Effective leadership is critical for success in today's business landscape. But what does it mean to be an effective leader?

As I meditated on this concept, these qualities stood out to me above all others. 

They do everything they can to see people how they want to be seen. 
All of us so badly want to be seen, heard, and understood. We want to feel appreciated and accepted. Deep in our hearts, we know our presence is valuable in the world, but we talk ourselves out of it. The best leaders intentionally look for the good. They see others as they want to be seen. Because of this, there is no shortage of appreciation or gratitude for the gifts that each employee/team member brings to the table. 

They don’t need to use “compliment sandwiches”
Because the best leaders are always looking for the good and seeing people for how they want to be seen, they have ample opportunities to communicate that to them. In fact, the best leaders spend far more time support and encouraging their people than they do criticizing them. Because of this natural proclivity to the positive, when they do have critical feedback to share, they don’t need to couch it in platitudes. They can be direct, honest, and transparent about it. 

They are consistent and reliable
People, at their core, are not rational operators. We are all far more emotional and irrational than we ever like to admit. If you doubt this, just think about your most recent bout of road rage….

Because of this, consistency and reliability is so desperately needed in our lives and this predictability provides a sense of grounding and safety. As a leader, try to make things consistent for your team and do everything you can to maintain your personal integrity. This will not only provide that sense of peace for your team, but it will also model for them how to incorporate it into their own lives. 

They hold themselves and others accountable out of a place of love
Accountability is a double edged sword. Most accountability is rejected or is met with defensive responses and “yeah, but…”. This is because accountability is often done from a place of fear and lack. The leader is driving accountability for their own purposes and in order to maintain control over a process. 

When a leader communicates from this place, their team feels it. They may not be able to put their finger on it, but they know it when they feel it. 

Drive accountability from a place of love. Hold people accountable through encouragement and support. Hold them accountable so they can stay on track to emerging as their best selves. And LEAD with this energy and intention in your interactions with them. They will feel it. They will know it. And you are much more likely to get the results and behavior you expect.

Effective leadership is more than just a set of qualities - it's a mindset and a way of approaching interactions with others. By embodying these qualities and learning from effective leaders, we can all become better leaders in our own right. So let's start today by striving to see the good in others, communicating honestly and transparently, being consistent and reliable, and holding ourselves and others accountable out of a place of love.

Come back next week for Part II!