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Leadership Traits Every Counselor Should Have

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Far from simply setting up student schedules and administering placement and academic evaluation tests, school counselors are leaders who can have a huge impact on the acceleration and the enhancement of learning. They must possess the ability to negotiate, persuade others their ideas are worthwhile, and collaborate with principals and other school officials.

School counselors have many responsibilities, including counseling students, working with teachers and parents, referring students to outside agencies, participating in student welfare and learning support communities, and evaluating and improving their own school counseling program.

Listening

First and foremost, a school counselor needs to be a good listener. Often, they have several students they work with and may get very few chances to converse with them in a one on one setting. "The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood," said Ralph G. Nichols. "The best way to understand people is to listen to them."

To listen effectively, counselors must be fully in the moment, not thinking of their "to do" list but rather giving their full attention to the issue at hand. Reflecting back to the person, your perception of what they said helps show understanding, and lets them make corrections. The counselor must also keep an open mind, being careful not to make any judgments until they have heard the entire story. ¹

Being Empathetic

Often a part of listening, putting themselves in the shoes of the person speaking, whether that is a student or another school official, helps counselors truly understand the underlying issues.

"Without the ability to understand what the student is experiencing, a counselor cannot truly do an effective job," says Helen A. Hatridge, past president of the Missouri School Counselor Association. "Empathy leads to good listening and a better ability to help the client come up with solutions. It also helps the student feel more comfortable and willing to open up to a counselor." ²

To be more empathetic, it is essential for a counselor to put aside their viewpoint. At the same time, they need to validate the student's viewpoint, which does not always mean agreement. Instead it means acknowledging their right to have an opinion, and that they have valid reasons for it. Asking how that person thinks a situation should be handled or what they would do opens up an even deeper understanding. ³

Building Relationship

It takes time for a counselor to build a relationship with any student or even their peers. However, through listening and being empathetic, that process can be accelerated.

To feel free to talk to a counselor, a student must often "break the ice," and needs to feel trust, comfort, and acceptance. Students need to accept that the counselor is a professional caregiver, and someone they can turn to without fear of judgement.

A counselor who develops this trusting relationship with students can get a lot more done, An understanding of the kid culture and what they care about can go a long way toward providing that environment of trust and understanding.

Performing Assessments

Assessment skills are essential for any school counselor in a number of areas. From academic and skills assessment to personality testing and career advisement, the ability to discern the intersection of talent and desire is essential to offering good counsel.

Assessment also includes determining if a student has special needs and interpreting test and non-test data to decide where the student should be placed, and what programs will most benefit them.

Regardless of the reason for assessment, the steps often include, but are not limited to the following:

Choosing what tests should be administered and when.

Scheduling, preparing, and administering tests.

Scoring tests or sending them out to be scored.

Advising students, teachers, parents, and other staff on test score interpretation.

Evaluating the testing process, results, and subsequent recommendations.⁴

Assessments involve some testing but must also be combined with listening, empathy, and the relationship that has been built to determine how testing outcomes relate to personality, desires, and the goals of the student.

Coordinating Efforts and Activities

Efforts and activities can fall into a couple of different categories. A counselor will have to coordinate Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for students, and other student specific plans as well. Along with coordinating individual student plans and interacting with teachers and other school officials, the school counselor often coordinates other activities and projects as well.

In many cases, the school counselor is in charge of parent newsletters, school announcements, managing social media accounts, and other community outreach and event planning efforts.

The ability to coordinate and manage these efforts and activities requires strong leadership and organizational skills. Teaching these skills to students by allowing them to take responsibility for their own educational goals and other efforts enables a counselor to show leadership by example.

Exercising Authority

In order to be able to implement programs, direct student activities and coordinate tasks, a counselor must exercise a certain amount of authority.

This means first of all that the counselor must be granted the authority to handle certain tasks by other school officials such as principals and administrators. The more their authority is validated by their actions, the more the counselor will be perceived as a leader by parents and students alike.

Secondly, the school counselor must be willing to wield the authority they have been granted, taking charge of tasks and situations, setting expectations, and holding those responsible to deadlines.

The counselor must also know in any given situation when to cross the line from friend to professional. If a student is being abusive or abused, a more professional response is ethically and legally mandated. It is the counselor's obligation to take charge and follow through, ensuring that student safety comes first.

Being Flexible

If one thing is certain in the field of education, it is that things will change. Interruptions, schedule changes, new programs, and new responsibilities all interrupt a counselor's daily routine.

Student needs and the needs of the school overall often take priority over scheduled meetings. Parent phone calls, staff concerns, talks in classrooms, and unexpected counseling needs can all be disruptive.

A successful counselor should:

Leave gaps in their day for unscheduled needs.

Use good time management techniques.

Set reasonable boundaries. Know what is worthy of an interruption, and what can wait.

Communicate clearly. Inform students, parents, and faculty of schedules and boundaries.

By remaining flexible, a counselor can better manage the stress inherent in the job and be more responsive when needs arise unexpectedly.

Having a Sense of Humor

Being able to see things from the side of humor has a number of advantages. It lets students see that the counselor is human and can not only laugh at situations but laugh at themselves as well.

This is frequently one of the biggest assets in building student trust and developing a relationship with them. It is often how those students relate to adults, whether through jokes or humorous anecdotes that illustrate a point the counselor is trying to get across.

Humor is also a stress reliever. Being able to see the humorous side of interruptions and other daily situations allows a counselor to relax and keep anxiety from taking over many scenarios.

It takes a combination of many leadership traits to make a school counselor effective. They must use listening skills and offer empathy in order to build relationships. A counselor must also perform assessments and coordinate activities and educational efforts. These duties mean they must remain flexible and exercise authority when appropriate.

Not one of these traits alone is enough, and no one is equally adept in all of them. They are taught and can be learned in a Master of Arts in Counseling with an emphasis in school counseling like the one offered by Wake Forest University. This graduate degree will prepare you for a career as a school counselor in almost any setting.
Sources: 1 2 3 ⁴ American Counseling Association, Assessment Skills for School Counselors Mind Tools, Empathy at Work Education World, School Counselors Reflective On What Makes Them Effective Fast Company, 5 Ways To Improve Your Listening Skills

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Leadership Traits Every Counselor Should Have

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Far from simply setting up student schedules and administering placement and academic evaluation tests, school counselors are leaders who can have a huge impact on the acceleration and the enhancement of learning. They must possess the ability to negotiate, persuade others their ideas are worthwhile, and collaborate with principals and other school officials.

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Leadership Theory

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What is Charismatic Leadership? Definition, Characteristics, and Benefits!

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Nurture an Engaged and Satisfied Workforce | Vantage Circle HR Blog

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Leaders follow various leadership styles to achieve success and maintain excellent company culture in their organizations. In this fast-paced corporate world, things are bound to evolve, and so do leadership qualities.

Good leaders play a pivotal role in ornamenting an organization's success and inspire people with their highly influential personalities.

Out of multiple tyoes of leadership, the charismatic leadership style is designed to inspire people and influence employees to do their best work possible. It helps employees improve their communication skills, enhance productivity, boost performance and foster team-bonding opportunities.

Steve Jobs, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr, We knew them as dynamic, and inspirational leaders. These leaders inspired people throughout their lives, and how? By being successful, charismatic leaders!

But do you know what it means exactly?

So, without further ado, let's get to know about charismatic leadership and its benefits!

What is Charismatic Leadership?

Charismatic Leadership focuses on the leaders themselves. It's the ability to communicate, influence, and be comfortable in their own skin. Charisma is a process, a quality that requires transforming visions into a reality. And this is precisely what you must follow as a leader or a manager.

It is further defined by leaders who use their powerful personality and excellent communication skills to persuade employees and keep them engaged during crises. If you are a charismatic leader, you will help your organization move forward while it is struggling to progress.

Leaders who apply charismatic leadership tend to have a clear vision in business or politics and the capability to address a large audience to influence them with a convincing speech. It is also incomplete if it does not focus on leaders personally. Compared to other leadership styles, this leadership style focuses on the leader's personality and actions- not the process or structure.

This leadership practice is quite similar to others. Both it and transformational leadership rely on the leader's ability to influence the people they lead and support their employees during a crisis by reducing attrition and burnout. While transformational leaders rely on a shared vision to make a change, charismatic leaders rely on their skill-set to move their employees to action. We can also match this with coaching leadership, the only difference being coaching leaders rely on 1:1 constructive criticism, and charismatic leaders persuade a mass altogether.

Pros and Cons of Charismatic Leadership

Like every other thing in this world, even charismatic leadership has its pros and cons; let's have a look-

Pros:

Charismatic leaders motivate and inspire the workforce.

Encourages the importance of camaraderie, collaboration, and teamwork

It involves good listening skills; hence employee queries do not go unheard.

Creates a sense of positive change

Cons:

Charismatic leaders might display narcissism and shift the focus from their people to themselves.

Leaders might become self-serving.

It is often viewed as shallow or disingenuous.

Characteristics of Charismatic Leadership

If democratic leadership points towards guiding a team, or volunteers, charismatic leaders deal with employees' emotions to create a positive work environment and hold no toxicity.

So, here we have mentioned a few characteristics to follow charismatic leadership successfully-

Communication

These leaders hold extremely refined skills in communication. Helping employees through tough times and making them stay grounded during tough times is the motto of every charismatic leader.

If you want to apply this leadership style, you must also ensure you are equally good at one-to-one meetings and communicating in a group setting. You must hear everyone and your message should hold relevance, clarity, and understanding for your employees to follow and relate with it.

Maturity

Even though leaders have a strong and powerful personality, charismatic leaders also display maturity and character. They do not believe in making blanket statements, but they use their accumulated knowledge and business experience to help an organization grow. They welcome and respect every individual belonging to various cultures, ethnicities, races, sexuality, and are bereft of gender binaries.

A mature leader is not afraid of accepting their mistakes and refrains from taking everything at face value. They learn from their mistakes throughout, and they never miss out on an opportunity to learn from others. No matter what the occasion is, you must behave and act maturely at all times.

Humility

Having a sense of humility is exceptionally important for charismatic leaders. They need to treat every employee with equal respect and dignity to listen to their concerns patiently. Humility promotes diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

You must inspire great loyalty from the employees. If you apply charismatic leadership in your work style, you just let the employee know their value and show them how their contributions improve the company's strategic interests.

Substance

Charisma indeed exists without substance but not for a long time. The glitzy and glamorous appearance will capture people's attention, but gradually, employees will want something substantial beneath the facade.

As a highly charismatic leader, you must talk the talk and walk the walk. Your charm will get you the attention and face time while substance will close the deal. You must not make fake promises to your employees. Deliverance of promises is a must, and this garners employee's trust in return.

Confidence

Without a doubt, every charismatic leader holds an enormous confidence level to influence and persuade a large audience. They know themselves in and out and do not try to become somebody else. They are original and comfortable being who they are.

A charismatic leader must have the ability to transfer this level of confidence to their workforce. A leader can find various opportunities to do this; one way is by implementing a successful reward and recognition program.

Body Langauge

One thing that you'd prominently notice in a charismatic leader is their positive body language. They are warm, open, and full of joy with their appearance. They are usually making eye contact while talking to people and always greet people with a smile.

These leaders have an endearing swagger and are authentic by all means. Such leaders inspire people to be themselves and act as role models for employees to look upon. They are allowing people to perform at their very best level with their welcoming body language.

Good Listening Skills

Charismatic leaders are excellent listeners. We say this because you won't find them fidgeting or fiddling when you have a word with them while interacting with such leaders.

They are fully engaged in the conversation and listen to each and everything carefully. You must show equal empathy and respect for every individual's concern. Active listening is an acquired skill for leaders must have the patience to listen to their employee's concerns with utter diligence without being vindictive.

Benefits of Charismatic Leadership

Before we end this blog post, we would like to enlist a few benefits of charismatic leaders and why an organization needs them:

Charismatic leaders work towards a quality of life.

They seem to make life better for every individual working in an organization.

They build courage for conviction.

They stand up for people who have different opinions about society and the organization.

Charismatic leaders fill the communication gaps between the organization and the employees.

They motivate employees and inspire people for better productivity.

They help promote collaboration and team building.

Conclusion

If you are a leader who can communicate, persuade, and influence employees for increased work efficiency and employee job satisfaction, you are truly a charismatic leader.

If you believe you have the right charisma to apply this leadership style in your organization, please feel free to let us know if this information helped you get acquainted with charismatic leadership!

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What is Charismatic Leadership and Its Benefits?

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Leaders follow various leadership styles to achieve success and maintain excellent company culture in their organizations. In this fast-paced corporate world, things are bound to evolve, and so do leadership qualities. Good leaders play a pivotal role in ornamenting an organization's success and inspire people with their highly influential personalities.

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Michael Scott - The Office

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10 Common Leadership Styles

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From Arrogance to Humility

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Leadership Values

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What Guides an Authentic Leader?

There are several ways to describe an authentic leader - they're passionate about their work, they have a commitment to the organization, and they focus on the future ahead. Authentic leaders are those who are true to themselves and the principles that guide them. Although they may be in charge, their principles ultimately govern them, and people ultimately matter. For authentic leaders, building character and culture is a function of aligning their beliefs and behaviors with the principles of the organization.

Authentic leaders have the integrity and skills to make the right choices when necessary. Here are the other skills that define this leadership style:

Self awareness. Enables you to understand yourself and your relationship to your employees, the organization, and the vision.

Genuineness, modesty, and humility. Allows you to share the glory with your team members.

Empathy and ethics. Gives you the ability to make necessary decisions with integrity and allows you to support your team and remain committed to doing what's right.

Results-focus. Empowers you to create a future beyond your present reality and enables you to energize your employees to see the vision as clearly as you do.

Becoming an Authentic Leader

Becoming a more authentic leader doesn't have to be complicated. Try these 5 helpful tips to start building a more authentic leadership style.

5 Ways to Be a More Authentic Leader

1. Rethink "leadership image."

A sincere passion and desire to learn and change is what building a leadership image is all about. With that in mind, consider the gap between the image that others have of you and the image you would like to project. A big obstacle to authenticity is a strong need to maintain a certain image. You may have defined your image of "executive" or "leader" more narrowly than you need to. Try to let go of the tight limits or expectations of how you need to appear - revealing your personality and humanness is a better sign of effective leadership.

Often, gaining awareness of your current image and leadership brand goes a long way. But before you make any changes, be sure to get a good, truthful picture of your current image. Take time to understand how others see you and why. Seek feedback from your colleagues, boss, and direct reports. Ask your friends, children, and significant other. Each of these points of view will shed light on how your words and behavior are viewed by the people around you.

2. Increase your self-awareness.

A key component of behaving authentically is to understand what you care about most. Try these ways to boost your self-awareness. What are your values, likes, dislikes, and weaknesses? This might sound simple, but we often avoid or overlook the process of clarifying what's most important to us. Sometimes, given societal norms and conditioning, women in particular struggle with this aspect of leading authentically. Consider asking yourself questions like, what is my current skill level and knowledge related to the role? Or, how would others view my performance so far?

3. Assess and evaluate.

Once you have established your values, likes, dislikes, and weaknesses, you can better understand how aligned your behaviors are with your values and ethics. Assess what you have already given up, and be clear on what's most important to you now and what you will and will not do to get there. Remember, there are no "right" trade-offs to make, and your choices will likely change at various points in your life. Set goals for yourself that are aligned with your values.

4. Take action, but get support.

Make a change in your life, turning your intentions into reality. You may decide sweeping changes are needed, but, if so, remember that you don't need to do it all at once. You can start with small steps and gradually align your behaviors with your most important values. Remind yourself that genuine change is rarely dramatic or sudden. For leaders, a significant change is likely to be viewed suspiciously as false or manipulative behavior.

You're not likely to make real, sustainable change without a commitment to small, daily tweaks over time. Bring trusted colleagues and friends into your plan for greater authenticity, too. They can be sounding boards, feedback-givers, cheerleaders, and problem-solvers. At the same time, have faith in your own judgment about what's right for you and your leadership style.

5. Work on being a more effective communicator.

Communication is so important for leaders to build trust and show authenticity, so consider these tips:

Tell stories. Leaders who give examples through their stories are more engaging. You influence the organization's culture when you tell stories about what happened, about how a problem was solved, or about someone who did something notable.

Master your message. Clarity of thought and message is key, so think about what you want to say. Every question and every conversation is an opportunity to share ideas, vision, and values with honesty. But strike a balance between too much detail and not enough. Also, be sure you can talk vision and concepts, yet show your grasp of the tactical.

Leverage leadership networking. It's not about collecting business cards or schmoozing. It's about building relationships and making alliances in service of others and in service of your organization's work and goals. To assess your network and enhance communication, think about your current priorities and challenges, then create a network diagram that directly relates to these factors. Rank the people in your diagram in terms of their importance to you, and identify your most important relationships. Finally, diagnose any weaknesses and gaps in your network and take action to learn from others.

Use vocal variety. People listen better to a pleasant and enthusiastic speech pattern. Pay attention to your intonation, speed, diction, pacing, and volume. Do you regularly overuse a word, or forget to breathe and rush through what you have to say?

Focus on "we." Leaders who use inclusive language, like "we" and "us," inspire passion in their listeners and draw on shared effort and interests.

Smile. You'll appear friendly if you tap into your personal warmth, and the best way to convey warmth is to smile. Often leaders don't relax or crack a smile unless they're talking about something personal such as a child's school event or a recent vacation. You'll be more effective if you take the same tone when talking about the business.

Consider visual impact. Your listeners will see you before they hear you, and nonverbal communication is powerful. Change your haircut or update your wardrobe. If you feel good about your appearance, you'll project an image of greater confidence and job satisfaction. Consider how to make the most of your virtual persona and communication effectiveness, too.

As you work on becoming a more authentic leader, practicing new behaviors may feel uncomfortable or strange. That's okay, but avoid doing anything that doesn't mesh with your values, ethics, and intentions.

Your image can be either an asset or a liability for you as a leader. Building a more authentic leadership image is not about creating a false picture of yourself, but about recognizing genuine aspects of yourself that should be coming across to other people - but aren't.

Ready to Take the Next Step?
Build more authentic leaders and strengthen the culture of your organization. Partner with us to craft a customized learning journey for your people using our research-based modules. Available leadership topics include Authentic Leadership, Communication, Conflict Management, Emotional Intelligence, Listening to Understand, Self-Awareness, and more.

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Authentic Leadership: What It Is, Why It Matters

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Leadership success starts with authenticity-learn why it's important and how to become an authentic leader with these 5 tips.

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11 Ways Your School Counselors Serve as Leaders

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School counselors are uniquely equipped to bridge the gaps between administration, teachers, parents, and students. As the demands placed on everyone in a school community increase, it's vital that we view and include school counselors as part of our leadership teams. Let's make sure we recognize all they do and put their strengths to work for our students! Here are 11 ways school counselors serve as leaders in your building.

1. School counselors recognize and showcase diversity.

In many buildings, school counselors are considered the "heart" of the school. They help create an inclusive environment that is respectful, welcoming, kind, and open to all.

2. School counselors develop community partnerships.

Counseling staff work collaboratively with universities, community colleges, technical schools, local unions, military reps, and apprentice programs to provide a variety of opportunities for students. They are especially vital in ensuring underserved and first-generation students have access to and the tools to reach all possible post-high school options.

3. School counselors help during difficult situations.

Strengths such as listening, reflecting, and high emotional intelligence make school counselors valuable allies when trying to get buy-in from staff or the greater community on difficult issues. Counselors foster a culture of change via strong lines of communication and valuing input from all parties involved.

4. School counselors maintain strong home-school connections.

Counselors tend to be the liaison for parents when it comes to communicating with the school. This leadership role is especially important when assisting families who are not familiar with the school setting or have issues trusting staff.

5. School counselors maximize educational success.

School counselors can help to maximize the educational attainment of all students by providing students with mental health services (school or community-based) and developmental guidance that takes a proactive approach in helping students set and reach academic goals.

6. School counselors lead staff trainings.

Administrators who use their counseling staff (rather than outside contractors) to lead building-wide trainings can save a lot of money and gain quicker buy-in from staff. School counselors are experts on topics such as student engagement, positive discipline, suicide/self-harm, students-as-leaders, peer mentoring programs, and academic/social interventions for low-performing students.

7. School counselors protect and advocate for disadvantaged students.

Counselors identify and amend policies and practices that negatively impact disadvantaged students and advocate for equitable services for all students.

8. School counselors use expertise to bring data to life.

Like administrators, counselors are trained in data collection and analysis. They are skilled at using this information to drive decisions about placement, intervention, and overall student health and wellbeing.

9. School counselors mediate difficult situations between parents/students and staff.

Counselors are consistently looking for ways to support the relationship between school staff and parents. Acting as a mediator when one or both parties are upset about a situation is a critical way in which school counselors serve as leaders.

10. School counselors organize and lead crisis response.

Counselors are on the front lines after a tragedy has happened in a school or community. Staff, students, parents, and community members look to the counselors for guidance and support immediately following an event. Because of their training in emotional/mental, the counseling staff is critical in advocating for and teaching self-care to staff, parents, and students during a crisis.

11. School counselors empower and inspire.

School counselors inherently believe in people and work tirelessly to communicate that. By being visible and accessible at all times, their calming, caring, and encouraging presence helps support and empower staff in the building.

School counselors serve as leaders in many ways and we need to value their perspectives and strengths. They are vital to building positive learning environments in which students thrive.
Join our Facebook group Principal Life for more conversation about and insights into the challenges of school leadership.

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11 Ways Your School Counselors Serve as Leaders - WeAreTeachers

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School counselors are uniquely equipped to bridge the gaps between administration, teachers, parents, and students. As the demands placed on everyone in a school community increase, it's vital that we view and include school counselors as part of our leadership teams. Let's make sure we recognize all they do and put their strengths to work for our students!

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10 Goals Every Team Leader Should Have

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As a leader, it's important to show your team the value of setting goals. When people have goals, they can become more efficient, productive and motivated to exceed the company's expectations. To do this, set a good example by creating goals of your own. In this article, we discuss the importance of leadership goals and share 10 goals of a leader that can help both you and your team succeed.

Read more: 10 Effective Leadership Skills to Lead a Team

Leadership goals are important because they help leaders decide what their priorities should be. When you create goals with your team in mind, you can work toward being a more efficient and effective leader. Goals can help you meet company expectations and give you the skills to help your team grow in their roles. Leaders who are goal-oriented tend to have a better direction for where their team is going and reflect more on their own performance.

Set both short-term and long-term leadership goals so you can continue to stay focused on the day-to-day and any future goals. Choose goals that will help you develop your leadership skills and set a good example for your team. Show them that, by setting thoughtful goals, they can achieve more in their roles.

Read more: What Does Leadership Mean?

While everyone's goals are different, here are 10 important goals that all leaders can strive toward:

As a leader, your team will look to you for coaching, advice and guidance. Make effective mentorship a priority when setting your goals to help your team grow in both their roles and as individuals. To do this, meet with each person in your team to discuss their career goals. Then, work with them to think of ways they can reach these goals. After your meeting, give them regular feedback and advice to help them along the way. Show them you care about their personal development by taking the time to listen to them and challenging them with new opportunities.

Related: 3 Businesswomen on Mentorship, Staying Motivated and Winning at Work

Make it your goal to create stronger bonds with everyone you work with. Learn to collaborate and cooperate with people in all situations. By building more interpersonal connections at work, you may have more support during challenging situations. You can also encourage your team to connect with one another by facilitating team building activities. When everyone gets to know each other better, they may feel more satisfied, productive and motivated at work.

An effective leader can both guide their team and listen to their input. When listening to your team, you may find they have ideas you wouldn't have thought of. People appreciate when their ideas are heard, so make active listening a priority. To be a better listener, give everyone a chance to speak, use non-verbal cues to show you're listening and acknowledge what they said when they finish speaking.

Read more: Active Listening Skills: Definition and Examples

Leaders are constantly making decisions at work. Find a decision-making process that helps you make smarter and quicker decisions. This way your team can get started on their projects sooner, and you can meet more deadlines. When making your decisions, think about them from different perspectives. You may even want to consult your team before making a decision to get their input. By thinking of all the outcomes of a decision and using the information you have, you can make better decisions.

Leaders who are more confident tend to get more respect from others. Confidence stems from self-awareness. Take a moment to reflect on why you are a great leader and what leadership skills you possess. Make it a point to exhibit these leadership skills at work. Also, think of what skills you could develop more. The better you become at them, the more confident and prepared you will feel in your role.

Time management is an important goal for team leaders to have since they usually have multiple ongoing projects at once. It's important to meet deadlines and maximize the use of your time. Also, since you're a leader, your team will follow many of your behaviors. If you are always getting your work done on time, your team will likely strive to do the same. Show your team the importance of meeting deadlines, coming to work on time and managing priorities by doing so yourself.

Related: Time Management Training: Best Practices and Tips

Think of new ways your team can get more work done with less time and effort. Work with them to develop more efficient systems and processes. Learn what each team member is best at and delegate tasks accordingly.

Throughout your career as a leader, you may experience changes within the companies you work at. When changes occur, it's important that you can adapt to them quickly and help your team adjust. Make it your goal to overcome the challenges that come with change. By using your strengths and skills as a leader, you can help your team feel more secure and comfortable at work during a transitional time.

Learn to be more self-disciplined when making decisions at work. Make decisions based on what is best for the company and your team rather than your own personal gain. Consider all the possible outcomes and choose what is right instead of what is most favorable. By being an unbiased decision-maker, you show your integrity as a leader.

A decision you make may not go as planned. In these situations, it's important to accept the consequences and learn from them. Make it your goal to accept your responsibilities as a leader and find solutions for unexpected challenges in the workplace.

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As a leader, it's important to show your team the value of setting goals. When people have goals, they can become more efficient, productive and motivated to exceed the company's expectations. To do this, set a good example by creating goals of your own.

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How to Inspire Innovation in the Workplace

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It's no secret that an effective leadership strategy can be the difference between an organization that flourishes and one that fails. What most do not consider, however, is the effort that goes into identifying which approach a leader should take in order to make the biggest impact.

There are eight primary theories of leadership, according to Dr. Les Stein, assistant teaching professor in Northeastern's Master of Science in Leadership program. Each leadership methodology operates on a different set of priorities and can be equally effective when applied to the "correct" situation.

While Stein believes in utilizing different leadership approaches depending on the circumstances, he is partial to employing transformational leadership because the broad and inspiring principles the paradigm is based on have the potential to make a difference in a larger context.

"Transformational leadership offers a little bit of everything," Stein says. "And [it] is generally considered to be extremely effective for leaders who want to get the most from their followers."

What is Transformational Leadership?

Transformational leadership is a model of leadership used across the spectrum of politics, education, entertainment, finance, technology, and other industries.

"When you look at people that are good examples of transformational leaders, you think of the people that have had an impact, whether that's on an organization or on the country," Stein says. "These are the people that can rise to any challenge and bring everybody together collectively to make a difference."

This transformational approach to leadership relies on encouraging and motivating followers to participate in molding a successful future for an organization. This often includes establishing a group's common purpose-a concept rooted in an organization's official "vision" and "mission," which are two aspects leaders use to help define and outline goals. As Stein explains, "[Vision] tells me where I want my organization to be in the future and why. [Mission] explains the reason for my organization's existence-its purpose." He argues that no organization can succeed without a clear vision and mission and that both are vital aspects for leadership to establish early on.

In fact, Stein believes a truly transformational leader can enter a struggling or stagnant organization, analyze the circumstances, and articulate needed improvements almost immediately. He or she should then be able to guide the organization in defining or redefining its core values in a way that unites the group in a common effort.

At the most basic level, transformational leadership is used to inspire employees to look ahead with a focus on the greater good and to function as a single unit with a common goal in mind. It is not until a leader can accomplish these steps that a successful transformation can begin.

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Qualities of Transformational Leaders

Stein considers transformational leaders to be people who can bring an organization together "to understand a common purpose and motivate in a way that creates an organizational culture focused on success." He has found these types of leaders commonly possess a particular set of traits and characteristics.
A transformational leader is:

Visionary

Team-centric

Engaging

Inspiring

Inclusive

Emotionally Intelligent

Collaborative

Leaders who have these skills are also commonly charismatic, empathetic, motivating, Stein says. On a personal level, they possess strong ethical values. They strive to put their teams before themselves without ever thinking about their own power or how their actions will benefit them personally moving forward.

As part of a team, transformational leaders have an innate ability to understand people, define each team member's goals and aspirations, and bring everybody together to make a difference. They are also likely visionary in their own way of thinking and possess communication skills that allow them to not only articulate their thoughts clearly, but to do so in a way that is inspiring to others.

"You hear a lot of people called 'transformational leaders,' and I would question that," Stein says. "[Transformational leaders are] unique individuals with real, honest personal skills [that allow them] to get the job done far better than anyone else."

Transformational leaders must also be able to create a positive work culture for their employees. This requires they assemble the right group of people on a team and create a collaborative environment in which individuals are free to work together, express their thoughts and opinions, and feel safe to share any creative and innovative ideas that might benefit the organization.

Stein describes an effective transformational leader as one who is, "always focused on making the organization the best that it can be." This includes asking for opinions, gathering ideas, and making sure that every person on the team feels included, heard, and valued.

Most transformational leaders are found at the executive levels of organizations because, "they have to be in a position of responsibility to impact the success of their organizations," Stein adds.

Examples of Transformational Leaders and their Organizations

Although it may seem that transformational leaders only come around once or twice in a lifetime, it is likely that you can recognize the names of many of the famous transformational leaders that have made an impact on today's society.
Well-known transformational leaders include:
Companies that have thrived under transformational leadership include many of the most famous names in our culture today, including Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Walmart, and Google.

Some may even argue that-led by President Joseph Aoun -Northeastern University is operating under a transformational leadership model.

"[Aoun] has a very strong vision for the university and is successfully challenging it to change and meet the many social and technological challenges of tomorrow," Stein says. "He has one of the most important skills any leader can possess-the power to influence."

Which Organizations Benefit Most from Transformational Leadership?

Stein believes that every organization, no matter how successful they are, can benefit from the guidance of a transformation leader. After all, he stresses, "Transformation doesn't have to always be from bad to good. It can be from good to great, or simply good to better. The point is, [a transformational leader will] change their institution in a way that's always positive."

Stein recognizes that organizations with a poor culture will gain the most from this type of positive interference, however.

"Organizations will benefit most from a transformational leader when their culture is such that people aren't sure if they buy into the vision of the organization, [or they don't] seem to have that collective enthusiasm for their product."

How To Embrace Transformational Leadership in Your Workplace

Given the many benefits of a successful transformational leadership strategy, it is no wonder so many employees feel inspired to practice these skills and incorporate these values into their work. Academics in the leadership community, however, are divided on whether "choosing" to be a transformational leader is that simple.

"The 'Great Man Theory' is based on the idea that people are born with leadership skills," Stein says. For this reason, many in the community operate under the belief that the qualities required to be a successful transformational leader are not ones that can simply be taught.

Those on the opposite side of the argument, however, believe that society has, "since transitioned to the idea that leadership can be learned," Stein says. From his view, Stein believes that "The transformational leadership model challenges a bit of both."

Stein explains that while many believe the core qualities of a transformational leader-such as charisma and empathy-are ones that people are either born with or are not, with hard work and an honest desire to improve an organization, there are some transformational leadership skills that many individuals can learn to embrace.

Use the following tips to explore transformational leadership and learn the ways you can apply its methods to your workplace.

1. Work on Yourself as a Leader

Before you can start making changes to your team and your organization, it's important to look at how you function as a leader. Successful transformational leaders are empathetic, charismatic, and inspirational. These traits may not appear to be learnable, but there are steps you can take as a leader to develop them.

Empathy -Take the time to sit down and get to know the people you work with on an individual level and in a context that's broader than just their role in your organization. Ask about their backgrounds, their personal goals, and even the concerns that weigh heavy on their minds from day-to-day. You may walk away from this exercise with a better understanding of how they will react to change in the organization, how to approach feedback with them, or even what tactics and tools can be used to motivate them. At the very least, taking time to connect with them on a personal level should allow you to put yourself in their shoes much more easily, a necessary factor when determining how best to inspire them.

Charisma-In leadership coach Olivia Fox Cabane's book titled "The Charisma Myth," she outlines a set of tactics anyone can use to become a more charismatic person. These tactics include being present in every situation, neutralizing negative thoughts, dressing to impress, mirroring body language, and more. Books like this, while not fool-proof guides, do offer future leaders struggling to find their natural charm a starting point for improvement.

Inspiration-There are dozens of guides on how to inspire and motivate, and each offers a variety of viable tools and methods for doing so. For example, this piece outlines nine creative approaches to inspiring people -listing everything from actively listening to using high-powered talent when trying to motivate. However, at the center of all this advice is simply the idea that you must approach every situation with the greater good of the organization in mind. Leaders who truly conquer this skill naturally create a level of trust and accountability among their team, which allows those being led to feel safe and secure in choosing to follow.

2. Create the Proper Culture in Your Workplace

Company culture is an increasingly important aspect of an employee's overall work experience. For that reason, employers tend to put a lot of time and energy into establishing a work environment that their employees can enjoy, incorporating perks, events, and benefits in an effort to make each individual feel appreciated by the organization and thus motivated to work harder.

Putting a similar emphasis on culture from a transformational leadership perspective can go a long way in your workplace. Not only is it important to make sure your team feels appreciated and respected, but those wishing to utilize transformational methods must also take the time to ensure the environment is one which encourages collaboration, innovation, and communication. Establishing each of these will help to create the collective enthusiasm among your team that is necessary for a successful transformation.

Collaboration- Transformational leadership is based on the idea that all employees should be working together towards a singular, common goal within an organization. It is vital that leaders create a collaborative environment in their workplace to accomplish this. Whether this means working as larger groups on projects very clearly tied to the achievement of that common goal, or simply ensuring employees can see how their own daily work contributes to the greater goals of the company, establishing these methods of collaboration early on will help set your organization up for success.

Innovation-More often than not, the most creative ideas will come from employees within your organization who are spending the most time with your product or services every day. Embrace the transformational leadership method by making sure your workplace culture encourages the sharing of suggestions, improvements, and ideas from team members at every tier of the company. Other methods for inspiring innovation in the workplace include embracing failure, offering incentives, and training employees in "design thinking."

(Learn more about these methods by downloading our full guide to introducing innovation in your workplace.)

Communication- Ensure that every member of your team not only feels comfortable enough to voice their opinions and share their innovative ideas, but that they know what they have to say will be heard and valued. This starts with you, as the leader, establishing a flow of open communication with your employees.

3. Practice Identifying and Facilitating Core Values

The first (and often most significant) impact a transformational leader can make occurs by defining and clarifying an organization's values. This may come in the form of cleaning or updating its mission and vision statements or simply ensuring there is a clear difference between the two. Transformational leaders can step into a new organization, identify what isn't working, and come up with a strategy and set of recommendations to solve it.

In order to begin to formulate these skills, aspiring transformational leaders should simply begin to familiarize themselves with this type of process. Identify the vision and mission of your current organization and begin to draw conclusions to determine if, from your position, those values are being supported by every division within the company. If they are being supported, try to identify what strategies executives are utilizing to accomplish this. You may also consider these leaders as potential coaches and mentors and work to mirror their leadership styles. If they aren't, consider ways you might approach rallying the organization together to reach those common goals. While it is important to be wary of your company's leadership infrastructure and how they may react to such suggestions, Stein encourages aspiring leaders to remember that, "transformational leaders don't wait for change to happen-they create it."

Still looking to gather more leadership skills to implement positive change in your organization? Consider enrolling in a Master's of Leadership program like Northeastern's.

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Transformational Leadership: How to Inspire Innovation in the Workplace

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It's no secret that an effective leadership strategy can be the difference between an organization that flourishes and one that fails. What most do not consider, however, is the effort that goes into identifying which approach a leader should take in order to make the biggest impact.

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The Dark Side of Charismatic Leadership

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Throughout history, we have been inspired, influenced and impacted greatly by leaders who are charismatic. At times we almost deify them. Yet, there is a distinct dark side to charismatic leaders, one that at various times in our history has brought chaos and destruction. Recently, scholars and observers have begun to look more closely at this dark side.

There is in some individuals the remarkable ability to affect other persons, communities, and even populations, in such a way that dramatic transformations are effected. This ability is sometimes consciously exercised and much less commonly, it is totally unwittingly practiced. The results vary, between those brought about by design and those brought about totally by happenstance. Then again, the design might be altruistic or sinister. That ability has become known as charisma. And the impact can be positive or disastrous. It is the dark side of charismatic leadership that has not been given sufficient credence.
What is Charisma?
Charisma can be defined as "a special power that some people have naturally that makes them able to influence other people and attract their attention and admiration," and "compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others," and "a divinely conferred power or talent." Charismais from the Greek χάρισμα ( khárisma), which means "favor freely given" or "gift of grace."

Theologians and social scientists have expanded and modified the original Greek meaning into the two distinct senses above. For ease of reference, we will call the first sense personality charisma and the second divinely conferred charisma.

The meaning of charisma has been reduced to a mixture of charm and status. John Potts, who has extensively analyzed the term's history, sums up meanings beneath this diffused common usage: "a mysterious, elusive quality...the 'X-factor' ...The enigmatic character of charisma also suggests a connection - at least to some degree - to the earliest manifestations of charisma as a spiritual gift."
A Historical Context
The centuries from 800 BCE to 300BCE saw the burgeoning of philosophical and religious concepts that was unprecedented. Charismatic figures were often associated with these developments, for example, Jeremiah, Jewish prophet and scholar, Gotama Buddha, the founder of a whole new religion, Mahavira, the chief preceptor of what became a rival religion in close proximity to Buddha's, Lao Tzu, a central figure in Taoism, and Confucius, an independent thinker also in China. In the West. Socrates, wielded his influence at the close of this period and left an indelible imprint on the way Western man thinks and behaves to this day, emphasizing the spirit of personal inquiry. All these thinker leaders were effective principally because of their charisma. Personal scars may have propelled them to this achievement on the background of a milieu of uncertain values and a thirst for better reasoned norms.

Charismatic religious leadership is often infused with political strategy. Moses, apart from getting Divine Law to his people, united quarrelsome slave bands to a promised land and made them a fighting nation. Jesus not only taught the principles of faith, hope and charity; he lethally challenged the imperial status of Rome by declaring God to be the only true monarch and the eternal kingdom of Heaven to reside in the hearts of the faithful. Mohammad did not only start a new religion; as an astute military commander he conquered the Arabic lands and united barbaric tribes and gave at Mecca a center to their nomadic life, preparing the way for Islamic expansion.

Many of these leaders have very ordinary lives and circumstances seem to conspire to bring them to the fore: George Washington, a quiet planter was transformed into a continental commander. Mohandas Gandhi was 'a mediocre, unimpressive, floundering Barrister-at-law' in sharply contrast with the Mahatma, leader of millions. Public cause 'tapped his enormous reserves of intuition, will power, energy and self-confidence'. Giants like Garibaldi, Lincoln and Lenin, had pronounced ordinariness about them that would not have predicted their future greatness. Churchill achieved a charismatic bond with his people quite late in life, when circumstances brought about his 'finest hour'.

The most grossly underestimated of modern charismatics, arguably, was Adolf Hitler. Like a prominent minister in our country, now back on the track of fortune, Hitler was once dismissed as a ridiculous clown. The main attribute that drove him to awe inspiring greatness was his fanatical racist conviction. Hitler's biographer Ian Kershaw, notes that, "the mass appeal of the charismatic leader has only an indifferent relation to that leader's actual personality and character attributes. Perceptions are more important than reality."

Great political charismatic leaders have an abiding conviction that destiny has chosen them for a heroic mission. Napoleon often spoke of destiny. Italy's Garibaldi believed in his destiny to triumph, and this firm belief engendered his fearless fighting and power to inspire people.

Often the mission begins with a crisis; the charismatic leader rises from the ordinary to determinedly fulfill a destined role. Napoleon might have remained an obscure officer with a limited command but for the crisis that brought him to power. His adversary remarked that Napoleon's presence on the battleground was worth forty thousand men; but what if there had been no war?

In studying charismatic politicians such as Fidel Castro, Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, John Kennedy, Ferdinand Marcos, Gamal Abdel Nasser, all present fascinating lives where there was a yearning for public approval.
What is Charismatic Leadership?
Charisma is a tricky thing, says Patricia Sellers, in her article in Fortune magazine: "President John F. Kennedy oozed it - but so did Hitler and Charles Manson. Con artists, charlatans, and megalomaniacs can make it their instrument as effectively as the best CEOs, entertainers, and presidents. Used wisely, it's a blessing. Indulged, it can be a curse. Charismatic visionaries lead people ahead - and sometimes astray. They can be impetuous, unpredictable, and exasperating to work for, like Turner. Trump. Steve Jobs. Ross Perot. Lee Iacocca."

Sellers argues "Like pornography, charisma is hard to define. But you know it when you see it. And you don't see much of it in the FORTUNE 500. As Al Dunlap, the pugnacious renegade who rejuvenated Scott Paper, says, 'Corporate America, what a bunch of boring guys!' Look at the men heading the largest U.S. companies: Jack Smith at GM, David Glass at Wal-Mart, Robert Allen at AT&T, Robert Eaton at Chrysler. Eaton, like many charismatically impaired chiefs, has an inspiring lieutenant beneath him: Bob Lutz is Chrysler's magnetic, hard-driving."

Charismatic leaders are found in various authoritarian states, autocracies, dictatorships, theocracies and from time to time, democracies, says Sellers. To help to maintain their charismatic authority, such regimes will often establish a vast "personality cult." When the leader of such a state or organization dies or leaves office, and a new charismatic leader does not appear, such a regime is likely to fall or decline shortly thereafter, unless it has become fully routinized, she argues.
What Makes Leaders Charismatic? Some Research Findings
We still do not have a good idea about what makes a leader seem powerful, confident, and charismatic. Here's what some researchers have said of the characteristics and behaviors of charismatic leaders:

· Charismatic leaders must use some kinds of communication and image-building strategies to seem powerful and confident (House, 1977). Researchers have identified some of these strategies with respect to the content of the speech, its framing, and the delivery mode (Den Hartog & Verburg, 1997; Shamir et al., 1993).

· Charismatic leaders engage followers' self-concepts (Shamir, Arthur, & House, 1994; Shamir et al., 1993) by using a number of "tricks" (Antonakis, Angerfelt, & Liechti, 2010; Awamleh & Gardner, 1999; Howell & Frost, 1989).

· Charismatic leaders are risk-takers and are unconventional (Conger & Kanungo, 1998; House, 1977).

· They set high goals (House, 1977) and make sacrifices for the greater good (Shamir et al., 1993).

· They know how to communicate in appropriate (e.g., emotionally charged) ways so that they can package their message to be easily understood (Frese, Beimel, & Schoenborn, 2003; Wasielewski, 1985).

· They use positive (Bono & Ilies, 2006) and negative emotions (Wasielewski, 1985) and various nonverbal strategies (Cherulnik, Donley, Wiewel, & Miller, 2001).

· They are good storytellers; they know how to use their voice as well as body gestures (Frese et al., 2003; Towler, 2003).

· They are masters in rhetoric and make use of contrasts, lists, repetition, as well as alliteration and rhetorical questions (Den Hartog & Verburg, 1997; Willner, 1984).

· They also use metaphors extensively. These communication devices simplify the message and render it highly understandable and visible (Charteris-Black, 2005; Emrich, Brower, Feldman, & Garland, 2001; Mio, 1997; Mio, Riggio, Levin, & Reese, 2005).

According to an evolutionary theory proposed by a pair of psychologists, charisma is the ability to convince followers that you can get other members of a wider group to cooperate. These researchers found that exposure to charisma increased generosity: Subjects who saw a ted talk by a charismatic speaker later gave more money to a stranger than did those who saw an uncharismatic one. And thinking about a charismatic person (versus an acquaintance) made people more likely to cooperate with a stranger.

We're most swayed by charisma when lacking data on a leader's record. In one study, subjects had to decide whether to keep or boot a CEO after watching a fake newscast describing him as high or low in charisma and his company's stock price as rising, sinking, or relatively flat. Charisma helped the CEO most when performance was ambiguous. Researchers rated past presidential candidates' charisma, by combing their speeches for charismatic tactics - storytelling, expressing moral conviction, setting high goals. Only when economic indicators were muddled was charisma strongly correlated with votes received.

A bit of mystery may boost charisma. When a CEO's success was attributed to intangible factors ("keen insight and vision") rather than effort ("loyalty and long hours"), he was rated more charismatic. People preferred a hug from a charismatic leader to a hug from a hardworking one; they also preferred his lucky charm, as if his magic might rub off on them.

Charisma isn't magic, though; it's influenced by mundane factors like height. Among Dutch managers, taller men were seen as more charismatic by subordinates. And subjects with speedy answers to general-knowledge questions were considered quick-witted, funny, and charismatic by friends. In fact, mental speed was a stronger contributor to charisma than IQ or personality.

While height and mental quickness elude many of us, charisma can be taught. When researchers trained middle managers and MBA students for 30 to 90 hours in 12 "charismatic leadership tactics," such as using metaphors and gestures, they found that charisma improved.
Research on the Positive Aspects of Charismatic Leadership
Conventional wisdom suggests that the most charismatic leaders are also the best leaders. Charismatic leaders have, for instance, the ability to inspire others toward higher levels of performance and to instill deep levels of commitment, trust, and satisfaction. As a result, they are generally perceived by their subordinates to be more effective, compared with less charismatic leaders.

The theory of transformational leadership, widely viewed as the most credible kind of leadership, has been blended with the positive aspects of charismatic leadership. Transformational and charismatic leadership has been the focus of a great many research inquiries (Yukl, 1999); these approaches have helped shift the leadership paradigm to what it is today (Antonakis, Cianciolo, & Sternberg, 2004; Conger, 1999; Hunt, 1999; Lowe & Gardner, 2000). This research stream dominates the leadership landscape - whether deservingly or not - at least in terms of published papers in the premier academic journal focused on leadership, The Leadership Quarterly, both in the last decade (Lowe & Gardner, 2000) and in the current one (W. L. Gardner, Lowe, Moss, Mahoney, & Cogliser, 2010).

According to Max Weber, followers of charismatic leaders perceive their leaders to be gifted and to possess unique abilities that allow them to perform feats that are beyond the capacity of average individuals. Moreover, the key to success for charismatic leaders lies solely in the extent to which they are perceived to be gifted by their followers. If followers fail to recognize their leaders as having charisma, then the charismatic influence mechanism breaks down, and leaders can no longer exert their influence over followers. Weber says the holder of charisma seizes the task that is adequate for him and demands obedience and a following by virtue of his mission. His success determines whether he finds them.

His charismatic claim breaks down if his mission is not recognized by those to whom he feels he has been sent. If they recognize him, he is their master - so long as he knows how to maintain recognition through 'proving' himself. But he does not derive his 'right' from their will, in the manner of an election. Rather, the reverse holds: it is the duty of those to whom he addresses his mission to recognize him as their charismatically qualified leader.

In addition to describing the attributional nature of charisma, Weber suggested that charismatic leaders tend to arise during times of economic, social, political, and/or other forms of unrest. He argued that it is during such crisis situations that charismatic leaders get the opportunity to utilize their "divine gifts" and are able to lead effectively and successfully. These "divine gifts" often take the form of an emotional appeal to inspire and rouse followers, a radical vision to instill hope for the future, or bold steps that a leader may take to attenuate the negative effects of a crisis at hand. Once followers get a small taste of success, they tend to become more inclined to believe in the leaders' powers to perform extraordinary feats resulting in a further consolidation of the leader's influence over followers.

According to Robert House, the key to successful relationships between charismatic leaders and their followers is the ability of leaders to inspire and emotionally arouse their followers. Successful charismatics are able to energize their followers by championing an appealing and potentially radical vision for the future. Followers of charismatic leaders often end up developing strong emotional bonds with their leaders, which serve as a foundation for their willingness to be compliant and committed to their leaders' agendas. The perception of leader charisma leads to a belief that charismatic leaders are blessed with extraordinary strengths that are likely to lead to a realization of the radical vision articulated by leaders. Moreover, given that charismatic leadership is more likely to emerge in times of acute crises and/or contexts characterized by distress, the presence of a leader with extraordinary abilities serves as a source of reassurance and hope, which further strengthens the influence that charismatic leaders tend to exert on their followers.

House's theory of charismatic leadership was further developed by Boas Shamir and colleagues to include a more elaborate articulation of the behaviors of charismatic leaders, the mediating processes through which charismatic leaders motivate and influence followers, and the outcomes that follow as a result of leaders' influence. According to this self-concept-based theory of charismatic leadership, "charismatic leaders achieve transformational effects through implicating the self-concept of followers". Followers of charismatic leaders often identify personally with their leaders. Due to the perception that charismatic leaders possess "extraordinary" qualities, followers oftentimes make an attempt to be like the leader whom they admire and emulate the leader psychologically as well as behaviorally.

Psychologically, they may subscribe to the same value systems, morals, and ideals that their leader is known to embody; and behaviorally, followers may end up enacting the same leadership behaviors that they observe their leader performing. Like social identification, personal identification also moves followers to go above and beyond their call of duty.

Shamir and colleagues described internalization as one more mechanism that is responsible for the influence that charismatic leaders exert on their followers. Internalization "refers to the incorporation of values within the self as guiding principles". When charismatic leaders use ideological explanations to communicate their vision to followers, they portray their vision as noble, heroic, and having high moral standards.

When followers internalize the values, ideals, and goals inherent in their leaders' visions, those values, ideals, and goals become part of the followers themselves. They "come to view their work role as inseparably linked to their self-concept and self-worth" and "carry out the role because it is a part of their essential nature and destiny.

Building on the theoretical groundwork established by Weber, House, Shamir, and others, Conger and Kanungo proposed an alternative theory. According to this conception, the phenomenon of leader charisma was described as a function of the processes that followers utilize to ascribe charismatic qualities to their leaders.

According to Conger and Kanungo, the source of leader charisma lies in the attributions that followers make about their leaders. In essence, it reflects the adage, "charisma lies in the eye of the beholder." The attribution of charismatic qualities to a leader depends on how the leader behaves, the perceptions of the leader's competence and ability to handle problems and difficult situations, and the characteristics of the context/situation that the leader-followers are embedded in. The right mix of the three ingredients leads to followers attributing charismatic qualities to the leader, which marks the beginning of the influence process of charismatic leaders.

Conger and Kanungo outlined several traits and behaviors of leaders that cause followers to make charismatic attributions. Foremost among them is the portrayal of confidence by the leader. Leaders are seen as more charismatic when they exhibit a sense of self-efficacy in their beliefs and actions. When followers see their leaders taking decisive steps toward the attainment of collective goals, and acting confidently to overcome persistent problems/hurdles, they are more likely to believe that their leaders have the "divine gift."

Followers also tend to attribute charisma to leaders who espouse radical and ideological visions that are distinct from the status quo. The fortitude and courage that is displayed in communicating a vision that serves to challenge the status quo leads to perceptions of leader boldness and decisiveness, both seductive attributes in their own right. When followers realize and understand the positive outcomes associated with the radical vision, they arecompelled to make charismatic attributions; for without the leader's foresight, the path to success would not have been possible. One caveat, however, is that if the espoused vision is perceived to be too radical or too much of a deviation from what seems possible, the leader runs the risk of being perceived as incompetent or outlandish.

Kets de Vries and Lindholm looked at charisma from a psychoanalytic perspective. They sought to explain the reasons behind followers' personal identification with their leaders and the subsequent effect it has on followers.

According to this perspective, followers can derive a sense of empowerment and positive energy by merging their identity with that of the charismatic leader whom they admire and cherish. Through the process of transference (i.e., unconscious redirection of feelings from one person to another), followers often seek to compensate for fractured self-identities, inchoate value systems and morals, and unfulfilled needs/desires by identifying with a charismatic leader who is seen as a walking example of what they seem to want or lack.

They derive a sense of vicarious fulfillment of their needs and desires by associating with their leader, and the leader often becomes a source of continual motivation and inspiration. This view of how followers come to identify and "worship" charismatic leaders sheds light on the influence processes associated with cult leadership and leaders with compromised moral standards who nevertheless are able to command strong support and devotion from their followers.

Around this same time, Riggio and colleagues (Friedman, Riggio, & Casella, 1988; Riggio, 1987) argued that the charismatic qualities that cause a leader to be labeled "charismatic" were highly developed interpersonal and social skills, particularly skills in emotional and nonverbal communication. Emphasis was placed on the emotional contagion processes between charismatic leaders and followers, a topic of research that has continued up to the present time (Bono & Ilies, 2006; Johnson, 2009).
Research on the Dark Side of Charismatic Leadership
Charismatic leadership, thus, is not without its own set of pitfalls, and efforts to further understand this "dark side of charisma" should continue if we are to acquire a better understanding of the overall process of leadership, both "positive" and productive, and "negative" and (potentially) destructive.

Several organizational researchers and leadership scholars (e.g., Bass & Steidlmeier, 1999; Conger, 1989; Conger & Kanungo, 1998; Hogan, Raskin, & Fazzini, 1990; House & Howell, 1992; Mumford, Gessner, Connelly, O'Connor, & Clifton, 1993) suggested the existence of a negative aspect to the influence of charisma and charismatic leadership. Referring to it as "the dark side of charisma," it was proposed that because followers are in awe of their "gifted" leaders, they might be less likely to speak up against the ideas and the propositions of their leader, and refrain from offering criticism regarding certain actions or practices.

The "awe" might result in a perception that their leader is infallible and can potentially create a context that is divorced from objective reality. Given that charismatic leaders often challenge the status quo and partake in risky decisions, a less-than-optimal strategy to see their radical vision to fruition may result in serious failures and/or catastrophic and irrecoverable losses; and this does not augur well for any leadership situation. Moreover, such failures can potentially result in forces of opposition that may work toward removing the charismatic leader from his/her leadership position.

House and Howell (1992) offered a distinction between two different kinds of charismatic leaders, viz., personalized charismatic leaders and socialized charismatic leaders. Personalized charismatic leaders were described as self-aggrandizing, non-egalitarian, and exploitative leaders whose primary goal is to act in the interest of their own selves. Socialized charismatic leaders, on the other hand, were described as collectively oriented, egalitarian, and non-exploitative and whose primary goal is to act in the interest of others.

Furthermore, personality traits such as need for power, authoritarianism, Machiavellianism, locus of control, etc., were the moderating factors that contributed to the distinction between personalized and socialized charismatic leaders.

Researcher Gary Yuki listed some of the negative consequences of charismatic leaders:

· Excessive confidence and optimism blind the leader to real dangers. For instance, as a charismatic leader, Steve Jobs never saw himself being forced out of the company he founded. But that's exactly what happened on September 16, 1985 when he left Apple.

· Dependence on the leader inhibits development of competent successors. According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, during the period surrounding Steve Jobs' health scare (which started in mid-2004 and lasted until his successful liver transplant in 2009), Apple stocks dropped. "One reason for the market's anxiety - Apple shares shed more than 56% in 2008 - is that the company has been silent about its succession plan" (Hiltzik, 2009).

· Failure to develop a successor creates an eventual leadership crisis. "No American CEO is more intimately identified with his company's success. Jobs is deeply involved in every facet of Apple development and design, and he's justly admired for his instinct for the human-factor engineering of Apple products. What remains to be seen is whether a post-Jobs Apple will retain the corporate traits that made the company successful with its iconic leader at the helm (Hiltzik, 2009)." Ultimately, some leaders are so irreplaceable that no amount of succession planning will ensure a seamless power transition. "In some sense, with the charismatic person, it's difficult to prepare a successor, because they are bigger than life," says John Larrere, general manager at the management consultant Hay Group (Ante & McGregor, 2009).

· Denial of problems and failures reduces organizational learning. One of the biggest drawbacks for charismatic leaders is their failure to sometimes learn. Perhaps, they too fall prey to their own charms and charisma. This lesson can be illustrated with Apple's handling of the iPhone 4's infamous antenna issue (which, when gripped a certain way near the antenna, would often drop calls). Apple never admitted any mistakes on its part and instead said that other phones (by competing carriers) also dropped calls when gripped a certain way near the antenna. Rather than redesigning or offering a permanent solution,

Apple decided to offer free cases which would cover the sensitive area to lessen the dropped calls. Consumer Reports, an independent, non-profit organization that tests products, refused to recommend the iPhone 4 contending that "putting the onus on any owners of a product to obtain a remedy to a design flaw is not acceptable to us. We therefore continue not to recommend the iPhone 4, and to call on Apple to provide a permanent fix for the phone's reception issues." Interestingly, in 2009 an Apple senior antenna engineer told Steve Jobs the iPhone 4's external antenna could cause reception problems. Even though Apple engineers knew there could be problems with the iPhone 4's antenna design, their concerns were dismissed because Jobs liked the design. In addition, a Wall Street Journal article stated, "For at least two years, multiple iPhone carriers lodged complaints with the company that its phone doesn't work well in making calls and doesn't hold a wireless signal for a voice call as well as other devices."

Dan Ciampa, writing in the Harvard Business Review, describes 5 phases that a charismatic leader can go through from a positive impact to a negative one:

· The first phase is "characterized by the subtle sense on the part of followers that the leader does not want to be questioned. Followers may begin to quietly complain that the leader is becoming hubristic and acts like they believe they're the smartest person in the room."

· The second phase " flows logically from the first: sensing the leader's diminished appetite for being questioned or challenged, followers begin to self-censor, asking fewer questions and no longer playing devil's advocate. One person reported: "The last time I [pushed back], he came back with a bunch of reasons why I was wrong, and I felt stupid. I'm not going there again." Instead of fostering healthy dissent, the charismatic leader begins to be surrounded by 'yes' people."

· The third phase emerges as "charismatic leaders begin to hear only praise and admiration, they enter a negative cycle in which compliments and agreement cause them to become overconfident. Leaders in this stage create their own sense of reality and become resistant to evidence that they may be incorrect. While the first and second phases mostly involve recognition by followers, the third stage involves a distinct shift in behavior by the leaders."

· The fourth phases begins "If nothing is done to stop this cycle. Since the leader's views and actions are the only ones that matter, followers reduce their willingness to be proactive. They wait for directions and become passive. Decision making slows down. Efforts at strengthening teamwork stop, and meetings change from a time of joint decisions and buy-in to meetings where the leader announces what everyone else should do. Leaders in this situation complain: 'If I want something done right, I need to do it myself.' Because followers begin to grow disillusioned, this stage ends with rising employee turnover."

· The fifth phase is "characterized by people continuing to follow and ostensibly do only what is necessary but with a deep diminishment in enthusiasm and spirit. They still hear and comply with what the leader wants, but the passion is gone because they don't feel that they are a part of it anymore. Eventually, they stop listening and become cynical. Creativity and productivity decline. What was once a shared, common vision is now just the leader's vision. The leader feels unsupported and followers feel estranged."

Stanford University Business Professor, Robert Sutton argues: "unethical charismatic leaders will focus on their own personal goals and build their message based on themselves (even though it seems like they care about the masses of people). They will discourage and censor divergent opinions and will expect that communication should be one-way, or autocratic (top-down) communication. They will strike back like bullies when they hear criticism (using the message that they 'must defend themselves against attacks'). Their need for admiration and self-absorption can be so intense that it can lead them to believe that they are infallible. Instead of painting an optimistic vision for the future, they will prey on people's fears."

Professor Krume Nikoloski has examined the issue of the dark side of charismatic leadership in an article in the Journal of Process Management-New Technologies. He contends "Personalized charismatic leaders are typically authoritarian and narcissistic. Their goals reflect their own interests, while the needs of the organization and its members are manipulated in order to achieve the leader's interests."

Stephen Fogarty in his research on the dark side of charismatic leaders argues they can also exhibit dysfunction aspects of narcissism, which is a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, self-focus, and self-importance (King, 2007). Narcissistic leaders are principally motivated by their own egocentric needs which, by definition, supersede the needs and interests of the organization and the members that they lead. Egocentric needs (sometimes taken to the point of egomania) include a grandiose sense of self-importance, preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success and power, excessive need for admiration and entitlement, lack of empathy, and envy.

These tendencies include a craving for power and consistent attempts to secure more of it regardless of potential peril to themselves and the organization they lead.

Narcissistic, personalized charismatic leaders can demonstrate a myopic focus on their personal priorities, including willingness to exploit others and engage in behaviors of denial and entitlement (Humphreys, et al., 2010). They can be self-absorbed, attention seeking, and ignorant of the views and welfare of others (Conger & Kanungo, 1998).

They often claim special knowledge or privilege and demand unquestioning obedience (O'Connor, et al., 1995). Their sense of personal entitlement can lead to self-serving abuses of power and autocratic leadership styles (Rosenthal & Pittinsky, 2006). Their grandiose dreams of power and success can cause them to ignore the external environment and to avoid testing their judgment against external benchmarks. Consequently, their grand visions often defy successful implementation (Kets de Vries & Miller, 1985).

The personalized need for power, negative life themes, and narcissistic tendencies of personalized charismatic leaders can contribute to a view of the world where personal safety is achieved through the domination and depersonalization of others. In the absence of self- regulatory mechanisms such as guilt, moral standards, and impulse control, destructive behaviors can result.

A leader's lack of genuine concern for the needs and welfare of other people can result in the use of their persuasive skills to manipulate and exploit followers. They can have difficulty maintaining cooperative relationships with followers, peers, and superiors. Therefore, followers can be induced to be open to manipulation and deception as the leader pursues his or her self-interest. Followers' sense of awe in the leader and desire for acceptance by the leader can inhibit criticism and the offering of good suggestions.

While charismatic leaders are generally good at rescue operations, they are often poor at achieving long-term success and management. Compounding this is the fact that it is unlikely that a charismatic leader will modify their leadership style or cooperate in the appointment of a successor. Charismatic leaders often have a difficult time developing successors. They enjoy the center stage too much to share it. To find a replacement who is a peer may be too threatening for leaders who tend to be so narcissistic.

The recent scandals at organizations such as Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia, the Wall Street collapse and countless others have been accredited largely to unethical behavior on the part of organizational formal leaders-that is, their senior executives (Tourigny, Dougan, Washbush, & Clements, 2003; Cohan, 2002). In the age of such corporate scandals, it is important that we understand not only the positive effects of corporate leaders, but also how these leaders might use their charismatic influence to perpetuate corrupt practices.

Several of the charismatic leader traits reviewed above can contribute to "opportunity" for corruption. That is, because of their extreme confidence and excellent communication and impression management skills, charismatic leaders have special abilities to effect corruption within an organization. The charismatic leader's confidence and "lack of internal conflict" (Kets de Vries, 1993; Nahavandi, 2000) could also contribute to leader arrogance and a skewed moral code (absence of conscience). If these leaders never experience self-doubt, they might not experience a distinct moral sense of right and wrong. Hayward and Hambrick (1997), found that leaders with this "hubris," or "exaggerated pride or self-confidence" could have significant negative impact on organizational outcomes.

Elena Shesternina, writing an article titled "The End of a Charismatic Era," in The World Economic Journal, contends "with government officials slowly being replaced by technocrats, it would appear that Europe's era of charisma and charm is a thing of the past," citing the examples of bureaucrats gaining power in France and Italy. Management guru Jim Collins, writing in his personal blog, argues "the charismatic-leader model has to die." He contends a charismatic leader "is not an asset; it's a liability companies have to recover from." A company's long-term health requires a leader who can infuse the company with its own sense of purpose instead of his or hers, Collins argues.

Management expert Rosabeth Moss Kanter, writing in the Harvard Business Review, regarding self-defeating behaviors that ruin companies and careers, argues many leaders fail because of greed and selfishness; a lack of emotional self-control; and a lack of integrity and ethics. These behaviors and characteristics are certainly found more commonly in charismatic and extraverted leaders than in introverted leaders. "Our findings suggest that organizations may want to consider selecting applicants with mid-range levels of charisma into leadership roles, instead of extremely charismatic leaders," said Jasmine Vergauwe, at Ghent University and lead author of the study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

In two other studies, the researchers compared the charisma scores of nearly 600 business leaders with their effectiveness as reported by peers, subordinates and superiors. In both studies, they found that as charisma increased, so did perceived effectiveness, but only up to a point. At a certain level, as charisma scores continued to increase, perceived effectiveness started to decline.

"Leaders with both low and high charismatic personalities were perceived as being less effective than leaders with moderate levels of charisma, and this was true according to all three rater groups," said co-author Filip De Fruyt, PhD, also of Ghent University.

Further analysis of the data suggests that the point at which the relationship between charisma and effectiveness turns negative can be moderated by an individual's level of adjustment, or ability to cope with stressful events. The researchers also discovered that low-charisma leaders were seen as less effective because they were not sufficiently strategic, while high-charisma leaders were seen as less effective because they were weak on operational behavior.

An operational leader is someone who guides the team to get things done in the near term by managing the tactical details of execution, focusing resources, and managing with process discipline. Strategic leadership, on the other hand, involves effectively communicating a vision for an organization and persuading others to share that vision. Because they appeared to exhibit both of these behaviors in adequate amounts, moderately charismatic leaders were rated most effective, Vergauwe theorized.

The findings were partially surprising, said Vergauwe, because the researchers had expected that interpersonal characteristics associated with charisma might also play a role, but they found no such association.

"While conventional wisdom suggests that highly charismatic leaders might fail for interpersonal reasons like arrogance and self-centeredness, our findings suggest that business-related behaviors, more than interpersonal behavior, drive leader effectiveness ratings," she said.

This research may have important practical implications for the selection, training and development of future leaders, according to Vergauwe. For one thing, organizations may want to consider selecting applicants with mid-range levels of charisma for leadership roles, instead of extremely charismatic ones.

Charismatic leaders' ability to excite followers to follow their mission, and their impression management skills in interacting with stakeholders, could also lead to increased opportunity for corruption. These special abilities of charismatic leaders could allow them to lie with greater ease, potentially creating "façades" that could deceive those who might be averse to illegal or questionable organizational activities. Façades are false exterior images that are different from true internal practices. For example, a charismatic leader might present an external façade to stakeholders detailing greater organizational profits than what actually exists. Obviously, impression management skills could be a powerful tool for a leader to hide any illegal or corrupt behaviors within the organization.

Furthermore, followers of "dark" or "villain" charismatic leaders sometimes engage in behavior that they ordinarily that would never consider. For example, followers of Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and Adolph Hitler perpetrated atrocious acts because of their unquestioning loyalty to their leader. This automatic compliance of followers exacerbates a leader's power over them, as well as minimizes the likelihood of any dissent voiced against increasingly immoral or illegal behavior. Further, a charismatic leader who is exalted by followers may actually convince them that any such questionable behavior is not wrong, essentially altering the ethical norms of their followers to be dependent upon the guidance of this seemingly illustrious leader.

Followers of charismatic leaders also have an extreme desire for change, which can be exploited by a "villain". Because followers crave change so badly, they will be less likely to attend to any information that may be false or unattainable (Nahavandi, 2000). Therefore, followers will not attend to any contradictory information about their exalted leader, and will be very unlikely see their behaviors as corrupt. Charismatic leaders can take advantage of their followers' need for change to motivate them towards any goal that is framed or "sold" around specific elements that followers desire, even if in reality, they participate in corrupt behavior in order to meet these goals.

On the eve of its bankruptcy in 2001, Enron declared its intention to become the world's leading company. At that stage, by some measures of turnover, it was the seventh largest company in the US (Gordon, 2002) and was at one point valued at US$70 billion by the stock exchange (Steiger, 2002). Thus, the scale of its ambition had some credibility. But its demise may instead ensure that its fate is to become the most analyzed case study of failure in business history. Myriad analyses have now been published, outlining its trading practices (Steiger, 2002), exploring the implications for the communication aspects of business ethics (May & Zorn, 2003) and ethics more generally (Peppas, 2003), its likely impact on business education.

While it has been noted that the Enron scandal highlights "a recurring communication dysfunction within the organizational structure of the corporation itself" (Cohan, 2002), relatively little attention has been focused on what the culture of the organization demonstrates about the dark side of charismatic leadership. Thus, although The Economist suggested in June 2000 that Enron could be viewed as "some sort of evangelical cult" (Sherman, 2002), the idea has not been systematically explored in the academic literature.
Closing Thoughts
Charismatic leadership is "risky" for an organization. It is difficult to predict the result when too much power is placed in the hands of an individual leader. Charismatic leadership brings radical change into the strategy and culture of an organization. This degree of change is appropriate when an organization is in need of significant transformation or is facing a crisis. However, the centralization of power and the implementation of risky strategies are unlikely to continue to be appropriate when the organization achieves a more normal operating mode.

We may be reaching watershed in our attraction to charismatic leaders, at least the ones where style and charm without substance no longer have an appeal. Tomas Charmoro-Premuzic, writing in the Harvard Business Review blog, contends "In the era of multimedia politics, leadership is commonly downgraded to just another form of entertainment and charisma is indispensable for keeping the audience engaged." He goes on to describe the dark side of charismatic leadership, claiming it: Dilutes judgment; is addictive; disguises psychopaths; and fosters collective narcissism. Samuel Bacharach, a professor of management at Cornell University's Institute of Workplace Studies, argues charisma is not necessarily the litmus test of leadership. Rather he says, "leaders are defined by their actions and ability to execute."

In my work with CEOs and other senior leaders in organizations over the last 35 years, I've found invariably it's the over-the-top charismatic extroverted leader who gets into trouble either personally or gets the organization into difficulty. So while there is a natural and historical attraction to the charismatic leaders who can inspire others with an emotional vision and connect with charm, the long-term impact in terms of relationships and execution becomes questionable.

It can be argued that the current form of free market capitalism, the prevalence of individual and corporate greed, and the prevalence of CEOs and political leaders who have psychopathic and/or narcissistic characteristics, creates a fertile field for the attraction and success of charismatic leaders. While dark-side charismatic leaders appear in dictatorial and autocratic regimes (and sometimes businesses), their increasing prevalence in democracies should give us cause to be concerned.
Copyright: Neither this article or a portion thereof may be reproduced in any print or media format without the express permission of the author. Read my latest book: Eye of the Storm: How Mindful Leaders Can Transform Chaotic Workplaces, available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon and Barnes & Noble in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia and Asia.

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Beware: The Dark Side of Charismatic Leaders

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Throughout history, we have been inspired, influenced and impacted greatly by leaders who are charismatic. At times we almost deify them. Yet, there is a distinct dark side to charismatic leaders, one that at various times in our history has brought chaos and destruction.

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Servant Leadership: What Makes it Different?

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Leaders have a vision. They have a strong sense of what their organization or team needs to become and why.

Leadership is about setting direction and bringing their organizations along to realize the vision. Leaders have different ways of interacting with their teams to put leadership into practice. These different leadership styles aim to inspire trust and motivate action, commitment, and results from their teams.

In this article, we will define servant leadership and take a closer look at its benefits, characteristics, strengths and limitations, and examples of ways in which it can be used effectively.

What is "Servant leadership"?

The servant leadership style is based on the idea that leaders serve a larger good rather than themselves. Servant leadership seeks to achieve a vision through developing their people and providing strong support upon which employees can rely, learn, and grow. Servant leadership hinges on building authority and influence rather than control and intimidation.

This style represents the opposite of the traditional leadership model, putting the employees and their needs as the main actors. Under this leadership philosophy, the more you invest in serving as a "scaffold" for your team, the more productive its outcome.

Servant leadership isn't new. The term "servant leader" was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970 in the essay "The Servant as Leader." Subsequent leadership experts have attempted to define and modernize the concept in the context of today's organizations.

Servant leadership has enjoyed a resurgence of attention, particularly in contrast to more traditional, autocratic styles that don't fit the realities of today's work environment. Rapid change, unpredictability, and the need for agility have further highlighted the need for leaders to support and empower an innovative, adaptable workforce.

How does it work?

Servant leadership works at two levels. It is an artful balance of top-down direction and bottoms-up empowerment. The servant leader still leads in critical ways, such as setting strategic vision and providing priorities, guidance and guardrails. The leader provides clarity on direction and values.

Within the frame set by those leadership decisions, the servant leader places herself in service to her people. The focus is on setting the employees up to succeed at achieving the vision. The servant leader ensures that employees have what they need - both tangible and intangible - to do their best work.

That means building up their teams' confidence, decision-making ability, creativity, risk-taking and collaboration skills. The leader motivates and inspires by encouraging ownership and extending supported trust. The leader also ensures the team has the needed resources, budget, skills, and attention to make an impact.

In servant leadership, employees are empowered, but the leader doesn't just disappear. Part of being in service is understanding how much and what type of support to give, when, to facilitate growth. Done well, employees grow and achieve more of their own potential, and so does the organization.

7 Benefits of servant leadership

The servant leadership style offers compelling benefits and advantages for organizations:

1. Better collaboration, stronger teams. With the model of their leader as service-oriented, employees take on the value of service to teammates. Employees drop unproductive behaviors motivated by politics and jockeying for attention.

2. Positive work environment. Daily interactions are more straightforward and constructive when a leader is supportive and builds others toward a shared goal rather than pitting them against each other for the leader's benefit.

3. Employee commitment, trust, and loyalty. Transparency about how employees contribute promotes alignment between the employee's sense of purpose and the company's mission. Employees feel better able to realize their own potential and creativity when the leader values diverse, individual strengths.

4. Greater organizational agility. Supporting employees and teams at lower levels to make decisions, have more responsibility, and have the skills and tools to do their jobs means they can quickly respond and adapt when conditions or needs change.

5. Supports culture of belonging. Employees feel appreciated, recognized, and valued when a leader sees them as individuals and emphasizes the importance of their contribution to the work.

6. Accelerates learning and development. Employees learn more effectively and have more stretch opportunities to develop their strengths when the leader makes it a priority to develop and empower the team.

7. Fosters leadership everywhere. Empowering employees to have ownership and responsibility accelerates individuals' leadership capabilities. The accessibility of the leader makes it easier for individuals to model off their behavior.

8 Characteristics of Servant Leadership

1. Team needs come first. Doing everything possible to help the team - and individuals on the team - execute and achieve to their potential takes priority.

2. Employee satisfaction and cooperation turn the wheel. The real value comes over time as capable, empowered employees drive better and better performance.

3. Adaptable for any domain. With skill and attention to strategic decisions and providing clarity, servant leadership can work in many different settings, leveraging existing passion or fundamentally shifting power dynamics. It is particularly good in nonprofits.

4. Motivation, motivation, motivation. Support and impact amp up motivation.

5. Communication and transparency. The team trusts a leader who can provide clarity, even in complex, changing situations.

6. Authentic caring fosters courage. Genuine care about individual and team development, rather than micro-managing rescues, creates a safe space to grow.

7. Leadership emerges everywhere. Developing leadership skills is an active part of the team's growth.

8. Ownership activates commitment and purpose. Work feels more meaningful without the layers of guessing what the leader wants and vying for resources and attention.

Servant leader examples

Successful servant leaders have a genuine desire to serve their employees. They are also effective decision-makers and clear in setting expectations.

Here are six strategies specific to this leadership style, together with the underlying values:

Preach by example - Humility, Authenticity, and Trust.

"Respect is neither imposed nor begged. It's earned and offered." Humility must be a foundation of your leadership. If you speak out of superiority and power, they do what you say out of fear. That prevents employees from doing their best.

Instead make your actions and words a credible and genuine model to follow. Authenticity persuades. An authentic message creates the trust bond and inspires a pure and genuine interest in the company and its work.

Show why their work is essential - Awareness and Purpose.

In the mechanism of a clock, each part is crucial. The same goes for any company. All employees are vital. That still applies now, when the workplace is less and less like a clock. In a messy, fast-changing environment, making sure this message reaches them can increase their motivation and enhance their performance.

One way to do this is by talking explicitly about the downstream impact of their work, inside the company and outside. Talk less about numbers and metrics and more about the person or people who will use and build on what they've done. Ask them what they think matters most to those people and what gets in the way.

Encouraging collaboration - Community-building and Commitment.

As a Servant leader, you are the engine that generates a sense of community and teamwork. Increase collaboration by encouraging employee commitment to each other. Delegating responsibility and being accountable can promote their commitment to the work.

An example could be asking them what they would like to do in that new project or how they think they can add value to their work.

Supporting the team's growth and development - Foresight and Resourcefulness.

Identifying and anticipating the needs of employees is a must of the Servant leader's daily work. For example, when assigning project duties to each team member, make sure you provide the resources or the know-how to get them.

To care, personally, for the members of the team - Empathy, and Compassion.

Similarly, the servant leader will cultivate a friendly environment in which employees feel comfortable and not threatened by expressing specific complaints or asking certain questions. In this context, it seems especially important to favor empathy and understanding. The Servant Leader tries to get in the other's shoes. From there, it will be possible to observe the situation from the employee's perspective. It may provide you with valuable information that will help you, as a leader, to improve the quality of your performance.

Compassion serves to be your employee's best ally, in good times and bad, validating the difficulties they may encounter and serving as a support to overcome handicaps and grow.

Asking for feedback - Listening skills.

Promote a sufficient level of relationship with the employee that favors active and close listening. Avoid technology distractions like checking the phone while a team member is talking. A servant leader asks open-ended and follow-up questions as a matter of course, not just when something is wrong.

Don't just ask general questions. Specific questions may help you gather the information to support the employee and the team in a holistic way. For example, suppose an employee appears to be having difficulties. In that case, the leader knows the context to ask questions related to the likely barriers standing in the way.

Pros and Cons of Servant Leadership

In the world of accelerating change and increasing uncertainty, companies need more capable, empowered workers solving problems and identifying new opportunities every day.

By giving ownership and some control to employees, servant leadership style can amp up employee's motivation and courage to be more creative and innovative. This can strengthen the corporate culture, decrease voluntary turnover and draw out more engagement and commitment from employees.

On the other hand, getting it right takes time, energy, and skill. Getting to really know people, their motivations, and areas of growth takes time. Translating a vision into clear objectives and priorities, to communicate clearly and engage and motivate a team takes time. The results don't happen overnight. It's not easy.

Pros of servant leadership

Cons of servant leadership

Servant Leader at any level

It is not necessary to have a high influence role in your company to start practicing the servant leadership style. Lead projects by supporting the rest of your colleagues, addressing the needs, and providing resources and support may show successful and positives result at any level.

Aída Lopez Gomez BetterUp Coach

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Servant leadership: what makes it different?

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Leaders have a vision. They have a strong sense of what their organization or team needs to become and why. Leadership is about setting direction and bringing their organizations along to realize the vision. Leaders have different ways of interacting with their teams to put leadership into practice.

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13 Signs of High Emotional Intelligence

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In 1995, psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman published a book introducing most of the world to the nascent concept of emotional intelligence. The idea--that an ability to understand and manage emotions greatly increases our chances of success--quickly took off, and it went on to greatly influence the way people think about emotions and human behavior.

But what does emotional intelligence look like, as manifested in everyday life?

For the past two years, I've explored that question in researching my forthcoming book, In doing so, I've identified a number of actions that illustrate how emotional intelligence appears in the real world.

1. You think about feelings.

Emotional intelligence begins with what is called self- and social awareness, the ability to recognize emotions (and their impact) in both yourself and others.

That awareness begins with reflection. You ask questions like:

What are my emotional strengths? What are my weaknesses?

How does my current mood affect my thoughts and decision making?

What's going on under the surface that influences what others say or do?

Pondering questions like these yield valuable insights that can be used to your advantage.

The pause is as simple as taking a moment to stop and think before you speak or act. (Easy in theory, difficult in practice.) This can help save you from embarrassing moments or from making commitments too quickly.

In other words, pausing helps you refrain from making a permanent decision based on a temporary emotion.

3. You strive to control your thoughts.

You don't have much control over the emotion you experience in a given moment. But you can control your reaction to those emotions--by focusing on your thoughts. (As it's been said: You can't prevent a bird from landing on your head, but you can keep it from building a nest.)

By striving to control your thoughts, you resist becoming a slave to your emotions, allowing yourself to live in a way that's in harmony with your goals and values.

4. You benefit from criticism.

Nobody enjoys negative feedback. But you know that criticism is a chance to learn, even if it's not delivered in the best way. And even when it's unfounded, it gives you a window into how others think.

When you receive negative feedback, you keep your emotions in check and ask yourself: How can this make me better?

5. You show authenticity.

Authenticity doesn't mean sharing everything about yourself, to everyone, all of the time. It does mean saying what you mean, meaning what you say, and sticking to your values and principles above all else.

You know not everyone will appreciate your sharing your thoughts and feelings. But the ones who matter will.

6. You demonstrate empathy.

The ability to show empathy, which includes understanding others' thoughts and feelings, helps you connect with others. Instead of judging or labeling others, you work hard to see things through their eyes.

Empathy doesn't necessarily mean agreeing with another person's point of view. Rather, it's about striving to understand--which allows you to build deeper, more connected relationships.

7. You praise others.

All humans crave acknowledgement and appreciation. When you commend others, you satisfy that craving and build trust in the process.

This all begins when you focus on the good in others. Then, by sharing specifically what you appreciate, you inspire them to be the best version of themselves.

8. You give helpful feedback.

Negative feedback has great potential to hurt the feelings of others. Realizing this, you reframe criticism as constructive feedback, so the recipient sees it as helpful instead of harmful.

9. You apologize.

It takes strength and courage to be able to say you're sorry. But doing so demonstrates humility, a quality that will naturally draw others to you.

Emotional intelligence helps you realize that apologizing doesn't always mean you're wrong. It does mean valuing your relationship more than your ego.

10. You forgive and forget.

Hanging on to resentment is like leaving a knife inside a wound. While the offending party moves on with their life, you never give yourself the chance to heal.

When you forgive and forget, you prevent others from holding your emotions hostage--allowing you to move forward.

11. You keep your commitments.

It's common nowadays for people to break an agreement or commitment when they feel like it. Of course, bailing on an evening of Netflix with a friend will cause less harm than breaking a promise to your child or missing a major business deadline.

But when you make a habit of keeping your word--in things big and small--you develop a strong reputation for reliability and trustworthiness.

12. You help others.

One of the greatest ways to positively impact the emotions of others is to help them.

Most people don't really care where you graduated from, or even about your previous accomplishments. But what about the hours you're willing to take out of your schedule to listen or help out? Your readiness to get down in the trenches and work alongside them?

Actions like these build trust and inspire others to follow your lead when it counts.

13. You protect yourself from emotional sabotage.

You realize that emotional intelligence also has a dark side--such as when individuals attempt to manipulate others' emotions to promote a personal agenda or for some other selfish cause.

And that's why you continue to sharpen your own emotional intelligence--to protect yourself when they do.

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In 1995, psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman published a book introducing most of the world to the nascent concept of emotional intelligence. The idea--that an ability to understand and manage emotions greatly increases our chances of success--quickly took off, and it went on to greatly influence the way people think about emotions and human behavior.

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High vs. Low

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Emotional Intelligence Assessment

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Four Dimensions

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Inspirational Quote

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This is one of my favorite images.

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How Humble Leadership Really Works

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When you're a leader - no matter how long you've been in your role or how hard the journey was to get there - you are merely overhead unless you're bringing out the best in your employees. Unfortunately, many leaders lose sight of this.

Power, as my colleague Ena Inesi has studied, can cause leaders to become overly obsessed with outcomes and control, and, therefore, treat their employees as means to an end. As I've discovered in my own research, this ramps up people's fear - fear of not hitting targets, fear of losing bonuses, fear of failing - and as a consequence people stop feeling positive emotions and their drive to experiment and learn is stifled.

Take for example a UK food delivery service that I've studied. The engagement of its drivers, who deliver milk and bread to millions of customers each day, was dipping while management was becoming increasingly metric-driven in an effort to reduce costs and improve delivery times. Each week, managers held weekly performance debriefs with drivers and went through a list of problems, complaints, and errors with a clipboard and pen. This was not inspiring on any level, to either party. And, eventually, the drivers, many of whom had worked for the company for decades, became resentful.

This type of top-down leadership is outdated, and, more importantly, counterproductive. By focusing too much on control and end goals, and not enough on their people, leaders are making it more difficult to achieve their own desired outcomes.

The key, then, is to help people feel purposeful, motivated, and energized so they can bring their best selves to work.

There are a number of ways to do this, as I outline in my new book Alive at Work. But one of the best ways is to adopt the humble mind-set of a servant leader. Servant leaders view their key role as serving employees as they explore and grow, providing tangible and emotional support as they do so.

To put it bluntly, servant-leaders have the humility, courage, and insight to admit that they can benefit from the expertise of others who have less power than them. They actively seek the ideas and unique contributions of the employees that they serve. This is how servant leaders create a culture of learning, and an atmosphere that encourages followers to become the very best they can.

Humility and servant leadership do not imply that leaders have low self-esteem, or take on an attitude of servility. Instead, servant leadership emphasizes that the responsibility of a leader is to increase the ownership, autonomy, and responsibility of followers - to encourage them to think for themselves and try out their own ideas.

Here's how to do it.

Ask how you can help employees do their own jobs better - then listen

It sounds deceivingly simple: Rather than telling employees how to do their jobs better, start by asking them how you can help them do their jobs better. But the effects of this approach can be powerful.

Consider the food-delivery business I previously mentioned. Once its traditional model was disrupted by newer delivery companies, the management team decided that things needed to change. The company needed to compete on great customer service, but, in order to do so, they needed the support of their employees who provided the service. And, they needed ideas that could make the company more competitive.

After meeting with consultants at PricewaterhouseCoopers and some training, the management team tried a new format for its weekly performance meetings with the drivers.

The new approach? Instead of nit-picking problems, each manager was trained to simply ask their drivers, "How can I help you deliver excellent service?" As shown in the research of Bradley Owens and David Heckman, leaders need to model these types of servant-minded behaviors to employees so that employees will better serve customers.

There was huge scepticism at the beginning, as you can imagine. Drivers' dislike of managers was high, and trust was low. But as depot managers kept asking "How can I help you deliver excellent service?" some drivers started to offer suggestions. For example, one driver suggested new products like Gogurts and fun string cheese that parents could get delivered early and pop into their kids' lunches before school. Another driver thought of a way to report stock shortages more quickly so that customers were not left without the groceries they ordered.

Small changes created a virtuous cycle. As the drivers got credit for their ideas and saw them put into place, they grew more willing to offer more ideas, which made the depot managers more impressed and more respectful, which increased the delivery people's willingness to give ideas, and so on. And, depot managers learned that some of the so-called "mistakes" that drivers were making were actually innovations they had created to streamline processes and still deliver everything on time. These innovations helped the company deliver better customer service.

What it comes down to is this: employees who do the actual work of your organization often know better than you how to do a great job. Respecting their ideas, and encouraging them to try new approaches to improve work, encourages employees to bring more of themselves to work.

As one area manager summarized: "We really thought that we knew our delivery people inside out, but we've realized that there was a lot we were missing. Our weekly customer conversation meetings are now more interactive and the conversations are more honest and adult in their approach. It's hard to put into words the changes we are seeing."

Create low-risk spaces for employees to think of new ideas

Sometimes the best way for leaders to serve employees - and their organization - is to create a low-risk space for employees to experiment with their ideas. By doing so, leaders encourage employees to push on the boundaries of what they already know.

For example, when Jungkiu Choi moved from Singapore to China to start his gig as head of Consumer Banking at Standard Chartered, he learned that one of the cultural expectations of his new job was to visit the branches and put pressure on branch managers to cut costs. Branch staff would spend weeks anxiously preparing for the visit.

Jungkiu changed the nature of these visits. Instead of emphasizing his formal power, he started showing up at branches unannounced, starting his visit by serving breakfast to the branch employees. Then, Jungkiu would hold "huddles" and ask how he could help employees improve their branches. Many branch employees were very surprised and initially did not know how to react. But Jungkiu's approach tamped down employees' anxiety and encouraged ideation and innovative ideas.

Over the course of one year, Jungkiu visited over eighty branches in twenty-five cities. His consistency and willingness to help convinced employees who were sceptical at first. The huddles exposed many simple "pain points" that he could easily help solve (for example, training for the new bank systems, or making upgrades to computer memory so that the old computers could handle the new software).

Other employee innovation ideas were larger. For example, one of the Shanghai branches was inside of a shopping mall. In the huddle, employees asked Jungkiu if they could open and close the same times as the mall's operating hours (rather than the typical branch operating hours). The team wanted to experiment with working on the weekends. Within a few months, this branch's weekend income generation surpassed its entire weekday income. This was not an idea that Jungkiu had even imagined.

These experiments paid off in terms of company performance. Customer satisfaction increased by 54 percent during the two-year period of Jungkiu's humble leadership. Complaints from customers were reduced by 29 percent during the same period. The employee attrition ratio, which had been the highest among all of the foreign banks in China, was reduced to the lowest among all foreign banks in China.

Be humble

Leaders often do not see the true value of their charges, especially "lower-level" workers. But when leaders are humble, show respect, and ask how they can serve employees as they improve the organization, the outcomes can be outstanding. And perhaps even more important than better company results, servant leaders get to act like better human beings.

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When you're a leader - no matter how long you've been in your role or how hard the journey was to get there - you are merely overhead unless you're bringing out the best in your employees. Unfortunately, many leaders lose sight of this.

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5 Ways to be a more Authentic Leader

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Leadership Values

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Core values determine how you execute leadership, how you create your team environment, and the overall success of your company. The values you display as a leader will permeate your entire organization and affect its performance.

Leaders who adhere to their values earn the respect and commitment from their teams. Value-driven leadership can inspire others, not just to follow them but to adopt those values as their own.

While our values and preferences tend to be innate by the time we are adults, they are often obscured by external pressures, social norms and expectations. We can be thoughtful in identifying and understanding our values and deliberate in discovering how they manifest in our work. By embracing the notion that leadership qualities can be developed, it follows that leadership values can be chosen and developed as well. Whether you are at the beginning of your leadership journey or reevaluating your existing leadership values list, here are ten important leadership values to consider integrating into your own work life:

As a leader, you are in a position of power. Instead of trying to retain all that power and control for oneself, an effective leader empowers others and amplifies their own impact as a result. By micro-managing or prescribing exact actions, you may be creating a force of effective worker bees-but this environment will never produce a new queen. By empowering others through mentorship and delegation of complex tasks, you will create a stronger team with future leaders you can rely on with confidence.

VisionLeaders are tasked with the important responsibility of creating and maintaining the visions for their organizations. When you center vision as a leadership value, this means you keep the big picture vision at the forefront of your decision-making. It also means employing foresight to plan for obstacles that may get in the way of your company's vision, and being ready to update the vision as more experience and information is gained.

Communication is the foundation of any relationship. In a work setting, centering communication as a core leadership value manifests in many ways. It can take the form of conveying context to employees, setting clear expectations for individuals and teams, and providing and seeking constructive feedback. A leader may have a clear vision, but unless communication is a driving value, others will not be able to share it.

Positive reinforcement and providing recognition to your team members are important forms of communication. It can be tempting when things are busy to speed along without making the effort to show that you noticed someone's contribution. Without recognition though, team members can become unmotivated and their productivity will grind to a halt. By demonstrating an observant and appreciative behavior, you will encourage others to reinforce one another too, boosting morale across the organization.

Empathy is the ability to understand others, see from their point of view, and feel what they are feeling. The importance of empathy as a leadership value is not simply to be nice or likable-you can build a far stronger team by exercising empathy and truly understanding the motivations of each person with whom you work closely. Empathy will help you match people's strengths and skills to roles where they can make the most impact. It will help you build and sustain positive and productive relationships. It will help you recognize the core values of others on your team, knowledge that you can harness for the betterment of each individual and the company.

Leaders must constantly be learning. To be in that receptive state of mind requires humility. Opportunities to build wisdom can easily be lost if you are not willing to recognize and process mistakes. Humility also means knowing when to ask for input from others. If you have a gap in knowledge in a certain area, seek advice from those with more experience, or from coaches. If your strategy is not connecting with your audience, consult the people closer to the work, or your customers.

Respect can be demonstrated through many of the behaviors already listed here: empowering others, communicating with them, recognizing their abilities, and empathizing with their situations. Respect should also move in all directions. Treat upper management, your board, employees, and customers with the respect they deserve to gain respect in return. It's also important to build a culture where differences are respected and appreciated. A diversity of viewpoints within the organization is a strength, and those who differ from you in opinion should feel as valued as those aligned with you.

A key nature of business is change, and as a leader, you often take the brunt of big changes-or even initiate them. You must be able to weather these times, not only for yourself, but for your team. This is not to say you can't have human reactions to challenges, but ultimately your team will respond to how you handle hardship and communicate the outcomes. Employees look to their leaders for cues during unpredictable phases, and a show of resilience at the top will bolster the entire organization. Resilience has tangible positive outcomes as well. As BetterUp's study on resilience shows, it increases revenue, encourages innovation, and retains employees.

Transparency does not mean telling everyone everything as soon as you hear it-there is a time and a manner in which to convey information. You want to be aware of how new information impacts people, and impart it with care, utilizing values we've discussed like empathy, communication, and respect. Take a company reorganization for example: you don't want to sound the alarm that change is coming before you've worked out the details. Neither do you want to spring news on people the day before everything shifts. Valuing transparency in this case would mean communicating why there is a reorganization, getting other company leaders on board for how it affects them and their own teams, hosting a Q&A for everyone who will be affected, and setting clear expectations for how and when changes will take place.

Both transparency and integrity are forms of honesty, a character trait that gains respect and trust. As a leader, integrity means approaching all of your work with consistency and coherency: the way you communicate with others, carry out the mission of your organization, and approach new situations. Integrity means honoring commitments (including to yourself) and doing what you say you will do, as well as approaching challenges in ways that are coherent with other values and beliefs.

Leading with integrity can sound abstract because it encapsulates so much, but you can think of it as integrating all of your core leadership values - the end doesn't justify the means if the means violate our core values. The people who work for us notice if we only exhibit our values when times are good. By knowing your leadership values, consulting them, and having them guide your actions, you will be leading with integrity.

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Every successful leader has values they keep at the center of their work, though the length of the list and the values prioritized may differ. Learn what leadership values are, understand the importance of a leader with values, and see our list of ten values all good leaders should have.

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Most Important Skills for Each Career Level

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