By guest blogger Mike Hanski
[September 20, 2018] Keynote speaker and educator Stephen Covey once said:
“Leadership is a choice, not a position.”
In today’s constantly changing world, ruled by Millennials and Gen Z who are self-expressive, tech-savvy, and creative, leaders should eager for constant improvement if they want to develop career and motivate others to follow them.
Hard skills and mastered communication are not enough to succeed. A good leader shows how to do something rather than tells others to get something done. He has visions, and he knows how to inspire those around him to believe and execute his plans. Leaders are flexible and confident, they know what, when, and how to change the best meet challenges, and they can control emotions to make the best decisions.
With all that said, it appears that mentoring and emotional intelligence growth are two must-try practices for those willing to enhance leadership skills.
Mentorship.
Chip Bell, one of the top trainers and speakers on leadership, describes mentoring as a core competency for leaders to have. He advises making it a priority and developing a culture of mentoring in organizations that are growth-oriented. Bell’s SAGE model of mentoring gives leaders the opportunity to nurture self-direction as well as mentees independence for better achievements and results.
Being a mentor enhances listening skills, ability to motivate others and take their viewpoints into account when making decisions. As a result, leaders develop creativity and better understand mentees to form just opinions on their perspectives. Mentoring others, leaders learn more about themselves and the industry in which they work, and become more confident in navigating conflict situations along the way.
Also, mentoring allows leaders to practice discipline that is a must-have in the world of constant deadlines and business appointments. Being a mentor inspires, helps to find a passion, motivates to learn more, and makes us leaders outside of work.
Emotional intelligence.
Another way to enhance leadership skills is to work on becoming more emotionally intelligent. Daniel Goleman is a psychologist who revealed the direct link between leaders’ emotional intelligence and business results. The ability to control and evaluate emotions – in oneself and others – influences leadership potential and leads to better health and happiness.
Empathy and social responsibility are traits for leaders to develop if they want to encourage others and understand the hidden motives behind others’ deeds. Emotional intelligence makes us better communicators and problem solvers who use common sense for more efficient results.
Best-selling author Brian Tracy calls emotional intelligence “the ability to comprehend the effects of your feelings.” It allows leaders to make more rational choices when realizing how emotions may influence their thinking. More than that, leaders who are able to determine anxiety, grief, or depression of their mentees can provide with the support and resources for recovering.
This is why it’s crucial for leaders to cover some untapped practices when they want to develop high potentials. Well-tried tactics work by all means, but new approaches to self-growth can turn leadership into the lifestyle rather than professional skill to worry about. And that’s what a new generation of leaders calls.
There are those who write about leadership and those who practice it. I can tell you have some experience with leadership Mike. Thanks for a thoughtful article that lays out the key points.
Thanks, Max!
With all those books and blog articles we all see on the topic, it seems not that challenging to write about leadership. But we leaders know what “esse quam videri” really costs, right?
Good job, mate.
Thanks, Joe!
Hey Mike. Well done!! Where are you from? We get a few select guest bloggers here occasionally and since our readers from all over, we tend to bring a variety of opinions and perspectives. Have a great day!
Hey Dennis, thanks for passing by! Well, someone calls me “a citizen of the world” as I travel a lot, and I agree with them 🙂 Born in US, lived in Europe, planned to visit Australia. Have a great day, too!
Thanks Mike. Appreciate you giving us some feedback.
Well written and thoughtful blog post on some of the main issues of good leadership. Mike, I think you will find that most of us here at this leadership blog are big fans of Stephen Covey also. Many of us have read his books and studied what he has to say about developing great leaders. Good article and thanks.
Thanks, Dale. Yes, Covey is a guru here, and he deserves it richly. Honored and pleased to know you like my post!
I liked your article. Cheers from Australia!
We haven’t heard from you in a while Joey. Welcome back. Glad you liked this article. Yes, it is a good one that summarizes key requirements for leadership.
Good article, Mike. Thanks.
🙂
Gen. Satterfield wrote about intelligence here: https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-and-intelligence/. He noted that it was an important factor in being a great leader but, like you Mike, he notes that there are also other requirements. Thanks for the article.
Thanks, Andrew. Leaders are made, not born? 🙂 Cheers!
I especially liked your comments on mentorship. I believe this is the real secret behind great leadership and a hidden gem that is more often overlooked than people readily believe.
Nice to hear from you, Janna. Some still underestimate the role of mentorship, but I can see the up trend here.
Very nice and informative article, Mike. Thanks for being a guest blogger on Gen. Satterfield’s leadership blog.
Thanks Army Captain. I agree.