We have all heard of the Golden Rule, treat others the way you want to be treated. Well the same goes for leadership, lead people the way you want to be lead. Most of us have worked for great leaders and some of us have even worked for leaders we hope to never work for again!

I was curious about insights regarding the best leader some of my colleagues ever worked for. So I asked them to tell me what made the leader special, what were their top leadership attributes as well as to share their own leadership philosophy. I am happy to report that there are some really awesome leaders out there.  I’m also here to report that leadership basics never go out of style.

Seek first to understand – According to Jacques, the best leader he ever worked for kept his team from the garbage that sometimes flows downhill from the executive team by being the buffer. When something went wrong instead of assigning blame he would stay calm and sought first to understand what happened.

Lead by example – Justin shared that leading my example is more important than charisma. Charisma can be helpful in certain situations. However a leader with too much charisma can let their ego get out of control, keep the ego at home and we’ll follow your example.  Don’t talk the talk…walk the walk.

Be respectful – Leaders don’t ask of others what you can’t or won’t give. If you can’t be respectful of your employees, don’t ask them to respect you. Remember respect is a long term sustainable energy; everyone learns and everyone gains.

If leading by example is how we teach our children to be good citizens of the world, then leading by example is also one way strong leaders can change the culture of a company from negative to positive. Your employees want to do a good job for you.  By creating an atmosphere where employees can grow you allow them freedom to follow your lead.

For more leadership insights, contact us for a complimentary leadership assessment.