Effective Leader With Courage Quality #2 (of 4): Being An All-Star Relationship Builder
Being a Leader With Courage doesn’t come from being great in one particular category. It comes from being great in each of the four key categories we’ve identified at Value Drivers. If you want to know how you rank, be sure you take the self-assessment at the end of this post. It fits in well with my forthcoming book, Being A Leader With Courage: How To Succeed In Your C-level Position In 18 Months Or Less.
In our last post, we examined what it takes to be an Astute Generalist, one of those categories our free self-assessment measures. Today’s post features the next key component of leading with courage: The All-Star Relationship Builder. Check out these characteristics of the category and see if it either sounds familiar or if you have some more work to do:
You Play Well With Others There are certain things in business that you can’t fake. Having genuine care and concern for others is especially one of them and it forms the foundation of great relationships. You either really want to help someone or you don’t. People on your team and clients can see your heart and soul behind every effort to strengthen bonds. You treat others the way you would like to be treated, including helping others without the expectation of a reward.
You’re A Top-Notch Listener Listening shows care. People around you marvel at how you seem to remember details from a conversation long ago. Not only do you let others know that your “door is always open,” but you also provide a welcoming, safe place for professional and candid exchanges to take place. It’s not unusual for your team to feel empowered after these conversations.
Your Communication Is Clear And Consistent Most people know where you stand because you’re direct about your expectations and consistent in your message. This is reinforced by the frequent one-on-ones and staff meetings you hold to convey what’s coming around the corner. If someone has done well, you’ll communicate it quickly and often to many as an example of solid work. If something is going on that’s out of line with your expectations, you’ll be clear to the offending party right away as well. You don’t make vague statements or send random emails without purpose. You say what’s on your mind and why so that if there are consequences of inaction later on, everybody will know why.
You Sincerely Value Feedback So you don’t just make a lot of grandiose statements as a leader. You ask open-ended questions, seeking out feedback because you value others’ opinions. And it’s not just for show, either. You do so because you actually utilize many of those thoughts from others in ongoing plans. What’s more, you crave feedback because you desperately need to know that the messages you’re sending and vision you’re projecting is getting bought into by the organization. Do others believe in your changes? If not, you don’t get defensive. You want to know what adjustments to your approach need to be made to get more people on board.
You Never Steamroll Over Other Voices In The Room A great relationship builder knows that connections are rarely made by trying to be the loudest and most frequently heard voice. You don’t use your title and rank to shut others down. Nor do you jump to conclusions or come in with the answer before anybody else has an opportunity to voice their thoughts.
Are You At An All-Star Level For Relationship Building?
Transparency. Sincerity. Better listening. Openness to other ideas. This is how stronger relationships are built and while a lot of leaders talk about it, not many can execute on it. Putting aside ego and making it their mission to better engage others is what transforms the ordinary head of an organization into an All-Star Relationship Builder.
To see how close you are to reaching All-Star Relationship Builder status, take our free leadership self-assessment. After completing the 26-question self-assessment, you can take your development to the next level with an even deeper 360 Assessment.
In our next post, we’ll examine another important quality of Leaders With Courage – The Champion Of The Culture and Sustainable Competitive Advantage.
What tips do you have from your experience to help people in a position of authority build better relationships right from the start in their new role? Whether within the company or outside of it in a networking setting, we’d love to hear your suggestions.
