What makes a good leader?

This post is written by Cristina Rico, Manager, Product Management & Delivery, Ontario Health.

• The problem: When no clear path is evident, improving leadership skills can be a daunting task, unfocused and inefficient.
• Why it matters: Becoming a good leader is a journey. Mapping out key milestones allows for a more focused approach.
• The solution: Start with a strong foundation, then use available frameworks and assessment tools to identify your strengths and develop an action plan.

“Do you have what it takes to be a good leader?” is a loaded, ominous question. There are a plethora of leadership frameworks to explore, and they can be very useful. However, I would start with those few critical, universal behaviours that form a strong foundation to grow into a great leader:

1. Lead by example – to be able to inspire and convince others, you need to exhibit those behaviours and attitudes you expect from others. You do not need to hold a formal managerial title for this. Showing up every day, being true to your values, being honest and compassionate and showing your passion has a contagious quality that draws people and encourages them to follow.
2. Hone your communication skills – the ability to make complex ideas easy to understand and form clear and succinct messages for different audiences takes a lot of practice. Frankly, this practice never stops, as you continuously need to interact with and hence adapt your messages to various professional and cultural backgrounds. Knowing the subject and your audience are key to shaping the most appropriate message.
3. Take initiative – I cannot emphasise more how stepping up and taking on stretch assignments helps your career in more ways than one. At the minimum, it allows you to learn something new or different and to apply and enhance skills that otherwise may remain underdeveloped. But beyond that, you learn about some of the challenges and how you can make meaningful contributions to your organisation, you may foster relationships outside your regular team, and you show your manager that you are able and possibly ready for a promotion.

Once you feel confident that you have what it takes, you can develop a more targeted approach. Review existing leadership frameworks, and leverage some of the available assessment tools (some organisations may employ certain tools, but you can also use them on your own) that allow you to assess your strengths, but also your blind spots and areas needing improvement. Ideally, review them with your manager or your mentor and identify focus areas - choose a selected few and focus mostly on your strengths – they have the power to help you maximise your potential.

Showing up every day, being true to your values, being honest and compassionate and showing your passion has a contagious quality that draws people and encourages them to follow.

The next key step is to develop an action plan. Be deliberate, be specific, be realistic, and make sure you put it in writing and commit to taking these actions. I find working with a mentor, or even a partner, buddy, or friend can make a huge difference in keeping me honest and steadfast.

There is no prescribed recipe to become a good leader. It is a lifelong journey that stems from the passion for the work that you do and the people you work with and requires professional soft skills that you should constantly evaluate and enhance. Focusing on your top strengths and taking them from strong to outstanding, combined with a can-do attitude, ready to step out of your comfort zone to lend a hand, to fill a gap, to make a difference, are some of the ways that can guide you on the windy path to becoming a great leader.

There is no prescribed recipe to become a good leader.

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(Image Credit: Unsplash)