Are you a leader that can drive results and increase the value of your organization?

As a Certified EOS Implementer®, I have the honor of working with great leaders that want to grow the value of their business. They understand that the best leaders are those that can inspire and motivate a group of people to exert themselves to help achieve a common goal. In the words of leadership guru Jim Collins: “Leadership is the art of getting people to do what must be done.” Leadership starts with creating a vision, a common goal so people know where to go and how they will get there. As leaders, you must create the vision and provide the tools for your team to execute on the vision while inspiring them to make it a reality.

People are inspired by purposes much more than they are by chasing profits. Great leaders connect their teams to a mission they believe in. They clarify what is expected of their teams and don’t assume the team can read their minds. The best leaders challenge individuals to keep improving themselves to become their best and are able to develop a high degree of trust amongst the team.

In The Infinite Game, Simon Sinek shares his five qualities of a leader with an "infinite mindset" – one who's in it for the long haul.

1. They have vision, “a Just Cause.” 
2. They work hard to build trusting teams.
3. They understand their primary responsibility is to create an environment in which people can work at their natural best. “You’re responsible for the people who are responsible for the results.”
4. They view the other players in their industry "as Worthy Rivals, not just as competitors," and they learn from them.
5. They have the ability to change strategy “because they find a better way to advance their vision, even if it means short term pain.”

In Good to Great, Jim Collins emphasizes the importance of ensuring your team are "the right people on the bus.” This is easier said than done, especially in today’s environment. The importance of having the right people (people that exhibit your company’s unique core values) in the right seats (people who can perform the roles in their seats exceedingly well) cannot be underestimated. Leaders will never achieve their vision if they don’t have the right people in the right seats.

If you have the right people on the bus, you don’t need to worry about motivating them. The right people are self-motivated. If you have the wrong people on the bus, nothing else matters. You may be headed in the right direction, but you still won’t achieve greatness. Great vision with mediocre people still produces mediocre results.

Other qualities great leaders possess include:

• Encourage constructive conflict. The best decisions are generally the result of healthy debate and candid dialogue amongst the team. Encourage others to share their perspective related to issues holding the company and/or team back from achieving its goals and vision.  Discuss, debate, and decide next steps to solve the issue. When you make a mistake, own and admit it. Be vulnerable.
• Be humbly confident. You may be really good at what you do, but you don’t have to boast about your abilities.
• Listen before you speak. Be open minded and listen to your team’s input before you make a final decision.
• Praise in public and criticize in private. Being appreciated by peers and leaders generates great pride and satisfaction within a team member. However, there is no faster way to destroy trust than criticize someone in public.
• Delegate and elevate. Allow others on your team to take ownership of roles that you have historically performed so they can continue to learn and grow professionally. This also allows you to have more time for activities that can bring greater value to the company.

One of my longtime clients and friends emphasized to me years ago that everyone, even leaders, have strengths and weaknesses. Great leaders emphasize their strengths and surround themselves with people that help them compensate in areas where they are weak. You don’t have to be perfect to be a great leader. However, it does take intentional effort, an aligned vision, and a team of individuals (all right people in the right seats) to make your vision a reality.