Building a strong organization starts at the top with strong leadership. But how do we achieve sustainable leadership strength? Though high-achievers may seem superhuman in their ability to constantly meet their goals, they are neither more talented than the rest of us nor more advantaged: what sets them apart is their dedication to continuous improvement, not just in their management’s skills but holistically. They are absorbing, processing and constantly adapting in all areas: spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional. As a result, they are perpetual capacity builders becoming more effective and more inspiring.
When you’re a leader, you have the responsibility of setting the standards for your organization, and whether you’re aware of it or not, everyone is watching how you lead. Rather than showing your team how smart you are, show them how much you have improved, humbly share your weaknesses and how they were overcome. Show them how you strived to learn and improve and how you consciously set goals to not only leverage your strength but importantly improve your weaknesses. Kind of like a basketball player that can’t go left is limited in her development, an executive that can’t go “left” will hit a leadership ceiling. We all have a “left,” work on it until you can unleash your inner left with confidence. By doing so you will be building unlimited leadership capacity and be able to further elevate those around you.
One of the key aspects of this strategy is knowing that the ideal is highly individualized, in that improvement goals are different for each person and each organization. Don’t try to impress others with the goals you set to help yourself. Lead your team to align their goals and actions with what matters most. Organizationally embrace a universal North Star, but tailor individual goals to leverage strengths and mitigate weaknesses.
Capacity building really shines as a leadership strategy because it’s about more than just increasing productivity – it’s about holistic improvement. As a leader, you’re more than just simply a boss, so support your employees in their goals outside of work. In fact, based on the results of a Glassdoor survey, 87 percent of employees expect their employers to support them in balancing work and life commitments. By helping to build their lives both inside and outside of work, you’ll be rewarded with engaged, high-performing employees.
Originally published on Rob Urbach’s blog