Written by: Nicole Lucas, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
So you want to grow your leadership skills but you’re not sure where to start. Thankfully, you can start here! In this article, we’ll explore four essential leadership qualities that will help you develop your leadership skills for 2023 and beyond.
The Considerate Leader
Consideration can be defined as careful thought. It happens when we take a fact or a motive into account when we decide or judge something, or when we exercise thoughtfulness and sensitivity towards someone or something. One of the most important qualities of a leader is their ability to think. It’s crucial to take the time to consider your own life and leadership, as well as the organization and the lives of those you’ve been entrusted to lead. Now, the concept of sitting down to think might sound crazy to you. You’re busy! You’ve got people to meet with, calls to make, emails to send, feedback to give, and things to approve, there’s too much work to be done; you can’t spend time thinking! In my experience with the individuals I’ve coached and consulted, this leadership quality is the most difficult to cultivate. The reason has to do with the fact that some people see thinking as a very passive thing. They see thinking as a waste of time because they aren’t doing the things that need to be done. But when we spend all of our time buried in our day-to-day tasks, we lose sight of the big picture, which is crucial to discerning where things are now and where they should be in the future. On the other hand, some people don’t know where to start or what they should be thinking about. To be a considerate leader you must consider the following:
What’s going well?
What’s difficult right now and why?
Where is each person on my team thriving and struggling?
What have I learned in the last month to make me a better employee and leader?
What next steps should I take based on what I’ve just discovered?
Additionally, a considerate leader masters the art of observation, asking thoughtful questions, and listening attentively, all for the sake of cultivating their ability to empathize. Empathy is at the heart of every great leader.
The Communicative Leader
Communication can be defined as the successful conveying or sharing of information, ideas, and feelings. Sounds pretty simple, right? We do this daily for the most part. But successful communication is more than just the ability to open our mouths and speak. Communication is a huge topic. Scores of books have been written about how to do it well. But if I can put it simply, communication is an art form that has to do with appropriately identifying and matching the setting and the people with which you’re communicating. It entails verbal and nonverbal communication, the ability to form an emotional connection, conveying a confident speaking pattern, as well as knowing when to listen and when to speak, just to name a few. To be a communicative leader, you must first understand your communication style, as it will help you identify both your strengths and weaknesses as a communicator. For example, some people are quick to communicate, whereas others are slow to communicate. By nature, those who are quick to communicate aren’t afraid to give you all the details. You won’t need to read between the lines when they speak because they plan to provide as much information as possible, depending on the situation. They can be called direct communicators.
On the other hand, those who are slower to communicate are more comfortable keeping their thoughts and the information they have to themselves; it’s a need-to-know approach. In this case, you may spend more time wondering what they’re thinking or how they’re feeling about something. You may also spend more time asking them questions to get the necessary information. These individuals can be called indirect communicators. As a leader, which example do you think has more benefits and which has more negatives for a team or organization? Once you identify your communication style and patterns, you must then discover the style of each individual on your team and adapt your communication with them accordingly. How do you do this? Simple, you can ask them what they prefer or need regarding communication to do their job well. In your next one-on-one, you might ask:
Do you have all of the information you need from me?
Has my communication with you been timely or delayed?
Are my communication and expectations clear and helpful?
How can I communicate with you more effectively in the future?
Additionally, a communicative leader knows how to cast a clear vision. They understand the importance of slowing down and telling people the why behind the what. It’s helpful to remember that people will have a difficult time following someone who never explains or casts vision. The days of following a leader who says, “Don’t worry about it, just follow my lead” are long gone, and on the rare occasion where this sort of idea is acceptable, it’s only after a leader has intentionally cultivated a trusting rapport or relationship with people through intentional communication.
The Collaborative Leader
Collaboration can be defined as the action of working with someone to produce or create something. The act of collaboration is key to a healthy and thriving team and organization. Chances are, if you’re not collaborating with your people, you may either be ignoring them or dictating to them. First, people don’t thrive in silos. People don’t work well when they’re ignored or left on their own. Second, people don’t thrive under dictators. Simply put, people aren’t fans of someone only showing up to tell them what to do and how to do it. The rare occasion where this sort of approach does work is in a crisis when a quick decision is crucial. Instead, people thrive under collaborative leaders who cast vision and give them the support and freedom to do the work they’ve been gifted and hired to do. If you want to develop this powerful leadership skill, start by observing the gifts and skills, perspectives and personalities, hearts and minds, and everything your team brings to the table as a necessity to doing great work. This is collective wisdom at its finest. The reality is that we can do something better together than we can do separately. If this is true, why do some leaders choose to do otherwise? In my experience, the biggest reason has to do with the fact that people are messy. It’s easier to do it alone, to be the one to make the decisions and tell people what you want rather than discuss what they think. There’s also the side of those who see differences as wrong. For example, some leaders have given authority away only to find that someone did something differently than they would have, and that leader is then left wondering if their way would have been more effective. When this happens, leaders often pull back and keep the authority to make decisions to themselves. Have you ever felt this way? If I’m being honest, I know that I have. But I’m so glad I didn’t stay there! Instead, I learned to consider WHO I have on my team and WHAT they do best. So it starts with asking, “Who would be good at X on my team?” Then after thinking through the various circumstances that come along with the project and the people you might invite to collaborate, you communicate with them. You invite them in and tell them why you thought of them. You cast the vision, set expectations, release them to do the work, check in with them from time to time to see how they’re doing, and redirect them as necessary with helpful feedback. All of this collaboration takes consideration and communication. Additionally, a collaborative leader develops the skills of inviting people into situations that extend beyond their current responsibilities. Leaders do this for the sake of stretching people’s abilities and offering them the opportunity to grow by trying new things. Always keep your eye out for ways to develop the people on your team.
The Celebratory Leader
Celebration can be defined as the action of marking an important event or occasion by engaging in an enjoyable, and typically social, activity.
Everyone likes to hear that they’re doing a good job. But as leaders, we must remember that saying, “Good job” only goes so far until it begins to feel stale and unintentional, no matter how genuine we may be.
What catches people’s attention and carries weight with them is when we celebrate them specifically. For example, “Hey, good job today!” Versus, “Hey, I appreciate the detail you put into that proposal today. Your communication was clear, and I’m excited about the project.” Which one stands out to you? The answer is obvious, right? The latter not only celebrates that the individual did a good job but also communicates what their leader liked about it; they appreciated the detail and clear communication. This example shows positive reinforcement and expectation setting.
Influential leaders not only celebrate their team’s wins, they also celebrate their team’s losses by reframing them as opportunities rather than problems. When a leader does this, they establish a permission to try and learn culture. Things don’t always go our way from time to time, but the important part is what you learn and how you adapt your approach for the future.
These four leadership qualities will help you develop your influential leadership skills for 2023 and far into the future. Start now and keep growing!
If you want help developing your leadership skills, visit my website to learn more about the ways I can help you take your life and leadership to the next level.
Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Listen every Monday to The Coffee and Creative Leadership Podcast for more insights on leadership and team culture development.
Nicole Lucas, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Nicole Lucas, is the Founder and CEO of The Creative Level, a leadership coaching and consulting agency with the mission of helping individuals and teams reach the next level in their life and leadership. She is also the creator and host of the Coffee and Creative Leadership Podcast. With a Bachelor of Science in Leadership and over a decade of experience in leading individuals and teams, Nicole finds great joy in providing people with the essential and practical tools to become healthy and skilled influential leaders.
