"The new leader is one who commits people to action, who converts followers into leaders, and who may convert leaders into agents of change." ~ Warren G. Bennis
Warren Bennis's quote describing the new leader distills the attributes into three key areas. I was reflecting on how this can be useful for leaders in the C-Suite.
Commitment to Action
Leaders in the C-Suite inspire commitment to action from their teams through transparent communication, shared vision, and crafting a shared sense of purpose. They walk the talk, leading by example, demonstrating dedication and unwavering commitment to vision and goals, and being genuine in the team's development. They proactively align individual team members' organizational, team, and personal objectives and provide opportunities for personal development through personal development plans, mentorship, and coaching.Â
Develop Followers Into Leaders
A crucial role of a C-Suite leader is to create an environment that fosters the growth of their followers into capable leaders. C-Suite leaders enable this by operating with high trust in their teams, delegating effectively, empowering teams with decision-making authority, giving space for making mistakes and learning from them, and recognizing and rewarding individual and team achievements, enabling a higher level of ownership & autonomy.Â
Agents of Change
C-Suite leaders can convert managers who are good at managing change, to agents of change by being open to their new ideas and initiatives, encouraging innovation, demonstrating a risk appetite appropriate for the business, and being adaptive and resilient. They foster strong support for challenging the status quo to check if actions and initiatives are fit for purpose and fit for the future.
Embrace these to evaluate your leadership and organization's success.Â
Leaders transform followers into leaders.
Leadership Coaching Questions
What strengths can you identify in yourself after reading this reflection?
How can you use them to transform your followers into leaders?
What is the most important thing you must change or overcome to transform your followers into leaders effectively?
Leadership Poll
How can I effectively empower my team members to transition from followers to leaders?
Supportive Work Environment
Challenging Assignments
Leadership Development Opportunities
Others, please comment
