A good leader can take your career to the next level! If you’ve ever worked at a large company, you’ve probably heard coworkers bad-mouth the boss in confidence during breaks. But the reality is that being a good boss is very difficult. Leadership sometimes means making tough decisions, and employees won’t always agree with the decisions you make. It’s just a fact that a boss is seldom liked by everyone in a company. Still, some bosses can inspire workers despite being tough or demanding.
Which unique qualities define a “super leader” and what can you learn from other super leaders out there?
Super leaders come in three shades: iconoclasts, inglorious bastards and nurturers. What does an iconoclast, an “inglorious bastard” and a nurturer have in common? These are all types of “super leaders.” Each type has a strength, and each can inspire workers in different ways.
Let’s start with iconoclasts. Their unwavering focus on their vision makes them easy to identify. An iconoclast’s ability to teach and share is a knock-on effect of the type’s unwavering dedication. In sum, iconoclasts inspire without even intending to! Jazz great Miles Davis, for example, collaborated with young musicians to keep his creative juices flowing. While his goal wasn’t necessarily to help younger talents improve, he still was known as a great teacher.
Inglorious bastards, on the other hand, are characterized by their drive to win. They aspire to greatness and will do whatever is necessary to get there, even if it means pushing people out of the way. To achieve such goals, however, inglorious bastards need a top-notch support team. Employees are pushed to perform at their peak, as failure is not an option. Through this, workers learn a lot. Inglorious bastards can push their teams to extremes. Oracle founder Larry Ellison is known for management by ridicule. He scares his employees to push them to succeed! While such a strategy seems draconian, it works for Oracle. In fact, Ellison was recently nominated by the magazine BusinessWeek as one of the industry’s most competitive individuals.
And on the other side, nurturers are bosses who care and want to see employees grow. We can also call them activist bosses, as they’re always ready to guide team members to ensure they thrive. Star restaurateur Norman Brinker was known for his nurturing management style. He genuinely loved watching employees improve; today some 18 of his former team members are heads of major restaurant chains.
Every super leader has a clear, bold vision, is brutally competitive and fears nothing.”
To run a nimble, successful business, a super leader needs three key qualities: vision, fearlessness and competitiveness. Such qualities aren’t just things a super leader picks up during a long career, but instead come naturally and are deeply part of who a super leader is. Where you might see a problem or obstacle, a super leader sees a solution or opportunity to innovate. This ability is what makes a super leader a visionary individual.
“Fashion icon Ralph Lauren was a true visionary, former colleague Marty Staff recalls. When the two would have dinner together, they didn’t talk business. Instead, they’d discuss ambitions and dreams. “He would construct this world and then he would simply fill in the blanks,” Staff said.”
Super leaders are looking for employees who “get it,” demonstrating intelligence, flexibility and creativity.”
Super leaders have a certain something that creates a vortex around them, a personality that draws people in, energizing them and inspiring them. This “something” is often integrity and authenticity.
Super leaders demonstrate integrity by staying true to their core vision. They aren’t afraid to stand up for their beliefs and give 100 percent to the cause.
Authenticity is another trait that makes a super leader someone you’d like to become. They’re not afraid to show their true personalities at work, nor do they feel the need to sell themselves in a certain way. Instead, super leaders allow you to get to know them on a personal level, in everything they do.
By being simply themselves, super leaders are memorable, likable and always one of a kind.”
By now you have a comprehensive understanding of what it means to be a super leader. Are you ready to become one yourself? Use the super leader quotient to guide you in every professional move you make.
The super leader quotient is based on three questions, the answers of which reveal your super leader ability.
Let’s start with the first question. Do you have a vision for your business that inspires you, and do you use this vision to energize and inspire your team? If you don’t have a vision, let’s backtrack a little. Why do you work? What makes a workday satisfying for you? What’s the importance of your work in the bigger picture? It’s vital that you learn to express your vision in one sentence. This sentence is what you should return to every time you feel yourself losing motivation, or feel your team needs a boost.
For the second question, ask yourself: Do team members feel close to each other, are they comfortable with one another? You can find the answer by observing how much time your team spends socializing with each other outside the office, or whether they keep in touch with people who leave the company.
Finally, the third part of the super leader quotient: how much time do you spend helping employees learn? Do you allow them to tackle challenging tasks, despite the risks it might entail? How much faith do you have in your team’s success?
What makes some people charismatic individuals, while other personalities are easily forgotten?”
While these might be tough questions, you still need to answer them honestly. With an accurate understanding of how you guide your business today, you’ll be better equipped to start leading it like a super leader tomorrow!
Whether a super leader is an iconoclast, an inglorious bastard or a nurturer, this sort of business leader is known for having a clear vision, being fearless and embodying a competitive spirit. Their integrity and authenticity, as well as an ability to push employees to do their best, is what attracts the intelligent, creative and flexible talent a company needs to succeed. A super leader knows how to create a unified, caring team, too. Become a super leader and your business will benefit!
I’d love to hear from you. Love, Marietta
