What Kind of Leader Do You Want to Be?

Choose Your Own 'Leadership Footprint'

Statistically, our research shows that one reason people leave their jobs is because of a bad relationship with their boss. We also know that just because a person has been promoted to a leadership role doesn’t mean they are automatically equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to be a great leader or boss; it takes time. So how do you help your team become better leaders? In her most recent article titled, ‘What Kind of Leader Do You Want To Be?’ Rebecca Newton refers to a Leadership Footprint which combines the two most central components of successful leadership together - leadership intent (the kind of leader you want to be) and impact (the legacy you want to leave). Without question, making this a reality takes effort but in the process of using this footprint to guide daily decision making, sharing it with others, seeking feedback and being held accountable for achieving it, there is greater chance for succeeding and becoming the kind of leader you really want to be.

In this way, new and inexperienced managers, who are on their way to becoming great bosses, will be more mindful of their roles and responsibility towards their employees and will have a greater positive impact than a negative one.

 
In Newton’s own words, central to creating a leadership footprint is:
• Defining the kind of leader you want to be.
• Knowing clearly how that aligns with, and helps achieve, your organizational vision and purpose.
• Fostering self-awareness, reflecting on your own behavior and encouraging others to give you feedback.
• Recognizing differences that may arise between your intent and your impact.
• Self-regulating. As Emma Soane of the LSE says, “The strength and the challenge of self-regulation is ensuring that you have coherence between your personality, your behavior, and your leadership goals.”
• Choosing the assumptions about yourself and others that you need to rely on for your leadership footprint to be realistic and sustainable.

So the question becomes, if you are mindful on a daily basis of what leadership footprint you want to make, how will this impact employee engagement and what impact will it have on reducing turnover in your organization? If the goals are sincere and reflect coherence, as described above, there is every chance that the lives of the people who report to you will be improved. Would you agree?

Original Article here:
https://hbr.org/2015/01/what-kind-of-leader-do-you-want-to-be