Great leaders are the powerhouses behind any successful organisation. They are the strategists, the thinkers, the trailblazers, the decision makers. They wear many hats and embody many traits.
When recruiting for leaders, what we look for is their willingness to be transparent about failings and what they have learnt over their careers. The ability to self-reflect to adapt and correct for next time is incredibly important in demonstrating growth and resilience. It takes a level of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and respect to be able to do this. Key elements of a strong, authentic leader.
We also look for a leader’s ability to influence through collaboration and effective direction. Have you ever worked with a leader who went out of their way to ensure you felt valued? If so, our guess is you felt empowered in that role. Making people feel heard ensures outcomes are achieved through effective direction, rather than becoming circular.
In our view, humility and empowerment come hand in hand. Empowerment is acknowledging that for business outcomes to be achieved you can’t do it all. Humility helps you to understand what you bring to the table but also in determining who is best suited to what when achieving operational and strategic goals. You might wear many hats as a leader, but being able to demonstrate that you’re not a one-man-band is much more valuable.
At an individual level when we look to recruit executive teams, we look for someone who embodies these traits and has the ability to recognise people’s unique differences and diversity of thought. The key for successfully leading a team is about creating a foundation of trust and a shared sense of purpose and belonging. This is what drives a high-performance culture that leads from the top.
What traits do you feel are important as a leader?
