优秀领导力的四个特征

优秀领导力的四个特征

1、视野：一如史蒂芬·柯维所言：“管理能提高攀爬成功之梯的效率，而领导力则决定成功之梯是否倚在了正确的墙上。”换句话说，领导者需要辨清方向，然后给追随者准确地指出方向。优秀的带头人不会瞎猜，她们必须密切观察商业环境，否则就会把大家带入泥潭。谚语有云：“阅读者即领导者。”经常看书学习、喜欢分析资料的领导者洞察力更佳敏锐，他们能看到昙花一现的战略机遇。当业务不景气时，他们会转换思考视角，愿意掉转船头。

2、责任：如果你不走到台前，你就永远不是领导者！这是美国农夫保险集团领导人布莱恩·墨菲告诉我的。领导力很危险。为什么？因为当你站出来振臂一挥“这边走”的时候，你需要对结果负责。一旦你看错了路，你就不配做领导了。但你必须打这个赌，因为只有承担责任才能换来尊重和更大的权利——调动大家为同一个目标奋斗。不过责任是时刻变化的，特别是当困境来临时，你可以放弃一些责任。聪明的领导者经常检查自己所承担的责任的水平，不断调整目标。

3、影响力：中国有句谚语：“没有追随者的人只是在散步。”除了事业和责任，如果你不具备鼓舞或怂恿其他人的能力，你就没法有效地领导。影响力主要来自我们的交流技巧。这包括表达和聆听两方面。成功的领导者擅于运用事例团结团队，他们准确的措辞令故事听起来栩栩如生，他们不放过每个交流的机会，不遗余力地促使听众行动起来。

4、目标：这是优秀领导力中最重要的方面。好的带头人关注“为什么”甚于“是什么”。他们的终级目标比传统商业追求利润、规模和资源的目的更高一层，也不会混淆目的和手段。在《真正的北方①：发现你真实的领导力》艺术中，美国美敦力公司创始人比尔·乔治认为，诚信和服务才是做企业最终的方向，是“真正的北方”。在《从优秀到卓越②》一书中，吉姆·科林斯提醒领导者，他们的目标是要比损益管理更加值得。领导人需要时刻想到：“我们怎样才能让世界更美好？”然后引领员工向这个方向努力。

注：①有指北针的意思，原著：《True North：Discover Your Authentic Leadership》

②《Good to Great》

The Four Corners Of Great Leadership

Since reading Primal Leadership, I've been a fan of this topic and a student of the discipline.

Later, as Yahoo's Leadership Coach, I studied the areas of excellence in leaders both inside the company, and throughout our customer and partner base. Some, like Howard Stringer of Sony, had very clear skill sets, such as people skills. Others, like Scott McNeely, had implicit skills, like deal-making. After my first book came out, I was invited to speak at leadership events, which gave me valuable feedback over time. Here are four areas of leadership excellence that all great leaders continually develop.

1. VISION - As Stephen Covey Sr. said, "Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success: leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall." In other words, she sees where the organization needs to go, and can enunciate it clearly to her followers. Think of this as the strategy piece of the puzzle. Great leaders do not guess in this regard, they must constantly research and observe business context closely - otherwise, their vision is blurry or

incorrect. This is why Readers Are Leaders. They constantly plumb books, studies and trend data to sharpen their vision and spot strategic opportunities to pounce on. When business misfires, they rethink their vision and are willing to shift or pivot.

2. COMMITMENT - You aren't a leader if you don't step up! As Farmers Insurance executive Bryan Murphy told me, "leadership is dangerous." Why? Because when you step up and say, "this way!", you are assuming accountability for the outcome. Get your vision wrong, and you may lose your job. But it's a bet you must make, because with commitement comes respect and a new power - the ability to mobilize people and align them with a plan. Commitment is an ongoing process, though. You can lose it or let it wither due to adversity. Great leaders constantly check in on their level of commitment and refresh their motivations, especially during tough times.

3. INFLUENCE - The Chinese proverb applys: He who has no followers is merely taking a walk! Despite your vision and commitment, if you can't motivate and/or inspire others, you can't lead effectly. Influence stems mostly from our communications skills, both in terms of what we say and how closely we listen to others. Great leaders use story devices to unite their teams, speak in clear terms and exude authenticity. They take every communications opportunity very seriously, and prepare relentlessly to move their audiences to action. READ: Leadership Is Dead: How Influence Is Reviving It for more here.

4. PURPOSE - This is likely the most important corner of leadership excellence. Great leaders are focused on the WHY behind the WHAT. Their strategy has a purpose bigger than traditional business goals: Making money, growing, accumulating resources. Leaders don't get the means and the ends mixed up. In True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership, Medtronic founder Bill George talks about our compass, which is the ultimate guide for the leader. To him, integrity and service are the true north we point our enterprise towards. In Good To Great, Jim Collins reminds leaders that their purpose needs to be worthy - something bigger than just P&L management. This is an ongoing challenge for leaders, as they need to ask themselves, "how do we make this world a better place?" and then using purpose (think service, not self) as the ultimate device to give their followers focus and hope.