5 steps towards better Employee Experience

IWD 2025:  WOMEN LEADERS AND SPEAKERS AT GROWTH FACULTY 

What Leaders Love About Patrick Lencioni's Team-Building Sessions

([Pat Lencioni](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/?promoCode=Blog#liveevents) often tells leaders not to be "wusses" and to do the tough stuff. Image: The Growth Faculty)

Actor Bette Davis once said: "Old age ain't no place for sissies." Being a leader these days ain't no place for sissies either! The legacy of COVID-19's [impact](https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-insider/coronavirus-insights/the-global-economic-outlook-for-2021-australia/) is far-reaching, and you may have staff who are burnt out or overwhelmed. 

There are positives from the upheaval. We see a greater sharing of honest stories from the delegates in our online [masterclasses.](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/?promoCode=Blog#liveevents) It's perfectly normal to feel abnormal in the next normal.

So, here we've pulled the latest research on good leadership from the best business books and global thought leaders on what's important to grow and reach your full potential as a leader in such challenging times. 

[_**Free Download**: 10 Leadership Qualities That Will Help Solve Challenges in 2024_](https://thegrowthfaculty.ac-page.com/monograph-leadership2022)

**Table of Contents**

Here's a list of what's covered in this leader guide:

1.  **What's the best definition of leadership?**
2.  **Management vs leadership**
3.  **What is leadership these days?**
4.  **What makes a good leader?**
5.  **Top 10 qualities of great leaders**
6.  **Best leadership qualities for attracting and retaining top talent**
7.  **Learning to lead; the millennial leader**
8.  **5 soft skills of leadership**
9.  **Servant leadership and ethical leadership**
10.  **How your leadership style affects those around you**
11.  **Questions good leaders should be asking**
12.  **Women in leadership**
13.  **Top 10 books on leadership**
14.  **Leadership quotes from the worlds best**
15.  **Summary**
16.  **References**

**What's the best definition of leadership?**

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai may always be "that girl shot in the head by the Taliban." But as a living definition of leadership, Malala is a good choice. That's because she \_\__**inspires others**_ _**to help achieve her vision**_ (See our [favourite quotes from Malala](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/favouritequotesfrommalala))

In other words, leadership defined in one sentence might be: 

*   **Leadership is inspiring and motivating a group of people to exert themselves to help achieve a common goal**

Or, as legendary leadership researcher and [_"Good to Great"_ author Jim Collins](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles?search=good+to+great) defines leadership:

*   **Leadership is the art of getting people to do what must be done**

I also like Facebook executive and author of _"The Making of a Manager"_ Julie Zhuo's simple leadership definition:

*   **To get great outcomes from a group of people**

And your dictionary definition of leadership probably reads:

*   **The action of leading a group of people or an organisation**

One study said definitions of leadership were:

*   **Like "a lot of blind men describing a moving elephant. Each definition is accurate yet none sufficiently describes the whole"**

But, on the whole, defining leadership centres around inspiring followers to follow you, wherever you may choose to go. It's about you and it's not about you - all at once.

**Management vs Leadership**

_"If you are manager, figure out how to be a leader, if you are a leader - figure out how to shine a light on problems." -_[Seth Godin](https://www.sethgodin.com/)

There's a lot to be figured out at the top. You don't have time to be figuring out the wrong stuff. For this reason, it's handy to know the key differences between leaders and managers: Leaders broadly are big picture and managers broadly are small picture. Leaders focus on **goals**, and managers focus on **tasks**.

_"Not all managers exercise leadership.....Not all leaders manage,"_ said academic Fred Lunenberg

I like this from the Melbourne University handbook on leadership: "_Managers maintain the status quo efficiently but leaders help individuals, teams, organisations, and societies to do adaptive work."_

It goes on to say that leadership is not a position but a _process_ that can be learned:

*   While management is learning the nuts and bolts, leadership is _learning to lead individuals and teams through intrapersonal (i.e., self-awareness and self-management) and interpersonal (i.e., social awareness and social skill) development._

And, because that's wordy, here's a terrific table:

Leadership vs Management

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

**Thinking Process:**

Leadership focuses on people;  Management focuses on things

Leadership looks outward; Management looks inward

**Goal Setting:**

Leadership articulates a vision; Management executes plans

Leadership creates the future; Management improves the present

Leadership sees the forest; Management sees the trees

**Employee Relations:**

Leadership empowers; Management controls

Leadership has colleagues; Managers have subordinates

Leadership trusts & develops; Management directs & coordinates

**Operation:**

Leadership does the right things; Management does things right

Leadership creates change; Management manages change

Leadership serves subordinates; Management serves superordinates \[superiors\]

**Governance:**

Leadership uses influence; Management uses authority

Leadership uses conflict; Management avoids conflict

Leadership acts decisively; Management acts responsibly

_(Source: Leadership versus Management: A Key Distinction At Least in Theory, Fred C. Lunenburg Sam Houston State University)_

As Stephen Covey explains in _Seven Habits of Highly Effective People:_

*   Managers are busy cutting the undergrowth of the jungle. It's the leader who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the situation and yells down _"Wrong jungle!"_

**What is leadership these days?**

It's more empathetic, that's for sure. In 2020 we all got thrown into a washing machine. Autocratic leadership style went down the plug with the dirty water. Leadership these days serves followers rather than serving up fear to get results.

> _It's about the presence, or absence, of followers._ - Marcus Buckingham, _Nine Lies About Work._

Marcus Buckingham says no two leaders create followers in quite the same way - so _followship_ is measurable but _leadership_ is not. According to Marcus Buckingham, we follow leaders who:

*   Connect us to a mission we believe in.
    *   Clarify whats expected of us.
    *   Surround us with excellence.
    *   [Value us](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/howtomakeemployeesfeelvalued) for our strengths.
    *   Challenge us to keep getting better.
    *   Give us confidence in the future.

Leadership expert Stephen Scott, author of "_The 15 Disciplines,"_ says you need to "_make others comfortable with you, so they're productive."_

Academic, speaker and author, Dr Brené Brown, author of _Dare to Lead_ , says the world needs leaders who are _**self-aware enough to lead from their hearts**_, rather than unevolved leaders who lead from hurt and fear. 

At her event hosted by The Growth Faculty she said she wished leaders were [choosing courage over comfort](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/IntheArenawithBreneBrownChoosingCourageoverComfort). Courage to acknowledge their team members have feelings. 

_"We have to attend to fears and feelings, otherwise we can't attend to unproductive behaviour,"_ she said. Leadership in these modern times requires a more human-centred approach to being the boss.

_"I know my life is better when I_ [_work from the assumption that everyone is doing the best they can_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/BrenBrowntoptipassumeothersaredoingthebesttheycan)_." _ - Brené Brown, _Dare to Lead_

From the [Top 30 Brené Brown Quotes for Leaders](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/BestBreneBROWNquotesleaders) is this good reminder of this from her book _Daring Greatly:_

*   _It is human nature to want to feel worthy of love and belonging._

**What makes a good leader?**

Google What makes a good leader? and you'll be buried in 500 million or so articles. But Google's _own_ leadership coach, the late Bill Campbell (who also [coached Steve Jobs](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/SteveJobsscoachTrillionDollarmentorBillCampbellstopfourtraits)), had one trait at the top of his list:

*   **Trust** _"Bill knew that to get to great leadership you needed to **build trust**,_" former Google executive Jonathan Rosenberg said in an [interview with The Growth Faculty](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/TrillionDollarCoach).

Rosenberg said Bill let people see his own vulnerabilities, and then they shared their own. _"He understood the dynamics of how to pull people together as members of a team,"_ Rosenberg told Growth Faculty.

**Google coach Bill Campbell's leadership must-haves:**

*   Get the management fundamentals right
    *   Be willing to be coached
    *   Get to know people. Bring love into the workplace
    *   Develop friendships with those you work with
    *   Run staff meetings to develop relationships

It's not about avoiding the hard stuff though. A research article [What Makes a Good Leader](http://https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/what-makes-a-good-leader) by Harvard Business School's Deborah Blagg and Susan Young, lists:

**4 points that signify a good leader**

*   Telling the hard truths when appropriate
*   Communication is key and a talent for simplicity
*   Being essentially both manager and leader 
*   Remaining committed despite setbacks

Berkeley University's executive education says good leadership comes from asking:

*   _How can I add value?_

It says effective leaders:

*   **Take a diagnostic approach** to situations. They have an **evolved situational awareness** and **read social cues** quickly and astutely
    *   Engage a broad set of behavioural styles, depending on the situation. They **demonstrate flexibility** in their responses
    *   Are **committed to improvement**. The best leaders take stock of events and ask **how could I have approached this situation better?**
    *   They understand that becoming exceptional is a **lifelong learning process**

According to Brené Brown, the superpower of courageous leadership is curiosity.

*   _"If we have more questions than answers and show vulnerability, were taking the first step to understanding,"_ Brené told us in 2019.

_"Think Again"_ author and organisational psychologist Adam Grant says good leaders think like scientists, using a skill he calls [rethinking](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/adamgrantleadershipskills): _"Scientists are constantly aware of the limits of their understanding, doubt what they know, are curious about what they don't know, and update their views based on new data."_ 

And, in "_The Infinite Game"_ Simon Sinek shares his 5 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 do a lot of hard work to **build trusting teams**
3.  They understand their primary responsibility is to **create an environment** in which people can work at their natural best. As a leader, 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

Highly respected former CEO and Chair of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi says what makes a good leader is **continual improvement**.

_"If you want to lift the performance of the organisation, you have to lift yourself...my message to my team was always meet my bar, and that bar would constantly be moved up."_

To summarise what makes a good leader:

*   A self-disciplined and empathetic all-rounder, with one eye on the business landscape, and the other firmly trained on the people in the organisation

**Top 10 qualities of great leaders**

1.  Strong people skills
2.  Visionary
3.  Team Builder
4.  Personable/Approachable
5.  Leads by example
6.  Passion and drive
7.  Good listener
8.  Develops people
9.  Empowers people
10.  Positive attitude

These are the traits from research data on 150,000 leaders conducted by Bob Anderson and William Adams, and published in _Scaling Leadership._

But there's more to do to become a top [(Level 5) leader](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/levelfiveleadership/). Leadership research giant Jim Collins says it's also about ferocious resolve.

_"Level 5 leadership is not just about humility and modesty. It is equally about ferocious resolve, an almost stoic determination to do whatever needs to be done to make the company great."_ - Jim Collins, "_Good to Great"_

Jim Collins says these are the traits of Level 5 leaders:

*   Display a powerful mixture of **personal humility and indomitable will**
*   Are incredibly ambitious, but **their ambition is first and foremost for the cause** , for the organisation and its purpose, not themselves
*   Can come in many personality packages, they are **often self-effacing, quiet, reserved, and even shy**
*   Motivate the enterprise \_\_**more with inspired standards** **than inspiring personality**

Before we leave the Top 10 qualities of great leaders, it's fair to say being a team builder is super-important. [Jim Collins](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/?promoCode=Blog#liveevents) calls this _"The right people on the bus"_ in _"_[_Good to Great_](https://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html)_."_

His 3 truths about building the right team:

*   First, if you begin with who, you can more easily **adapt** to a fast-changing world
*   Second, if you have the right people on your bus, you don't need to worry about motivating them. **The right people are self-motivated**
*   And third, if you have the **wrong people** on the bus, nothing else matters. You may be headed in the right direction, but you still wont achieve greatness. Great vision with mediocre people still produces mediocre results

Whitney Johnson in _Multipliers_ says a good leader is a liberator not a tyrant.

*   _"Liberators create an **intense environment** that requires people's best thinking and work. As a result, people offer their best and boldest thinking and give their best effort"_

By contrast, she says tyrants:

*   _"...create a **tense environment** that suppresses people's thinking and capability. As a result, people hold back, bring up safe ideas that the leader agrees with, and work cautiously"_

See also [How Your Leadership Style Affects Those Around You](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/leadersbringweatherpositiveleadership).

**Improving human capital with your leadership skills**

Jim Collins writes: _"The single biggest constraint on the success of any organisation is the ability to get and to hang on to enough of the right people."_

Beware the "warm bodies syndrome" says Jim Collins in _BE 2.0 (Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0)._

Warm bodies syndrome turns up most often in a growth frenzy.

_"I don't care who you get, I need people!"_

Rapid growth pressures you to be less discerning in hiring; and hiring is one place you want to be extremely careful, he writes. 

As Whitney Johnson, author of "_Build an A Team"_ says, _"Every new hire is a highly important, long-term customer."_

So, what's a proven way to retain good staff?

*   **70% of survey respondents said quality leadership** (The 2018 Australian HR Institutes Turnover and Retention Report)

**QUALITIES OF THE BEST CEOS**

Award-winning CEO Dean Robertson in [HOW THIS CEO'S TEAM GOT SO GOOD, DELOITTE CAME KNOCKING](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/HOWTHISCEOSTEAMGOTSOGOODDELOITTECAMEKNOCKING) calls it _"not skimping_ _on the drinks package at the office party."_

In an interview with Growth Faculty a few years back, his answers to **What qualities should a CEO have?** were:

*   **Having a dogmatic vision about where the company is going and why.** Everyone needs to be connected to a purpose
    *   **Being immediately generous with your time and resources.** Never buy the basic drinks package for a team event, trust them with company credit cards. Your team will repay your generosity 100x with their effort, passion and willingness to help you back
    *   **Delegate and trust.** You will get more mileage from a retrospective learning conversation for those 20% of failures
    *   **Hire for behavioural alignment with your whole team AND yourself.** Hire people that you actually enjoy working with and who enjoy your company too
    *   **Be honest and open** with the team about mistakes that get made (yours as well) and focus on the lessons learned
    *   **Be humble about your own skills** , nobody likes a braggart, even if you're the leader
    *   **There are no second class citizens in a great culture.** Remind everyone that every boat has a hull underwater providing buoyancy and stability, even if you can't see it. Everyone on the team is important
    *   **Listen first, and seek first to understand.** When there's a disagreement, don't hash it out on email. Pick up the phone and have a conversation, but go in palms up so you don't start on an aggressive note
    *   **Seek advice and opinions from your team, but own your decision** and be very clear that you expect the team to get on board with your decision. They will always get their opinions heard, but there can only be one leader
    *   **Publicly thank and congratulate the team** for good work at every opportunity. Nothing provides more satisfaction than being appreciated by your peers and leadership team

After reading _Build an A Team_ by Whitney Johnson, I'd also add:

*   **Challenge your people to keep them**.

What makes you a good leader: the definitive guide to leadership

Practical checklist of top leadership qualities from our speakers and authors

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

What makes you a good leader: the definitive guide to leadership

Practical checklist of top leadership qualities from our speakers and authors

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired