Of course companies need leaders who beam in on getting bet ter results. But those results will be more robust in the long run when leaders don't simply tell people what to do or just do it them selves, but have an other focus: they are motivated to help other people be successful, too.
They realize, for instance, that if someone lacks a given strength today, they can work to develop it. Such leaders take the time to mentor and advise. In practical terms all this means:
• Listening within, to articulate an authentic vision of overall direction that energizes others even as it sets clear expectations.
• Coaching, based on listening to what people want from their life, career, and current job. Paying attention to people's feelings and needs, and showing concern.
• Listening to advice and expertise; being collaborative and making decisions by consensus when appropriate.
• Celebrating wins, laughing, knowing that having a good time together is not a waste of time but a way to build emotional capital.
These leadership styles, used in tandem or as appropriate to the moment, widen a leader's focus to draw on inner, other, and outer inputs. That maximal bandwidth, and the wider understanding and flexibility of response it affords, can pay dividends. Research by the McClelland Institute on these leadership styles shows that more adept leaders draw on these as appropriate-each represents a unique focus and application. The wider a leader's repertoire of styles, the more energized the organization's climate and the better the results.