Working with people at all levels in all types of organizations, I have come to realize that we each lead so differently. What is important to one person is of no consequence to another. One leader may value getting to know their team members more intimately, while another focuses mostly on connecting in the workplace. Some leaders look forward to holding weekly meetings while others prefer more one-on-one sessions. What is worthwhile for each leader is to reflect and decide how he or she wants to design their leadership. We need to decide what is important to building our leadership structure.
[Tweet “Leaders need to build their leadership model that reflects their beliefs and values.”]
Here are four essential logs to building your leadership structure:
FOUNDATION LOG
What is most important to you that drives your every decision and choice? What do you believe and value that is at the core of how you lead and live your life? Step back and really think about the 5 leadership qualities that reflect how you want to lead and be seen as a leader. Write down your qualities and see how they emerge in your leadership. Keep them close by and look at them periodically as they will be a great guide for you in whatever you tackle.
VISION LOG
Where do you see your career or business moving in the next year? What do you want your leadership to look like as you advance along your journey? It is essential to make sure we have the knowledge and skills to continue on the leadership path we want to take. If we need to learn or grow ourselves in particular niche areas, then find out where to get that information. Books, social media, certification programs or other leaders may be perfect resources. Make sure the direction you choose is where you want to go, not where someone else wants you to go.
PEOPLE LOG
We need to surround ourselves with people who value our leadership as well as understand our quirks. We should never spend time with others who drain our energy and cannot see our worth. When building our leadership model, we need to reach out to other leaders who fascinate us and may be open to mentoring us. I know how difficult it may be to ask for help yet I find that nurturing people are usually thrilled to lend a hand in sharing their skills.
[Tweet “Authentic leaders surround themselves with people who understand them.”]
COMMUNICATION LOG
How do you think you are presenting yourself when connecting with other people? Do you find team members hear what you are saying in a clear way and understand the meaning of your messages? Choosing non-judgmental language and being specific is a great way to build rapport with others. Try deleting the word “but” from your communication and replace it with the word “and”. It is more inclusive and may actually open up the conversation to exchange more perspectives.
How would you build your leadership model? What would be included in your foundation, vision, people and communication logs?
Really like your idea of the 4 different logs. Have long been a fan of writing or drawing out your vision of success, putting it away, then revisiting it a year (or 5 years) later. Sometimes, just the act of identifying what you want to do is exactly the impetus you need to achieve it. Thanks for a great post Terri!
It is essential to go back periodically and revisit our different logs to make sure our leadership model is aligned with the direction we want to keep moving. I love your idea of a 5 year recheck.
Knowing what we want to accomplish and having the knowledge and skills to do it is a winning combination for leaders.
I appreciate you Joy!
What I appreciate about this view of building a leadership model is that each log calls on another part of who we are and what we need to do to be exceptional leaders – inward and outward. Leadership isn’t only about a vision for where you want to take the team or organization but also where you want to go personally and ensure that you’re putting many logs on the fire to feed the flames of your personal passion.
I’ve been lost in “being the leader” with all of my energy, time and focus spent on others. This is a great reminder to all that part of leadership is taking care of you too.
PS – thanks for accepting me for all of my quirks too 🙂 You are definitely on my people log.
Leadership is not just about the act but also about growing ourselves and evolving. I have seen too many leaders get stuck in daily tasks and rituals that they don’t take the energy and time to investigate where their hearts and minds are.
I love your idea of feeding our personal passion because that discovery will empower us to continue blossoming and enriching our leadership. I am a believer in reaching out to others and getting their feedback and insights as well as continually reading and writing. Anyway we can open and stretch ourselves is wonderful.
Thanks Alli for your caring and support!
I like the model and use a very similar one to help leaders tune in to their authentic leadership presence.
I am glad you like the model, Amanda as I honestly believe each of us needs a specific structure to guide us and use as a check point.
I would love to hear about your model.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your comments!
Great model, Terri. The way we “log” our time will show if our actions match our intentions, a great thing to ensure happens to keep us aligned as well as the people around us. Thinking through these elements is so essential for leaders. I am a big proponent of developing a leadership philosophy, and this fits exactly into this imperative. Thanks for showing the way! Jon
What a great metaphor Jon- “log” our time to recheck whether we are acting the way our purpose propels us!
A leadership philosophy is also great and I find mine is continually changing and evolving as I grow and learn more. It’s interesting how much I tweak my logs to keep my leadership authentic and meaningful.
Thanks for your continued support!
Terri
Terri, I loe the idea of keeping logs in these arenas. Such a powerful tool. Thanks for sharing.
Keeping logs is another great way to think about the model and how we need to check-in with where we want to grow our leadership.
I wonder if a visual of logs would be a great addition to my desk where I could revisit them daily and change them up as I go.
Thanks Karin!
Great points, Terri!
It’s amazing to me how people can look at the same situation in so many different ways! And yet that is what makes us all strong as a team: the different perspectives and the willingness to hear the other point of view.
As they say, the best way to build a fire is to lay one log against another….
Love it, LaRae- lay one log against another!
This metaphor does seem to be speaking to everyone in a unique way and the dialogue is fascinating.
As long as we are authentic and open-minded enough to keep the logs current and meaningful, we will be on our way to being strong, evolving leaders.
Thanks for all your great insights LaRae!