Home Small Group Leaders Articles for Small Group Leaders 3 Marks of Successful “We” Leaders

3 Marks of Successful “We” Leaders

1. Give credit instead of taking credit.

Even when they deserve some of the credit, great leaders pass it off to others. I am working with a CEO who really gets this concept. In the 360-degree evaluation I recently completed for him and his team, it was clear that he deflected praise to the team. In contrast is the senior leader who requires constant affirmation and praise, even when others do most of the real work. This is so demotivating to other leaders.

By using personal notes, e-mail, and public affirmations, my CEO friend gives credit frequently and authentically and does not have to be at the center of the universe. His ability to share success with the team, remind others of their great contribution, and give control to others marks him as a great leader – and his people love him for it.

Don’t Miss

Want to get the real story about a leader? Ask the people who used to work for him or her. Would they return? Was it a healthy environment? Would they readily partner with them again? Or was the leader manipulative, condescending, inauthentic, self-focused, always posturing, and more concerned with image control? Did he or she readily give the spotlight to others and praise them in public?

Henry Cloud, in his book Integrity, refers to this as a leader’s “wake” – what they leave behind after a meeting, a decision, or a departure. In many cases, the character wake is ugly. We have all heard our share of stories of disillusioned staff members who felt betrayed, deceived, manipulated, and outright lied to by a senior leader or manager. And in most cases, narcissism was at the root of it all. The desire for personal praise and prominence left a destructive wake.

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