Elite Leadership

The Imprint of an Elite Leader?

This was the topic I had the fortunate opportunity to survey and discuss recently with our International team of General Managers and direct reports. Many of these talented professionals believed that future business leaders needed a new set of leadership skills that recognized the new global economy that continues to be molded and shaped by rapidly changing social influences, technology and globalization.

…And they’re dead right!

They did overlook however, the fact that fundamental leadership skills are characteristic of all great leaders, past and future. What differentiated exceptional leaders from great leaders, however, was not necessarily how to amend these characteristics but rather how to execute them more passionately (read: authentically) and through clarity and inspiring guidance! Though these skills and powers of influence are not new, they are more powerful and influential today than ever before. In fact, these are the very skills that define the Modern Elite Leader!

Here are six things Elite Leaders do that average leaders do not:

1. Elite leaders are exceptional communicators and orators. The Elite are better at knowing when to zip it and listen.

Being able to motivate and influence others is an essential skill for an Elite leader. The Elite leader is exceptionally skilled in asking more questions than they answer. Not coincidentally, they also connect with their teams at a deeper level and therefore know how to ask the right questions and in the right context. Typically, the reason Elite Leaders are great communicators is not due to oration, but rather that they are better at understanding with whom they are speaking, and understand that power leadership is about customizing their influence based on the individuals needs. The “one size fits all” leadership method is dead..and it’s about time!

2. Elite Leaders are exceptionally idealistic visionaries.

Elite leaders innovative companies and are quick to challenge an excepted and antiquated business or cultural paradigm. Elite leaders understand that change is inevitable and companies that aren’t prepared to be disruptors in their space and industry can and will go the way of the dinosaur eventually…it is inevitable, think about all the big players in every industry that refused to change only to be swallowed or slowly perished by innovators in their space.

3. Elite Leaders are exceptionally organized, creative and analytical. And are exceptional delegators.

Elite Leaders possess an exceptional degree of organizational skill and can quickly and powerfully apply analytical and creative thinking to understand complex business situations. Indeed, the age of Big Data is making these skills even more necessary. Elite Leaders understand the importance of and how to surround themselves with exceptional talent and delegate tasks and responsibility to them. They know how to let their talent go to excel and achieve without micro-managing them.

4. Elite Leaders are exceptional at forecasting and identifying challenges and opportunities…and Elite Leaders are exceptional problem solvers.

Elite Leaders have the ability to dissect and solicit key information and intelligence, and understand the path to success in every situation. Elite Leaders intuitively understand how to do this and construct and assess the problem in solution-oriented context through the involvement of their teams and available resources. It's a fine line that Elite Leaders see that the rest do not.

5. Elite Leaders are exceptionally confident decision makers…and give the credit to their teams, never themselves.

Elite Leaders intuitively take charge through empowering their teams and are exceptionally skilled in managing organizations. An Elite Leader in the end, facilitates the success of the company they manage, they don’t do the work themselves.

6. Elite are exceptionally creative and strategic….and are exceptional in deliberate decision making.

Being quick to make decisions is only of value if the leader has taken the necessary time to think through the possible outcomes of their decisions. This is truly one of the most undervalued leadership skills of our time. This goes beyond bad business miscalculations to include remarkably irresponsible personal decisions leaders make that inevitably seep into and tarnish a business. Elite Leaders instinctively know how to analyze first to avoid perilous situations and business outcomes.

So talk to your teams and organization to align, connect and ensure that every member is empowered, is given the autonomy to create and feels that they’re an essential part of the collective mission of your organization! I can tell you that we’ve made more progress in building a Super Power in Leadership through this tactic in the last twelve-months than in years prior!

Are you creating a culture of Elite Leaders in your organization? Tell us how you’re getting it done and building a better business and individually amplifying your talent!