The Perfect Leader

About the perfect leader, there is no perfect leader. Perfect meaning without fault of defect as per Merriam and Webster. Leadership is not about perfection.  It’s about the entire experience including communication, results, relationships and more.  Even still, there are certain instances when your own actions get in your way. As such, its important to be aware of the barriers to your almost perfect leadership.  These are the things weighing down you and your success.

What are your growth barriers and how can we fix them? Before moving your business forward, take an audit of your leadership style and its effectiveness. Identify outdated business processes, things that no longer align, inconsistent efforts, work processes full of waste…. anything that defeats creativity and pauses productivity.

Barriers to Leadership Growth

The EGO

Being the leader in charge does not mean you are the only one with the capacity to lead. It is your job to enable your team to work to the best of their capabilities with confidence they will achieve results. Make your leadership transferable and repeatable. At best, let it be modeled by everyone in the company to help nurture a culture of accountability.  It is not about you but rather the effect you have on others.  Do they model your methods and/or leadership? Do they work hard at developing their own leadership style?

Change-phobic.

When an aversion to change shows up in leadership it can be a growth barrier.  This type of leader hates changes even if it means more sound results. However, an almost perfect leader requires constant change. Today’s businesses are caught up in a highly dynamic digital structure brought by technology and the Internet. Having an open mindset will allow a high degree of creativity and technological advance to sustain your business.

Fixed Methodology.

The idea of sameness is, indeed, effective as it upholds certain company standards and policies. However, it curtails innovation and flexibility. It allows no room for mistakes and often, puts a lot of creative thinkers in a tightly locked box. Innovation and creativity is the essence of great leadership. To be most effective, it’s essential to consistently discover ways to improve your business practices. The more your process evolves with the changing time, the more productive your results.

Risk Averse.

Many leaders delve into cost-cutting and risk management leading to opportunities lost. Instead of concentrating on the “risks” and “costs”, it is more important to shift concentration on how much ROI. Don’t get me wrong, you can’t spend without caution.  But your focus should be on what you will accomplish with said dollars you spend. This gives more leeway to stretch your team capabilities.

So, which habit do you continue to manifest today? Share your thoughts with me by writing to info@allisontodd.com. I’d love to hear from you.

By Alison Todd March 3, 2019