Leadership

Having been in senior leadership positions for nearly 30 years, here is one thing I've found to be true: leaders often overestimate their ability to communicate and underestimate the hurdles to good communication. In between lies the gap. The bigger the gap, the longer it will take to execute. The bigger the gap, the bigger the potential for conflict will be. Because of I've talked about it (and talked about it), I think I've communicated a message, strategy, or vision. In my mind, the message, strategy, or vision is crystal clear. In fact, I'm often thinking about it outside of meetings, rolling it over in my mind again and again. As every leader discovers, what we believe is crystal clear isn't always so clear to others on the team. There are many reasons for this: Our message wasn't as clear as we thought it was Our teammate was distracted by…

When it comes other people, there is what we see and what could see. Too often, we make judgments or decisions based only on what we see ... a rowdy child, an unkempt stranger, a rude person in the checkout line, a socially awkward person. Because our brains are inherently lazy and prefer to take shortcuts, we make many snap decisions. Not all are bad. It's why we brush our teeth or shave the same way each day. We don't stop to think about which direction we should go. While this might make more efficient at brushing my teeth, it doesn't always improve my ability to relate to other people. As a husband, parent, friend, and leader, I must be able to not only see people as they appear to be ... but to also see them as they could be. This requires slower thinking. It requires exploration and reflection.…

When we think of good leadership qualities, our mind often goes to characteristics such as wisdom, communication skills, and charisma. Technical abilities, aptitude, and competence will make the list, too. Since leaders lead, we look for results -- what have they accomplished? There are also the intangible sides of leadership, which are easier to sense and experience than to measure and quantify. Leadership presence is a good example. To be honest, a leader's presence could be good or bad. Examples of a negative leadership presence include: Fear Anxiety A reluctance to speak up A rush to comply A lack of competing ideas Little innovation High turnover On the flip side, the impact of a positive leadership presence produces: Healthy conflict Trust among team members Constructive feedback Greater effort Loyalty that is earned rather than coerced Room for personal growth If leadership presence is so important, what is it? Is it…