Why it matters and pro tips
What does it take to be a good leader? Much is said and written on this topic, and with good reason: almost every job can be done better with an understanding of leadership skills and practices. Whether you’re happy to have only a few managerial responsibilities or aspire to run an entire company, your leadership aptitude matters.
As organizations evolve, many tasks effectively become what leadership expert Bill Catlette calls “pop-up” leadership accountabilities. “In so many cases,” he explains, “the responsibility of leadership is felt long before any job title is conferred, if ever.” Maybe the boss asks you at the last minute to cover a call or meeting, or perhaps a crisis arises and you want to step up and take the lead because you really care about finding a solution. Not all leadership duties are formal or predictable. In fact, they’re practically inescapable in today’s workplace and can contribute significantly to your career development.
Before we go further, let’s dispel the myth about “born leaders.” There is a great deal of evidence that effective leaders are “made,” so to speak — they develop their leadership talent as they go. Sure, some people may seem to have a knack for public speaking or networking with peers, but if they don’t hone their skills and pay close attention to their impact on the people around them, those “natural” abilities will get them only so far.
So how do you develop leadership skills, whether or not you have ambitions to climb the leadership ladder? While there is no one-size-fits-all path, there is reliable guidance from experts across the board.
Pay attention to the strong leaders around you. There’s nothing like on-the-job training, and your direct supervisor could play a pivotal role in building your leadership skill set. “One of the best things you can do is find a great leader to work for, someone who both demonstrates vital leader behaviors on a daily basis and takes an interest in your development,” says Catlette. “Especially early in your career, finding that person can actually be more important than the specific job you are doing, or even the size of your paycheck.”
Be self-aware. Self-awareness may be one of the most underrated leadership essentials. With all the pressures we often feel to meet expectations and deadlines, it can be tempting to rush from one obligation to another, speeding down the road in an effort to keep up or get ahead. But when we set too brisk a pace, we lose the opportunity to assess what worked — or what didn’t — for the last task we took on. The best leaders learn from both their failures and their successes. What’s more, they never stop looking for ways to refine their approach and improve their results, whether the most recent challenge was an individual endeavor or a group effort.
Listen and be inclusive. In the words of business legend Richard Branson, “Listen more than you talk.” Listening is a critical leadership skill that will never steer you in the wrong direction. If you’re an extrovert, this may mean that some added discipline is required. There’s a big difference between listening to people talk and thinking about what you’ll say next, versus listening intently so that you can better understand what matters the most to the people around you. If you’re more of an introvert, play to your strengths. Include what you learn from other people as you talk with them and make suggestions about how to approach the challenges ahead.
Commit. Leadership development is not a one-time event; it requires ongoing effort and practice. “It’s very important to Commit — with a capital C — to being a lifelong learner,” advises Catlette. You can read about leadership; you can seek out a mentor or coach; you can pursue development opportunities such as the AISES Leadership Summit. The key takeaway is that it’s never “mission accomplished” when it comes to being leader; it’s always a work in progress, and there will always be more to learn.
If you can take these tips to heart and ask for help when you need it, you’ll find that as you develop as an expert in your field, you will also develop as a leader — whatever that may mean for you and your career. It’s all within your grasp if you’re willing to put in the work.
John Gage Hutchens, Cherokee, is a senior technology consultant within the Enterprise Information Technology group at Wells Fargo and serves as the enterprise president of the Wells Fargo Native Peoples Team Member Network. An AISES Sequoyah Fellow, he holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from the University of Southern California, a master’s in clinical psychology from Antioch University, and an MBA from Western Governors University. Here Hutchens shares his thoughts on what makes a good leader as well as tips for developing leadership skills.
In your experience, what are the qualities of a good leader?
Honesty. Courage. Gentleness. Being a good listener.
Is there a distinction between a manager and a leader?
Absolutely. In the strictest terms, managers manage to goals; leaders identify goals. Managing is a control function; leadership is inspirational. So you can manage but not lead (think classic bureaucrats who just “follow the rules”), and you can lead but not be a manager. In my experience, however, many managers are least fair to average leaders.
Can introverts make good leaders?
Introverts can make excellent leaders. From a psychological perspective, an introvert is someone who “recharges the battery” alone, while an extrovert recharges from social interaction. In reality our personalities are blended, but the key takeaway is “know thyself” and know why you do what you do. All styles have strengths or weaknesses relative to a situation, so try to know yourself and map yourself to a circumstance that works for how you are built.
Is there anything you wish you knew or did earlier in your career that might have eased your professional path?
Two things: (1) I wish I had had more patience when I was young. One of my biggest drivers in going out and starting my own firm at age 29 was that I hated meetings. Sitting down and actually not accomplishing things vexed me. Getting paid just to show up wasn’t my style. (2) Most importantly, “it’s all about people.” No matter what you do, it’s all about people. I reengineered a company’s process flow where I worked at 26 years old and ended up scaring the executive director. Three years later (I was long gone) the owner told me, “We now do everything you suggested, but you have to learn to give people time.” At 26, I hadn’t realized yet that it’s all about the people, and change has to be put into a context that highlights the benefits to those who have to participate in it.
What tips would you give to others who want to develop their own leadership skills?
Pick leaders you admire and study them. For me, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Geronimo were boyhood heroes. Each was placed in a seemingly impossible situation, and each found a way to inspire those around him. Find someone in your company or university you admire and ask for mentorship. Read a few books — particularly about leadership types and styles. When you understand your style of relating (and recognize that others approach the universe in different ways), it focuses your leadership style to concentrate on communication (as not all are motivated the same, or should be led the same).
Do you have any additional comments?
Sometimes to be a good leader you must risk a disruption of social harmony. This can be difficult for most people, but particularly Native people, as many of our peoples teach patience and endurance, and frown on being pushy. However, you can speak truth without being a jerk. Just make sure you frame it as your truth (and not a universal truth) and present your view gently (and give room to contrasting views). Consider this story: years ago at an AISES conference I asked a general officer in intelligence why intelligence recruits Native peoples so heavily, and he said it was to avoid the “group think” that caused us to fail to understand the Vietnamese. Thoughtfully and gently speaking your mind will help the whole.
