Effortless Leadership
Leadership is a quality that often isn't even talked about until it is seen as missing, when a plan goes awry, or a team falls in a mess of miscommunication and broken promises. So what is it about the leader who successfully leads his or her team with seemingly effortless ease? The "Effortless" Leader cultivates a culture of confidence and success within his or her company, and they don't do so by wielding a hypothetical sword. They cultivate confidence and success through vision, communication, teaching, influence, and team building.
TRAITS OF AN “EFFORTLESS” LEADER
Visionary
Theodore M. Hesburgh once said, "The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet." In other words, without a clear and concise reason to come together – without clear goals and objectives – teams float aimlessly. They don't know what they are working towards, and eventually they get to a place where they don't even care; they are uncomfortable and lack motivation. Yet, a team lead by a leader with vision knows why they are doing what they do. Team members know the part they play in reaching the ultimate goal/vision, which helps to make them much happier, active and productive members of the team. The "Effortless" Leader instinctively knows that a clear vision of what's next for the company, team, and him/herself is necessary to break free from the status quo and accomplish great things.Communicator
The "Effortless" Leader knows the importance of communication, and is a master communicator of the spoken and written word. They are master listeners too! "Effortless" Leaders know how to put into both written and spoken language what they envision. Their communication is clear, decisive, and un-condescending. They make room for others to express their own views, and they don't just tolerate what others have to say, but they take it to heart. While this type of genuine communication is anything but effortless, it is necessary for any leader to create trust, understanding, and an overall respect within the team as a whole, all of which are required to create a strong, unstoppable, and cohesive team.Teacher
Think about your favorite teacher from grade school. Was that person judgmental, overbearing, condescending, and unforgiving? Or, was your favorite teacher someone who made learning fun and effortless; someone who taught you, not just from a book, but from their hearts; someone who cared and was able to move beyond any deficiencies you might have had and forgive any missteps you might have taken; someone who taught you to use your creative mind and how to solve issues on your own?Effortless Leaders are teachers, and not the teacher of old who ruled their classroom with a stick in one hand and their other hand knotted up in a fist! Instead, Effortless Leaders occur as the favorite teacher from grade school. They make learning fun, they ask questions and cultivate their team's minds, and they are able to see any limitations of their students and when those limitations or barriers come up, the effortless leader becomes a seed planter! Instead of balling up their fists, they know when to plant seeds; they know when a team needs to grow, but isn't ready to take on 100% what they need to learn. So instead of dropping trees, they plant and cultivate seeds that in turn prosper and grow. I think we can agree that leadership is anything but effortless.
Team Builder
The Effortless Leader must be a masterful team builder. They think and speak in terms of "we", not "I." When you speak in terms of "we" you create a culture whereby every member of the team is responsible for their actions; what each team member does or does not do has a direct impact on the rest of the team and their effectiveness. Thinking and speaking in terms of "we" also let's your team members know that you are a part of their team, that you value them as team members, and that success is not something that just you will be acknowledged for. Instead, ultimately the team as a whole gets credit for their success!Influencer
Often times when we talk about influence, we are talking about negative influence. For instance: teen peer pressure that results in poor decision-making. However, when we talk about the Effortless Leader as an Influencer, what we are speaking of is positive influence. It is through positive influence and example that team members are motivated to perform at the best of their abilities. By being an example of integrity, you influence integrity in your team. When you trust, you influence others to trust. When you have empathy, you teach others how to be empathetic. When you are able to forgive, you influence forgiveness in others. When you are leadership, you influence others to step up as leaders, and isn't growing and mentoring others what leadership is ultimately about?
WHY DISCUSS EFFORTLESS LEADERSHIP?
As leaders, our teams and businesses will thrive much more readily when our actions occur effortless! Forced leadership does nothing but strongarm and intimidate. Effortless Leadership, on the other hand, cultivates a culture of communication and accountability, respect, pride and a desire to be the best that every single team member can be.
The Effortless Leader appears "effortless" because the team they build around them is empowered, inspired, and motivated by that leader's actions and commitment to the team! Amongst the entire team there is a culture of communication and accountability, respect, pride, trust, integrity, "We", and a desire to be the best that every single team member can be. And it is when "we" function as a cohesive, unstoppable, and successful team, that leadership becomes effortless!