Success Impulse: What is most important in leadership?
Wouldn't it be exciting to know what issues you need to work on first and foremost as a leader to become even more effective and influential? A new impetus for success.
What is most important in leadership? There are various levers, but after years of working with countless leaders, I naturally see some patterns that are often repeated.
It is very important not to be fooled too much by symptoms. Top leadership is rarely characterized by improving specific routines ("listening better," "having difficult conversations," etc.). While this is also helpful, it does not get to the heart of the matter. What I'm talking about here, on the other hand, are the big levers that have an impact on a lot of other things. If you improve these levers, the positive effect is multiplied.
Here are my top 3 leadership deficits that are definitely worth working on:
- Lack of willingness to learn.
My classic question on this is: "How many personal development books have you read in the last three months? Or attended seminars? Or taken video courses?" I see a clear connection between the willingness to learn systematically, i.e. to work on oneself, and the quality of leadership.
My tip: Make personal development a priority for your leadership, also in terms of time. Schedule fixed blocks for further training, even during the day, and set concrete learning goals. - Victimhood.
Even in management positions, I see too many people who see themselves as victims of external circumstances in many places. Again and again, other departments, the board of directors, the economy, politics, the exchange rate, IT systems (a classic) and other things are held responsible for one's own performance (only in a negative sense, of course). The problem: if you blame others for your successes and failures, you give your own control out of your hands. So there's not much you can do about it anymore.
My tip: Consider yourself responsible for EVERYTHING, whether you can help it or not. You can choose your reaction in any case. Never accept excuses. - Ambiguity.
Lack of clarity is a classic that I encounter at all management levels. It starts with the current situation, continues with any measures for communication and does not end with unclear objectives: Lack of clarity everywhere! The consequences are insecurity, blind performance, frustration and much more.
My tip: Create full clarity in all areas.
So, here you have three top issues that you should definitely work on if you want to become an even better leader. It's not really that hard, is it?
To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch
