By: Dave Newell

Do you want to become a successful leader? Leadership is not a static trait. Leadership is a dynamic process of continuous growth and adaptation. At Evolve, we work with a lot of different leaders, entrepreneurs, and business owners. Some really knock it out of the park and astound us with their emotional intelligence and business acumen. Others really struggle with establishing themselves as compassionate, effective leaders.

When running a business, there are behaviors that stand out that indicate a leader’s ability to drive a business forward. In this case, successful leaders possesses these five leadership behaviors:

1. Systematize: Intentionally design and build systems that are simple and scalable.
2. Prioritize: Set clear boundaries (what to focus on and what not to focus on) and hold the line.
3. Make it Small: Break down big goals into small, clear actions. Bridge the gap between big goals and the day-to-day work.
4. Champion the Narrative: Repeat your company’s narrative (where it’s going and why) again and again until everyone can tell the same narrative. That’s when culture can really thrive!
5. Leverage Tension: Great leaders lean in when things get tough. They leverage tension to make themselves and their people better.

We’ve identified these Five Leadership Behaviors for you … so now what? Here’s are the first steps on your path to mastering the Five Leadership Behaviors:

Embrace Lifelong Learning

Continuous Education: Stay updated with the latest trends in your industry. This could be through formal education such as degrees and certifications, or informal methods like attending workshops, webinars, and reading industry-related books and articles. Or even deep dive into your favorite niche subject on YouTube.

Learn from Experiences: Success and failure are both opportunities to learn. How do you use your past experiences to grow? 

Cultivate Emotional Intelligence

Self-Awareness: Understand your strengths, weaknesses, emotions, and how they affect your interactions. Self-reflect and source feedback from trusted colleagues to understand how others truly perceive you.

Empathy: Strive to understand and share the feelings of others. This builds stronger relationships and fosters a supportive work environment.

Manage Your Emotions Through Meditation: Learn to regulate your emotions through mindfulness and meditation, especially in stressful situations. This will help you maintain a calm and composed demeanor, which is crucial for effective leadership.

Develop Effective Communication Skills

Listen Actively: Engage fully in conversations, listen to understand rather than to respond. This shows respect and consideration for others’ ideas and opinions.

Be Thoughtful: Ask people details about their lives and remember what they tell you. Treating people like human beings worthy of kindness and respect is the bare minimum. 

Request Feedback: Provide and receive constructive feedback graciously.

Foster a Growth Mindset

Embrace Challenges: View challenges as opportunities to grow rather than obstacles. This mindset encourages innovation and resilience.

Encourage Learning: Promote a culture of learning within your team. Support your team members’ growth and development by providing opportunities for them to learn and improve.

Build Strong Relationships

Network: Build and maintain a network of professionals both within and outside your organization who have your back. Your network can provide support, advice, and new opportunities you couldn’t have even imagined.

Seek Mentorship and Mentor: Seek mentors who can provide guidance and insights based on their experiences. Similarly, mentor others to share your knowledge and help them grow.

Adapt to Change

Be Flexibility: Be open to change and adapt your strategies as needed. All effective leaders know how to pivot quickly in response to new information or changing circumstances.

Innovate: Encourage creativity and innovation within your team. Welcome and take new ideas seriously.

Lead by Example

Integrity: Demonstrate honesty and ethical behavior in all your actions. This builds trust and sets a standard for your team.

Work Ethic: Show commitment and dedication to your work. And know how to work efficiently and effectively 

Focus on Team Development

Empower Others: Delegate responsibilities and empower your team members to take ownership of their work. This builds confidence and competence within the team.

Recognize and Reward: Acknowledge the efforts and achievements of your team members. Regular recognition and rewards can boost morale and motivation.

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Do you want to grow as a leader? Take our 5Facets Leadership Assessment and then schedule a free, 1:1 call with our team!