What makes a great leader? There’s a million insights from a million people on qualities they believe to be a priority to being a great leader, but we like to think we have the formula to not only creating a great leader, but creating good work from it all.
Here are 5 insights that you can take away and apply to your leadership team:
1. The Importance of Trust: Trust is essential for effective leadership. When employees trust their leaders, they feel safe to take risks, innovate, and collaborate.
2. The Role of Biology: The biology behind trust and safety cannot be understated. The role of chemicals like oxytocin are massively important in aspects such as trust and social bonding. It also reduces the levels of fear and anxiety, a set of feelings all too common in general relationships between a manager and employee.
3. Leadership as a Service: Leadership is not about being in charge but rather about taking care of those in your charge. This shift in perspective focuses on serving others rather than asserting authority.
4. Vulnerability and Authenticity: It's important to highlight leaders being vulnerable and authentic, as this fosters trust and connection within teams. Leaders who show their humanity and admit their mistakes are more relatable and trustworthy.
5. Creating a Circle of Safety: Finally, the concept of a "circle of safety," where employees feel protected by their leaders and peers. In this environment, they are more likely to contribute their best work and collaborate effectively.
Overall, these principles seem to revolve around creating a safe space as a leader where you're able to showcase vulnerability to your employees so they can feel safe enough to do the same. From there, the likelihood of improved collaboration increases and quality of work also improves.
Found this useful? Check out our Psychological Safety playlist to take your leadership skills to the next level!