Leaders and managers aren’t the same. As Seth Godin says, “Managers want authority. Leaders take responsibility.”
While we need both managers and leaders, Godin stresses the importance of understanding the difference between the two. Managers corral their staff and push them to continue doing what they did before, just more efficiently. Leaders, on the other hand, have vision and an inherent understanding of where they want to go. They know they need great people around them who share their vision to help them get there.
Three Key Leadership Skills for Innovators
We all agree that good listening skills are important for anyone in any position. Teachers need to listen to their students, students to their teachers. Physicians must listen to their patients and vise versa. But a leader must not only listen — actively and intently — to his team, he must receive the perspectives of others in a gracious and mindful way. When leaders cultivate the skills of listening and receiving, they create a safe place for people to confide in them and speak their minds.
The best, most effective leaders surround themselves with people who feel free to speak truth and share real perspectives on the flow and development of a project. What skills enable leaders to create the trust and communicative freedom that’s necessary to foment innovation and creativity?
- Keep an open mind. Create an environment where others perceive you as free and open to hearing what they have to say – even if it’s unpleasant. If others see you as angry, fearful, resentful, or proud, they won’t tell you the hard things. You’ll be surrounded by the clichéd “yes men” that stifle progress and stunt growth. It doesn’t mean you can’t feel these things. It’s simply that you need to avoid letting them direct your responses. Practice active listening as you hear others out. Ask questions; show authentic interest. Look for the message lying beneath what the person is saying.
- Avoid judging. Avoid coming off as critical about what the person says to you. Try to hear ideas, not just the words. Resist any inclination to make a joke about what he is saying, or to shame him with flippant responses. Sometimes what you don’t do is just as important as what you do as a leader. Don’t argue, get on the defensive, or turn cold toward the speaker.
- Empathize. To truly empathize with another takes great courage. When your staff member or partner comes to talk with you, she has likely had time to prepare and think about what she’s going to say. You haven’t had this advantage, so it’s a bit more difficult to remain neutral, keep an open mind, and remain non-judgmental. Be willing to see the issues from her perspective and let go of any preconceptions of your own during the dialogue.
If you can cultivate and develop these three skills and use them in both your personal and work life, you’ll be able to handle even the most off-putting situations and discussions with graciousness and poise. This will give you and others time to think about what was said and come up with truly effective solutions to the issues. Team creativity will soar, making room for free-flowing ideas and groundbreaking innovation. What do you want to build today?
– See more at: https://emergenttechnologies.com/blog/three-skills-great-leaders-need#sthash.nTkeDHGy.dpuf