Build Your Leadership Foundation

When we think of leadership we think of having vision, providing direction and goals, motivating, and having influence.  Leadership does not come from having a title or position on the organization chart.  A leader is powerless without one essential thing:  people.  A leader is only truly effective if people want to be led by him or her.  For people to want to follow you must start by building a leadership foundation consisting of trust, approachability, and a willingness to learn.

Build trust

• Be as open and transparent as possible.
• Be authentic.
• Admit if you are wrong or don’t know.
• Show interest in people and what they are doing.
• Be fair and consistent.
• Develop a track record.
• Be willing to ask for help

Be approachable

• Approachability starts with trust.
• Show that you value people.  Treat them as people not just assets and remember their names.
• Give them your undivided attention.  Close the laptop when they are in your office.
• If you can’t give them your undivided attention schedule a time when you can.
• Don’t quickly discount their ideas or concerns.  Listen more than you talk.
• Your approachability will impact the engagement and performance of your team.
• Get to know them as people.  Ask questions out of curiosity about their lives outside the lab.

Show you are willing to learn

• Accept and admit that you don’t know everything.
• Accept feedback and criticism to improve yourself.
• Ask questions to show you are eager to learn.
• Be open to their ideas.
• Try to learn something from everyone.
• When someone on your team has a skill that they are stronger at than you, allow them independence and a chance to lead that part of a project or job.

Building your leadership foundation is a key step in becoming the leader people want to follow.

Based on excerpts from John Maxwell Company Leadership podcast #56 and edited by John Sadowski, ALMA Executive Director