This article is a part of a collection of posts, that are all related to the leadership model and that I developed during my 35 year corporate career. The tone of this post will be personal, since I am sharing the experiences that contributed to me drafting this model.
LEADERS is an acronym for my leadership model. It is simplified to share the message that growing and developing as a leader is really quite straight forward. There is no need to complicate the process of becoming a proficient leader.
LEADERS stands for Listening, Empowering, Achieving, Directing, Educating, Recognizing and Serving. These are the 7 essential traits of leaders for my model. Each of them must be mastered individually, and collectively they will support any leader in any role.
The conversation with potential leaders seems all too often to be focused on the challenges, barriers to entry and the uphill learning curve. My experience showed me that when talking with potential leaders, it is good to first ask some questions to understand what their passion points might be before diving into the pain points and scaring them off all together.
When people have an interest in leadership, it is the mentor or leader’s responsibility to ensure that the conversation is supporting and encouraging them. That starts modeling Educating for any potential leader. Keep in mind, that educating is not limited to potential leaders. All leaders who serve others are far more likely to be more proficient and successful.
Educating is embedded in the LEADERS model because of the impact it has on people. When people feel knowledgeable, skilled and equipped; they are more inclined to perform well and be more engaged with their workplace.
Leaders who have the confidence in themselves to be able to take on the responsibilities and tasks associated with educating, will find themselves a rarity in the workplace.
Leaders who have an inherent passion for people as a part of their motivating drivers, are more likely to get this aspect of the model earlier on in the learning process. This is not to say, that leaders cannot find the ways to adopt serving into their leadership model, it takes focused attention to make it a reality.
When leaders include educating in their leadership model, they can follow a simple strategy, that can be supported by specific actions, to support its integration. Leaders who are open and willing to partner with a leadership coach, will find the learning curve far less arduous. There are numerous ways for leaders to be supported while they develop their leadership model.
Educating is a part of the overall LEADERS leadership model and when leaders, integrate it with the other essential traits, they are on their way to becoming a proficient, respected, trusted and successful leader in their organizations and businesses.