3 Elements of Sustainable and Effective Leadership

I’m sitting here in my home office staring at a few little trinkets I’ve chosen to keep and display over the years. One of them is a reminder of the many, many hours I put into trying to be the very best hockey player I could be. I played with and against a few players that were successful (if the measure is playing at the very highest level). Only a few players had all the pieces (and a little luck) necessary to play at that next level.

Here’s the question: If I was highly motivated, dedicated, and fiercely competitive, why didn’t I do better than being a “limited ice time” university level hockey player? The answer is that “wanting it,” while important, isn’t enough. I had some of the pieces of the package, but what I brought to the table was not sufficient. Equally true, I played with more than a few individuals who were dripping with talent, but lacked the discipline or dedication required to make it to the next level. The point (obvious though it may seem) is that it takes more than “wanting it” to excel and, equally true, it takes more than just skill to make it to the highest levels.

The reality is that sustainable, effective leadership needs to flow from a solid, grounded sense of vision, values, and strategy.

This is also true in leadership. I’ve worked with aspiring and practicing leaders for many years (and constantly strived to be a more effective leader myself). I encountered many leaders who genuinely wanted to excel in their craft but lacked the talent and skills to implement their vision. Equally true, I met individuals who had all the training and could quote leadership gurus chapter and verse, but weren’t able to translate the head knowledge into effective practice.

The reality is that sustainable, effective leadership needs to flow from a solid, grounded sense of vision, values, and strategy. However, it doesn’t stop there. Great intentions and the best laid plans are of no value if they don’t translate into effective implementation and execution. Ultimately, it is the integration of mindset, skills, and a focus on the right tasks that comprise the whole of the effective leadership contribution. We need to think like leaders, do the things great leaders do, and acquire the skills that will allow us to do those things well. Mindset, tasks, and skills go hand in hand.

Elements of Effective Leadership

Consider the following 3 competencies:

Mindset

The mindset that drives successful leadership flows from a grounded, clearly articulated, integrated set of beliefs and values about what are the important contributions great leaders make to their organization. It needs to flow from a clear vision, sense of contribution or purpose, and a set of core values that become a filter for decision-making, prioritization and approach/style. For example:

• Know that you set the example
• Expect and ask for the best
• Know your strengths and the strengths of others
• Project calmness and optimism
• Shift judgement to curiosity
• See the inextricable link between sustainable productivity and employee engagement/wellness

Tasks

The quantifiable value a leader adds to her or his organization is most meaningfully quantified by considering the list of activities or tasks (e.g., decisions made, conversations engaged, strategies brought forward, meetings led, reports written, coaching/mentoring, etc.) undertaken over the course of a period of time. It is these tasks that ultimately make the difference (for better or worse) to those who are influenced by the presence of the leader in the space and place in which they do their work. For example:

• Encourage innovation
• Measure success
• Confirm priorities and clarify expectations
• Anticipate problems
• Wander, be available
• Build connections
• Build and support a culture where employees flourish

What a leader does is determined by what a leader thinks is important (mindset drives decisions about what tasks are most important).

Skills

What a leader does is determined by what a leader thinks is important (mindset drives decisions about what tasks are most important). HOW the leader undertakes these tasks can be every bit as important as what tasks they undertake. This reality speaks to the skill component of effective leadership. It is one thing to make a decision to engage a difficult performance related conversation with an employee, it is quite another to do this with skill and in a way that produces the desired outcome. Examples of skills that effective leaders strive constantly to develop include:

• Communication
• Ask high quality questions
• Listening
• Providing timely and effective feedback and validation
• Coaching
• Setting compelling, relevant, motivational goals and benchmarks

Wherever you are in your journey toward becoming an effective leader, it is worth investing time in reflecting and gathering feedback from others you trust about what your next step is in “becoming the whole package.” Where would you benefit from further training, growth, feedback, and opportunities to develop?

Creating and supporting a workplace culture and context in which employees can flourish is greatly enhanced when leaders come to their practice with elements of “the whole package” – mindset, tasks, skills. Employees flourish personally and professionally over the long term when they feel a sense of purpose, connection, and support. Everyone deserves to like where they work. As a leader in an organization aspiring to such a vision, this doesn’t just happen, it requires intentional effort.

Employees flourish personally and professionally over the long term when they feel a sense of purpose, connection, and support. Everyone deserves to like where they work.

Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and do the necessary work to move your leadership effectiveness to the next level?

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Check out our free printable handout, 4 Areas to Help You Grow as a Leader. For more RESOURCES on this topic and others, visit our free resources page.

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