Great Leadership Identified in Three Traits.

Ever wondered what makes a leader truly exceptional? I want to unpacks the essence of leadership with insights from Adam Galinsky's groundbreaking research featured in the Harvard Business Review. Adam's journey began in the tumultuous times of the 2009 global financial collapse, where he observed a CEO lead with unparalleled empathy and transparency. This episode shines a light on the crucial traits of being a visionary, an exemplar, and a mentor, offering listeners a roadmap to inspire and lead effectively, whether at work or in personal pursuits.

Listeners will discover how the repetition of a clear vision can foster alignment and understanding within a team, and the importance of leading by example to build credibility and trust. Steve shares anecdotes that illustrate the impact of empowering others through mentorship, highlighting studies that reveal how involving team members in meaningful ways can elevate productivity and satisfaction. Adopting these principles can create a thriving environment for everyone involved, equipping you with the tools to elevate your leadership skills and inspire those around you. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your approach to leadership and ignite positive change.

Remember, Sax in the Morning swag is now available on my Instagram site. Go to "Sax in the Morning" underscore podcast. (saxinthemorning_podcast)You'll see it right there on the Instagram and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers you name it.

Transcript

00:04 - Steve Sax (Host)
Your daily game plan for success. It's Sax in the Morning, Steve Sax. Hi, Steve Sax, here with Sax in the Morning, your weekly dose of motivation, inspirational stories and tips for personal empowerment. Now, today I wanted to talk about some tenets of great leadership. I read this fantastic story in the Harvard Business Review and the author, his name, is Adam Galinsky. He spent nearly 20 years analyzing studies and conducting studies on his own on what makes a great leader. 

00:37
The journey for Adam all started when he was working as an advisor for a multinational consulting company during the global financial collapse in 2009. He watched the CEO address his employees in a town hall, first acknowledging the elephant in the room, saying yeah, like many of you, I've spent a lot of sleepless nights worrying about the future of the company and also worrying about each of you. And then he said he was searching for creative ways to avoid layoffs, as empowering employees was a core value of his and, of course, the business. He calmly laid out a plan for all employees to take a three-month pay cut, with high-ranking executives taking larger cuts, and he himself would take no salary at all during that time. Adam found this to be such an extraordinary display of leadership that he wondered what other leaders did and what differentiated leaders who empowered employees and created great culture from those who didn't, and so I can't wait to share these ideas with you, because they apply to all of us Now. It doesn't matter if you're a parent or a coach, or just a friend or a CEO of a big company. You are a leader, and what Adam found in his research can help you to better inspire those who are around you. 

01:45
There are three traits that make a great leader, and the first trait that Adam found was being a visionary. This doesn't mean that you have to create groundbreaking ideas, but it does mean that you have to present your vision for the future with clarity, being driven with your values, and present an optimistic view of the goals that can be achieved. Additionally, he found that good leaders repeat these visionary ideas over and over to their teams, because that repetition creates more clarity and understanding of the goals. Your instinct may tell you that this could turn people off or make them tune you out, but a study at Stanford which analyzed 3,000 leadership assessments found that people were 10 times more likely to be criticized for under-communicating than for over-communicating. Now, tommy Lasorda was great at this. I mean he wouldn't have too many meetings in the locker room. That could be a turnoff because it kind of loses its value a little bit, but those communication skills that he had individually at the locker were huge, and that's kind of what we're talking about here Now. 

02:46
The second important trait was to be an exemplar, that is, to be a good example yourself. Do as I say, not as I do is a terrible way to lead people. Great leaders protect those they lead and they are not only compassionate about communicating their ideas, but they embody them as well. These first two ideas come together to make leaders great. The more clear you are on your vision and the values behind them, the easier it is to live those values and to speak about them with passion and credibility. And look, this is true whether you are a guy like Steve Jobs demonstrating a new product, or a parent explaining to your kids the importance of a consistent bedtime. The final trait is to be a mentor. 

03:29
The studies in this article found that bad leaders ignore, diminish and control others, while inspiring leaders empower, elevate and empathize with their teams. The author invokes a famous quote from Confucius to drive home this point, and it goes like this. It says tell me and I will forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand. 

03:53
Great leaders share responsibilities and give others opportunities to shine. In fact, a UCLA study found that worker-led meetings, rather than boss led meetings, increased productivity and satisfaction and reduced turnover in the workplace. So find ways to lift others up, to help them grow and thrive. Just simply demonstrating to others that you're looking to give them some chances to show their talents and skills will make people want to work for you and with you. To sum it up, whatever leadership role you may have in your life, large or small, communicate those values and your vision for the future. Be a good example of putting those values into practice and finally, give others the opportunity to join you in collaborating to make those goals a reality. Do that and you might just find yourself inspiring all those around you and that is my short for today there on the Instagram, and just hit the link. Everything's there Mugs, hats, tumblers, you name it.