In a recent survey of over 100,000 workers and business owners 4 common elements were deemed as missing from Leaders...
When I read this report I was not surprised because it is something that I too have witnessed first hand...
Poor Leaders are impacting the bottom line of businesses and organisations because they are the drivers of the culture...
Whether these are Leaders who have been selected or have naturally risen to their positions...
If these 4 common elements are missing there will be trouble.
So what are they?
Compassion
Integrity
Communication
Selflessness
Why are they missing?
Surely a good Leader should have these in abundance?
They are missing because these are commonly described as "soft skills" and as such are not deemed to be as important.
A Leader is defined as:
the person who leads or commands a group, organisation, or country
A good Leader is someone who will "do whatever is necessary for the common good"
and this is why these so called "soft skills" are essential within any Leader...
So why are they missing in Leaders right now?
Because as Humans, we are efficient or lazy depending on your view point...
We will take the path of least resistance...
Generally, we choose the easiest option and generally we do this subconsciously...
These 4 elements that are missing also happen to be the hardest skills to understand and master...
So is it any wonder that given the pattern of Human Behaviour of being efficient that we see these 4 common elements missing in Leaders today?
To be an effective Leader you must understand intimately the people around you...
You need to be emotionally intelligent and even more emotionally fit.
Emotional Intelligence is defined as:
"the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically"
Which is all well and good, but if you are not emotionally fit and agile you will burn out quickly...
So, yes we have emotionally intelligent Leaders, but because they lack the fitness and agility, they are unable to sustain this behaviour...
It is a bit like someone who runs 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time, trying to complete a marathon.
It takes hard work to learn these 4 elements and dedication to become a master of them.
Also, there are not many Leadership Trainers who offer the opportunity to learn and develop these "soft skills"
and there are even less employers who are willing to send their emerging Leaders on these sort of trainings...
Sure, they will train them to be better in their role, but not train them as a Leader...
So, we start to see why Leaders are missing these 4 key elements of Leadership...
This also then starts to explain why there are so many people changing jobs all the time...
Because if there is no compassion, integrity, communication and selflessness from the Leaders, what would the culture be like?
I know, because I have worked in these environments and I am sure you have as well...
It breeds, frustration, contempt and a bare minimum mindset...
However, and again I am sure you have experienced this too...
When the Leaders are on fire and possess all 4 of these key elements the workplace is a great place to be...
Because you feel significant, seen, understood and you are more than happy to do whatever is required to get the result...
Because you belong.
If you are still reading this it is either because you are a Leader, you are a business owner or you have suffered under a poor Leader.
Leaders who possess these 4 key elements stand head and shoulders above any other Leaders they are around...
They make a difference, a difference that can be seen and recognised...
Their results speak for themselves...
These are the Leaders who are noticed and are given higher levels of responsibility.
These are the people who rise above the rest with grace and humility...
While the rest of the "managers" and "supervisors" remain doing exactly that....managing and supervising
Leaders make the difference and if you want to know more about developing, growing, learning and mastering these "soft skills" click the link below.
Leaders make any group, organisation or business great....
You cannot afford not to have great Leaders