Executives can flourish at work and life through adopting a leadership model that rotates around determining their strengths and connecting with others. However, with today’s complex, fast-paced and volatile business environment, handling and leading teams has become extraordinary difficult and stressful. A lot of leaders lack the skills necessary to cope with these factors, which affects personal satisfaction and organizational performance. What leaders should do is nurture the capabilities of an innovative leader and unlock the organization’s potential to surpass challenging circumstances.
How can a leader be perceived as innovative?
Below are the distinct behaviors which every innovative leader should develop for her/his personal and organization success.
- Present an outstanding strategic vision. Innovative leaders can clearly describe their image of the future. They have a clear picture of the destination while their subordinates work together to shape out how to get there.
- Focus on customers. Leaders should be able to think and feel like customers. They should build a strong network of customers and know their needs and wants.
- Build a network of reciprocal trust. Innovative leaders should initiate warm and collaborative relationships with everyone and should be highly accessible.
- Stand firm to what is right for the organization and customers. Pleasing the higher executives is not the priority of innovative leaders but instead what is best for the customers and the company.
- Believe that upward communication is the best way to gather the best ideas. Innovative leaders believe that the most innovative and exceptional ideas start from underneath.
- Be persuasive. Leaders should know how to make others accept good ideas, presenting them with conviction and enthusiasm.
- Shine at setting stretch goals. Setting stretch goals is more than just expecting from others to work harder. It requires finding new ways to attain goals.
- Be honest in communication. Leaders should be honest and sometimes blunt to giving feedback, since subordinates count on straight answers.
- Motivate and inspire through action. Leaders should feel motivated and inspired to be able to motivate and inspire others. In order to do so, they must have a clear vision of the purpose and meaning of work.
What should be at the heart of a centered leadership?
There are five capabilities which should be at the heart of an innovative leader which include: finding meaning in work, leveraging community and connections, converting emotions like stress or fear into opportunity, acting in times of risk and maintaining the energy – a life force of change.
Leaders who have mastered all these capabilities are over 20-times more likely to say they’re satisfied with their own performance as a leader and in general in life. Following these tips will enable you to become an effective and innovative leader today and in the future.