You’ve got good people on the team, but they lack confidence. Which leadership traits should you rely on?
You’ve worked hard to build a strong repertoire of leadership skills. How do you know which ones to use in this situation? How can you best build up their confidence? Take the softer approach. Meet them where they are. Listen well, and become a subtle inspiration. They need to know that THEY can do this not that YOU “did” something to them.
“A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves”~Eleanor Roosevelt
Clear leadership grows confident leaders.
5 CLEAR Leadership Traits That Inspire Confidence
C- Celebrating
Pay attention to small improvements. Celebrate milestone successes. Focus on the behaviors causing the wins. To build confidence, celebrate small improvements
L- Listening
You may be tempted to talk. to encourage. Resist the urge. Try listening. Then listen more.
E-Empowering
Give them clear parameters in which to make decisions. Encourage them to try creative approaches. Provide resources over direction.
A- Asking
Great questions make people think. Nothing inspires confidence like discovering your own answers. To build confidence, ask provocative questions
R- Risk Taking
Don’t freak out when things go wrong. Encourage weird ideas. Prepare them to present to powerful audiences.
Useful Resources on Leadership Traits
Something Better Than I Think I Can, Post by Dan Rockwell
I noticed something in your post. Change one word, and you have a nifty acronym; CLEAR.
Celebrate
Listen
Empower
Ask (instead of question)
Risk Taking
CLEAR Leadership Delivers Confidence.
Ahhhh, so much better. Thank you!
Excellent list. Enjoy your Blog. What a challenge to do this so often.
Mary Lasky
Mary, thanks so much! It’s great to see you here. Hope all is well with you.
Excellent list indeed, I love the idea of CLEAR leadership traits. In all walks of leadership, these are words loaded with active responsibilities. “Listening” is a very deliberate one that I welcomed and acknowledge, I was nodding and smiling. Then, Karin, you threw me a curve ball. “Don’t freak out when things go wrong?” Well, ok, among friends, maybe the occassional, very brief “freak out” moment, but I absolutely embrace the concept of allowing graceful failures. What a true measure of memorable leadership. I enjoyed this post as I immediately began to inventory how I can grow and shine within each of these awesome traits. Have a great weekend all.
Alma, thanks so much for your comment. Okay, okay, every now and then a good “freak out” is cleansing 😉
Great read..
thanks so much.