Seventy percent of respondents in The Harvard Business Publishing 2024 Global Leadership Development Study indicate it is “important or very important for leaders to master a wider range of effective leadership behaviors to meet current and future business needs.”
Topping the most essential effective leadership capabilities and skills list are the following–
- Connecting employees to the organization’s purpose
- Emotional and social intelligence
- Managing conflict among team members
The Purpose Connection
“We are a new business unit, and I am a part of making it successful.” These were the words of an employee who worked remotely full-time from their home office. Several team members often exceeded expectations to achieve the desired outcomes, working into the early hours of the morning.
As in this case, employees who understand and relate to the organization’s purpose engage intellectually and emotionally in their work. They commit to their roles and the company––exceeding minimum expectations in collaboration, creativity, client service delivery, and overall performance. Yet, that commitment could eventually result in disengagement and burnout.
Purpose Connection Tip
To promote the employee’s connection to the organization’s purpose––
- Facilitate an open, intentional, collaborative discussion with your team about the organization’s mission, vision, and goals. Ensure every team member understands the bigger picture and how their work contributes to it.
- Actively listen to and consider team members’ insights—close gaps between perception and reality without appearing critical of their perspectives.
- Work with team members to balance where and how they spend their time and energy. Aim to sustain commitment for the long run rather than excitement for a short-term sprint.
Self-Management Through Emotional and Social Intelligence
Having a keen ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others enhances emotional intelligence. Related, social intelligence is exercising skill in maneuvering situations effectively with social awareness. This skill involves understanding the emotions, needs, and concerns of others with empathy. Doing so promotes rapport and business relationship-building rooted in trust.
A leader’s behaviors may not always land with others as intended. For instance, Jason, a department head, offers what not to do lessons in self-management. Jason interrupts a manager who is fully engaged in leading a conference call to resolve a client issue. He demands information about a non-critical situation, stating, “I need to know this now.” The manager, who reports to Jason, whispers, “I’m on a conference call addressing a client issue. Can we talk about this later?”
Yet, Jason adamantly pursues getting a response, causing the manager to attend to two simultaneous, unrelated conversations.
Jason’s tone of voice and looking down his nose when speaking fueled the manager’s perception of his arrogance. The manager recalls Jason’s past behaviors. He often operates from positional power with fleeting impact rather than Referent power, yielding sustaining influence. Oblivious to how others experience their interactions with him, this leadership behavior is Jason’s norm.
Self-Management Tip
While leaders tend to know their strengths, they may not recognize an overuse of their assets, creating a blindside. Some validated assessments, such as the Hogan Leadership Forecast Series, offer insights into personality—strengths and limitations.
For a quick-hit approach to gain insights from others within your zone of influence, follow this approach:
- Establish your focus. Invite seven to ten people to share three adjectives that best describe you as a leader. Include avid supporters and loving critics in your feedback audience.
- Analyze the input. Compile the feedback. Identify response patterns and themes.
- Determine the next steps. Assess the insights gained against your intended personal brand. Identify what you will start, stop, or continue.
It takes Courage and Humility, two leadership traits that anchor the Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching® methodology, to proactively seek others’ viewpoints. The goal is to accept the insights gained without diffusing, deflecting, or defending. Instead, treat them as pearls of wisdom to mine when developing emotional and social intelligence.
Conflict Amongst Team Members
There is healthy and not-so-healthy conflict among team members. Varied perspectives are inevitable; some of the best possible problem-solving outcomes and innovation derive from different opinions.
A conflict that remains unresolved or diminishes into personal attacks or involves a lack of respect, poor communication, or alignment of factions is detrimental to the health and vibrancy of a business group.
To explore this concept, journey into a conflict within a team—with rising tension. This business group is composed of long-time and newly hired team members. Long-time team members’ viewpoints, especially those who amplify their voices loudly, tend to receive more significant weight. They are persuasive in influencing decision outcomes to meet their expectations.
Although more experienced and initially hired into equivalent-level positions, those new to the business group now operate as junior associates. They do administrative work for long-time employees—not by management directive but by colleague design and unmanaged practices.
A conversation among team members develops, “I should have my client territory to service. You were to have started a 50/50 split of cases with me three weeks ago. You give me the cases you don’t want to do.” The colleague quickly retorts, “Oh, that’s too bad. I know these managers, and we have worked together for years. I’m keeping my territory because you are not ready for them.”
While no one advises the manager, the group has an obvious tension and lack of teamwork.
Conflict Management Tip
Once you are aware of the situation, address the conflict promptly. Take the following action–
- Act as a neutral mediator and facilitate discussions between the parties in conflict without seemingly taking sides.
- Listen and validate feelings (without agreeing with either side).
- Reinforce a focus on the issue.
- Work with the individuals to reach a mutually acceptable solution.
In the above scenario, own the responsibility of clarifying roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
A Final Thought
How is your organization transforming managers into leaders who drive greater employee engagement and improve performance, productivity, and profitability? Let’s work together. Schedule a complimentary consultation.
Lillian Davenport, SPHR, SHRM – SCP, MGSCC, Principal, End View LeadershipSM
