Defining Trust
What makes a great leader? Management theorist Simon Sinek suggests, it’s someone who makes their employees feel secure, who draws staffers into a circle of trust. But creating trust and safety — especially in an uneven economy — means taking on big responsibility.
Defining Guidance
The single most important thing a boss can do, Scott has learned, is focus on guidance: giving it, receiving it, and encouraging it. Guidance, which is fundamentally just praise and criticism, is usually called “feedback,” but feedback is screechy and makes us want to put our hands over our ears. Guidance is something most of us long for.
The Innovative Leader
| The innovative leader |
|---|
| Leads from the side |
| Inspires |
| Trusts and delegates |
| Finds new approaches |
| Harnesses the abilities of others |
| Has a clear vision and communicates it |
| Prioritizes strategic over operational issues |
| Asks questions and solicits suggestions |
| Treats staff as colleagues |
| Ponders and solicits input before making decisions |
| Builds a team who can create and innovate |
| Empowers |
| Hires based on attitude, creativity and latent capabilities |
| Encourages constructive dissent |
| Cares about ideas, peoples and the vision |
| Shares exposure and prestige with the team |
| Encourages ideas, innovation and fun |
| Rewards entrepreneurial action |
| Is ideas-oriented, analytical and intuitive |
| Sees technology as a means to do things entirely differently |
| Takes calculated risks |
| Is comfortable with failure |
Source: Innovation management
Justification Of The Choices Made
Let’s contrast two extremes of leadership style that I have designated as the command and control leader and the innovative leader. The command and control leader is goal-oriented, authoritative and decisive. He or she is well suited to a structured regime with clear tasks. The innovative leader, on the other hand, is better suited to an ambiguous or fluid situation. He or she is much more focused on creativity, innovation and helping the team to find new ways forward.
Source: Innovation management
The Other Alternatives That Were Not Chosen
- Command and Control