How to become a leader? How to become a better leader? Answers from 35+ years of research by Kouzes and Posner
How to become a leader? How to become a better leader? Think about the question for a moment and try to come up with some answers. I often ask this question to the participants in my leadership training programs. I get a lot of different answers, but here are some common answers. Later I discuss the answer derived from over 35+ years of research by Kouzes and Posner.
- Vision
- Strategic thinking
- Communication
- Determination
- Commitment
- Managing change
- Influence
- Planning and execution
- And a few more!
What is one essential element for anyone wants to be a leader? How to be a leader?
I then ask – what one thing is essential to become a leader? The participants of my leadership training programs debate on what is that one essential element. What is your opinion on that one essential element? Let me warn you that this is a trick question!
The one essential requirement of leadership today is followers! Willing followers! Without willing followers, no one can be a leader! Anyone can have a position of power. Everyone has subordinates – but they may not be willing followers! The days of command and control are long gone. Leadership today is nothing but influence.
“Become the leader that people would voluntarily follow even if you had no title or position.” Brian Tracy.
How to become a better leader? What do followers look for in a leader whom they will follow voluntarily?
Kouzes and Posner, the authors of the bestselling book “The Leadership Challenge,” answer this question based on over 35 years of research that analyzed thousands of personal-best leadership experiences.
The authors asked over 75000 respondents via a questionnaire–What qualities should a leader possess that inspire the followers to follow the leader willingly? Therein lies the answer to the question – How to become a better leader?
Read: How leaders become leaders – Why what you know about leadership development may be wrong!
After surveying for over 35 years, Kouzes and Posner found four leadership qualities and behaviors consistently that are essential. These four leadership qualities received over 60 percent votes across countries and cultures over the three and a half decades. These four qualities and behaviors are.
- Honest
- Forward-looking
- Inspiring
- Competent
Four essential qualities on how to become a better leader
Be Honest!
Honesty is the number one quality followers look for in a leader. Some synonyms of honesty that followers used to describe this same quality were ethical, principled, truthful, and having integrity. Honesty is closely related to values. Followers want to know the values and principles that the leader believes in and will adhere to – even in the toughest of situations. Honesty is admitting and accepting the reality of a business situation as it is. It also means that he admits his strengths and improvement areas openly. Honesty is also tied to authenticity. She has to be herself and cannot pretend to be someone else.
Be Forward-looking.
A leader’s focus should be on the future–looking forward. Learn from past mistakes, but forgive, forget and move on. She also has to describe clearly the destination she plans to take everyone to. She must have a vision that takes followers to better and exciting destinations than they currently are. It is the quality that inspires everyone to commit and work hard towards achieving that vision.
Be Competent.
Does the leader understand the overview of the business, competitors, and markets? Does he have a track record of delivering results through people? Understanding of business and the ability to get the best out of people make a leader competent. Without being competent, you are unlikely to succeed, and the followers are unlikely to want to follow such a person.
Be Inspiring.
This one quality elevates a good manager to the level of a good leader. We all have an inherent need to believe in something, have a purpose, and know that what we are doing at work is making a difference. Millennials especially are looking for meaning and purpose in what they do at work. An inspiring leader can provide meaning, purpose, and a sense of belonging to a greater good. Inspiring leaders are energetic, enthusiastic, and dedicated to their mission and purpose, and these emotions cascade down to the followers.
To summarize, Kouzes and Posner’s research of 35+ years have identified 4 essential qualities of leaders. When we exhibit these qualities, followers willingly follow us.
If you want to become a leader that people would follow even if you had no title or position, these are the essential elements to work on and develop. Over 35 years of research by Kouzes and Posener has confirmed over and again the fact that anyone willing to develop these qualities and behaviors becomes a better leader. They can develop these four qualities and behaviors.
Read: Leadership coaching that delivers a 95% success rate
How to become a better leader and develop these 4 behaviors?
In life and leadership – knowing is not the same as doing! We know we should exercise more, watch less TV, listen more, not lose temper, etc. But do we do these things consistently?
The best way to change behavior and develop these leadership behaviors is through leadership coaching. Coaching provides the structure, support, and accountability that allows the leader to learn new skills and convert them into habits.
NAL Triple Advantage Leadership Coaching.
That delivers guaranteed and measurable leadership growth. It is based on a stakeholder centered coaching process with a 95% effectiveness rate (in a study or 11000 leaders on 4 continents). It is used by companies ranging from startups to 150 of the Fortune 500 companies to develop their leaders.
Here are some of the salient benefits of NAL Triple Advantage Leadership Coaching
Time and resource-efficient: The leader does not have to leave work to attend training programs. We go to the leader and her team. And it only takes 1.5 hours per month. The rest of the time, the leader is working to implement with her team.
Separate and customized improvement areas for each leader: Every leader is different. One size fits all approach doesn’t work. Individual development areas for each leader aligned to the business strategy.
Involves entire team: Unlike most leadership programs, NAL Triple Advantage Leadership Coaching involves the leader’s entire team, and it has a cascading effect – increasing the team effectiveness and improving organizational culture.
The leader becomes the coach: for continuous improvement for leaders themselves and their teams. It is like kaizen for your leadership development.
Cost-Effective: Our entire one-year coaching engagement often costs less than sending the leader to a short duration leadership program at any reputed B school.
Guaranteed and measurable leadership growth: as assessed – not by us – but anonymously rated by the leader’s own team members.
Pay us only after we deliver results! : We work with many of our clients on a pay for results basis. What does it mean? If the leaders don’t improve, you don’t have to pay us.
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