have
kids, where you grew up, and what’s the next move for you… not necessarily all
work related stuff… they will be the ones who want to get to know you. In my opinion, as well as in my experience,
relationship building and Trust are really what Leadership is all about. I don’t believe that one can call themselves
Leaders if they cannot trust and/or are not able to build relationships. If you find these two qualities in any of
your team members, find the time to take them under your wing and help them
develop their strengths.
Self-confidence/self esteem:
defined as a feeling of trust in ones own abilities, a realistic view of
ones own ability and power. Hmmm… this
one can throw some of us off. I don’t
believe that people will follow anyone who is not confident in their abilities,
judgment, and qualities. And at the same
time we all know a number of people with inflated egos, who believe that they
are God’s gift to everything.
I don’t think it’s very difficult to weed out those people
in our search for Leadership qualities in our team members. However, some of us may not be as confident
in ourselves as we would like. So it can
be easy for us to feel that someone with an appropriate level of
self-confidence is showing conceit, and an excessive sense of their worth. This is something that only you can see and
evaluate. Each of us must be honest with
ourselves, listen to how we judge ourselves, assess our own self-talk, and make
a determination about our own self-confidence.
Only then can we safely and honestly judge the self-confidence of those
around us.
Now… we still have to identify actions that describe the
quality of self-confidence, don’t we? Self-confident
people are less influence by their peers, and tend to make better
decisions. They will not be jumping into
the spotlight, or bragging. We will
often see self-confidence and self-responsibility together in the same
people. These people will not go with
the flow if it is negative, divisive, or works against their own goals. In fact, they will often be the ones taking a
stand against the grain of the rest of the team, only because they are not
afraid to be wrong. They will be the
ones who don’t need much assistance, however when they do they will not
hesitate to ask for help. They will be
the team members who admit their mistakes, and if they joke it will be at their
own expense.
Self-discipline:
defined as the ability to do what one thinks is right, control of
oneself and one’s conduct. Or… doing
what you don’t want to do now, so later you can do what you want to do. People who are disciplined will have their
own goals, and will not be wasting time at work. They will not often be late, nor will they be
likely to be hanging around after work.
They will not make excuses for themselves, and will often be some of
your hardest workers. They will stay on
task, and follow through.
They will generally follow rules without having to be told
twice. They will probably be very
involved in some sport or activity after work.
They will be the team members who show emotional intelligence. They are team members who do not take short
cuts, at least without asking first.
Servanthood: defined
as a person who performs duties for others, a person in the service of
another. At work, servant Leadership is
the desire to do for others… to help others achieve their goals, to help them
grow as people, help them become healthier, wiser, and more autonomous. As for finding servanthood in our team
members, we will be looking for the people who do for others before themselves. If there is a line for food or treats, look
to the back of the line… not at those who are a little put off that they are at
the back, but at those who look as though they chose to be there (and they just
may have).
When in a group setting, you will look for those who make
sure the needs of the other members of the group are met, and that everyone is
heard. They may be heard making sure the
group understands that any action they take should be for the greater good. Just as we find gold by looking for the rock
with which it is often found, we can look to other qualities and be likely to
find servanthood. We should look for
humility, authenticity, and empathy.
These people will be long-term thinkers, and much less interested in
anything short term. They will
encourage their coworkers, and will often help others with issues outside of
work.
Teachability: defined
as able and willing to learn, capable of being taught. We might also say humility, and they are not
exactly the same thing. The people who
are teachable will be open to the ideas of others, and listen much more than
they talk. They will admit it when they
are wrong, and have no problem talking about what went wrong, as well as what
to do differently next time. They will
also freely ask questions, and ask for directions.
These people will take criticism with ease, and will be able
to change their behavior quickly and with a smile. Doing what they are asked to do is no
problem, and does not involve their ego.
So these are some of the ways in which we find Leadership
qualities in our team members. After
over 30 years of hiring and developing hourly team members, I have come to
believe that pretty much every one of us has one or more of these qualities in
varying degrees. As Leaders, our job is
to seek and find these qualities in our team members; acknowledge and help
develop them; and for hiring Leaders, hire for them.
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