The Modern Leadership Issue - 5

PERFORMANCE MATTERS / PG 5
leadership
by Heather Anderson
When you become a leader, it is no
longer about you, it's about everyone else. For so
many well-read, intelligent, capable leaders, it's
typically their egos and focus on self that
disconnects them with their employees and
leads to gaps in leadership. Leaders need to
have emotional intelligence and be secure
enough in themselves to realize they are
lucky enough to simply represent their
employees, and that it's not about them.
- Leigh Fox, President and CEO, altafiber
leading others
As organization structures continue to flatten, and authority continues
to be distributed away from a central core, the ability to lead others and
influence (versus control) in positive, future-focused ways has become
instrumental for modern leadership success. To do so, leaders must share
more information than before, more often and in more transparent ways, so
individuals at the edges of the organization can make informed decisions.
Doing so builds and inspires trust. (For more insights on effective leadership
development and practices, go to page 25.)
Modern leaders also must foster inclusivity and belonging. Now, perhaps more than
at any point in history, leaders see the need to create an environment where every
team member feels safe bringing their whole self to their work. Leading in a
distributed environment adds an additional layer of complexity to this, as leaders
must be intentional and thoughtful about how best to build on the strengths and
experiences of those that follow them. (Go to page 32 for recommended leadership
practices that help build a culture of belonging.)
Leading others involves asking questions like:
* What do those who I am leading need from me?
* Where do I need to tune in? (And maybe where can I tune out?)
* What does my team need from me?
* How can I lean on others who have strengths in areas I do not?
* How can I lean on the strengths of those on my team to help us achieve
our goal(s)?
The best leaders are created; born
and forged like a ball of clay in the hands of life,
refined by opportunity and experiences, and
tested by lessons. Authenticity is an invaluable
trait for anyone to possess, but this is especially
true for leaders. Authentic leadership is a
disruptive frequency, countering the antiquated
transactional status quo. When leaders adopt and
model authenticity, there's an openness that's created
and an intrinsic transformation that occurs.
- Jen Ingram, Mission Matters: Activating the
Power of Authentic Leadership
CONTINUED on next page
The Modern Leadership Issue

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Modern Leadership Issue
