We are constantly surrounded by celebrity tales that are often mistaken by real success stories. Reality television, stardom, social media infatuation, have all led to a misinterpretation of what it takes to be prosperous, and it seems like many of those we see as “leaders of our generation” have nothing of the essence of true, high level, leadership.
The images of those we are told we should be emulating blur the reality line between the traits that we should work on, if we want to be leaders, and those we shouldn’t. Traits that we should consider when we are selecting leaders as well.
Per Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, only Level 5 leaders achieve true greatness. Leaders at other levels, of course, can achieve high levels of success, but only these reach the desired level of sustained excellence. These are people who have a “paradoxical blend of humility and professional will” which allows them to continuously take their endeavors to the next level, whether related to business, art, or politics.
What is interesting about the level-5 leader is that every trait compliments the other. Which ultimately means, when you begin to practice one, it’s a gateway to becoming better at another, and so on.
So how exactly do you go from good to great, and how do you recognize greatness in a leader?
“Conscious personal development”: Called like that by Collins himself is, in other terms, a high level of self-awareness and a willingness to be introspective. This in turn allows the leader to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Hal Elrod’s Life S.A.V.E.R.S system helps us understand what it might take to reach a high level of conscious personal development. Life S.A.V.E.R.S stands for: Silence, Affirmation, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, Scribing.
Which leads us to….
You Lack Confidence
A level 5 leader is above all confident in their capacity and their talents, even if they are aware of their limitations. In fact, being aware is what helps them develop the confidence and tools to stay afloat when things get rough. They believe in what they know and what they are capable of learning.
This self-confidence is what allows the true leader to develop and energize people in their company, to see better results.
However, when you lack confidence as a supervisor or leader, it not only hinders your ability to lead effectively but also impacts the morale and productivity of your team. Employees look to their supervisors for guidance and reassurance. This is especially true during challenging times. If they sense uncertainty or self-doubt in your actions, it can create a ripple effect leading to a lack of trust and respect. Your team may become hesitant to follow your direction. Unfortunately, the overall cohesion of the group can suffer. Confidence is not just about how you feel about yourself; it’s about how you project that assurance to those you lead.
Also, a lack of confidence can prevent you from making decisive choices. Indecision can stall progress and create confusion within your team, as they may be left unsure about their priorities or the direction of their work.
When you second-guess your decisions or avoid making them altogether, you miss opportunities to drive the team forward and achieve the goals you’ve set. Building your confidence as a supervisor involves acknowledging your strengths, continuously seeking knowledge, and trusting in your ability to lead. By doing so, you not only improve your leadership skills but also inspire your team to have confidence in their roles and in the organization as a whole.
You’re Not Delegating
Good supervisors of all kinds are great at helping their team succeed and find the answers to problems themselves. By knowing how to delegate work and ask for help, they can recognize when someone might be better at something that they are, and so they will hire top people for their teams.
A “Good-to-great” leader must start with people first, and then move on to their own vision. They determine where someone works best, who doesn’t work in the scheme of their business, and how they can lead everyone in the right direction.
You’re Surrounding Yourself With the Wrong People
It’s true. The greatest leaders and great supervisors surround themselves with people who will bring out the best in them. When you have others around you whose focus is on themselves or other people’s lives instead of their own vision, projects, and their will to make something great, it’s a disincentive to be any different, for those who are near.
According to Mathew Toren, in his article 7 Behaviors of Successful People,”. successful people build a comfortable network of positive, intelligent, and accomplished individuals. Such a network not only eases them into success-building thought patterns and behaviors, but also offers them a place to brainstorm and receive support.
You Don’t Practice Diligence
These are people who are incredibly disciplined when it comes to their work. If they commit to something, they will stick to it to see it through, and they will do so with quiet determination.
This leader demonstrates unwavering resolve. They will do what they must to get the best long-term results.
When you fail to practice diligence as a supervisor, it sends a message to your team that mediocrity is acceptable. Diligence is about being thorough, consistent, and committed to seeing tasks through to completion, no matter how challenging they may be.
Without this quality, you may find yourself cutting corners, overlooking important details, or giving up when obstacles arise. This lack of follow-through can lead to subpar results and missed opportunities, ultimately affecting the overall success of your team and the organization. Diligence sets the standard for excellence and shows your team that you are fully invested in achieving the best outcomes.
Your team observes your actions closely. If they see you failing to uphold your commitments or being inconsistent in your efforts, they may question your dedication and leadership. This can result in decreased motivation and engagement among your employees, as they may start to mirror your behavior or feel that their own efforts don’t matter. On the other hand, when you consistently demonstrate diligence, you inspire your team to adopt the same level of commitment and perseverance, fostering a culture of high performance and accountability.
You’re Blaming Others
A great leader can take full responsibility for his or her mistakes if they should, and knows when to give someone else the credit when they deserve it. They don’t look to point fingers when something is wrong, but instead, use their introspective and observational skills to pin-point what it is that went wrong and solve it.
Luck, or any external factor as a matter of fact, is not to blame.
When you start blaming others for mistakes or failures, you undermine your credibility and erode the trust of your team. Shifting blame creates a toxic environment where employees feel insecure and defensive, fearing that they might be the next target. This not only damages morale but also stifles creativity and collaboration.
When people are more concerned with avoiding blame than solving problems, the team’s overall performance suffers, and a culture of fear and distrust can take root. As a supervisor, it’s crucial to create an environment where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities rather than occasions for assigning blame.
Additionally, consistently blaming others can prevent you from growing as a leader. Leadership involves continuous self-improvement and learning from experiences—both good and bad. When you deflect responsibility, you miss out on the chance to reflect on what could have been done differently and how you can improve in the future.
A good leader acknowledges their role in any situation, learns from it, and takes proactive steps to prevent similar issues from arising again. By taking ownership, you set an example for your team. As a manager or supervisor of your business, you should count accountability as one the responsibilities of your role.
You’re Too Into Yourself
This is the knot that ties it all together. These attributes are great traits for any kind of leader, but what makes these types of leaders the most successful is their humility and modesty when it comes to their work and their personal lives.
Collins even points out that many of these leaders are shy, but still highly driven. They don’t boast about their accomplishments, in fact, these “larger than life” leaders we continuously see on TV are not what he would consider great leaders. Level-5 leaders don’t put the focus on themselves but rather on the vision; on their company’s contribution to the world.
“In reality, humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking less about yourself,” says Aaron Orendorff, contributor at Entrepreneur magazine. “Accepting that you did something wrong or that you don’t know everything, foregoes ego for the sake of personal development and business growth. Asking for help not only displays a willingness to learn but empowers others to shine.”
Also read:
5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Supervisor
How Supervisors Can Hold Their Team Accountable
Handling a Conflict Between Supervisors and Employees
This article was originally published in. 2017 but has been updated and expanded.
Staff Writer: Born in Sao Paolo, Brazil, to Argentine parents, Nicole Duggan grew up hopping around North and South America, collecting stories and experiences that would later lead her to fall in love with what Voltaire once called “painting the voice”. An avid bookworm, wannabe Picasso, and passionate traveler, she considers herself an art-entrepreneur, with a knack for finding a way to bridge art with different aspects of reality (political, economic, social, etc), in order to understand the bigger picture that encompasses the structures in which human beings move.
Article Tags:
Business Opportunities · featured · Find Your Way · Leadership · Your Mindset
Article Categories:
Find Your Way · Grow Your Business · Leading Your Team · Your Mindset
