Spotting Misunderstood Leadership Traits
It’s hard to find a one-trait-fits-all for leadership. None are always effective, and no one trait works the same in every situation. In the right hands, most approaches or skills can be highly impactful for a leader who truly understands their potential and can modify their approach to the situation at hand. However, when traits are misinterpreted or used incorrectly, they can have unintended consequences to the team and organization's detriment. Here are 3 traits that I think are the most misunderstood:
Leader as Protector
The first overrated leadership trait I'd like to focus on is that leaders need to protect or shield their teams from everything. Shielding from harm or unnecessary distractions is beneficial to some extent, but only if it is balanced by environmental and operational transparency. Employees are not children and do not need to be shielded from hard truths and challenges. I was working with two organizations in the early months of the pandemic that were both struggling financially due to customer loss. One chose to hide the challenges from the organization and ended up needing to furlough and then fully lay off 1/3 of their workforce. Another chose to be upfront with the financial situation and entertained suggestions from the organization on cost cutting. Leaders took pay cuts, employees shortened their work weeks, eliminated two struggling service lines, and streamlined their operations. They were able to retain 90% of their workforce and even grow their existing service lines.
The Charismatic Leader
While charisma may help create an initial spark in a leader, it is not enough to make them successful. It can also turn out to be a liability, especially when it causes others to be swayed into a course of action that goes against what they would normally consider prudent. There are many other skills and traits that one must possess, such as being an effective communicator, possessing an understanding of the industry or organization they are leading, and having a strong moral compass to make sure decisions reflect the values of the team. Furthermore, having a charismatic leader does not necessarily guarantee success; in order to truly be successful, a leader must also have the ability to inspire and motivate others and remain committed to the cause.
Creative Overabundance
An idea is not a solution. You can come up with ideas that are not viable solutions to the problems at hand, making those ideas obsolete. I also feel that there is an overemphasis on creativity as a leadership quality. Having an idea is one thing, but having the creativity to bring that idea to life, the vision to see it through, and the foresight to anticipate potential problems is quite another. Be careful not to confuse creativity with vision and foresight. Executing an idea is the hardest and most important part of the creative process. Execution requires a different kind of leadership quality altogether; it requires the ability to lead a team of people towards a common goal, keep them motivated, and most importantly, have an end in sight.
No leadership trait is all good or all bad. Take some time to consider the traits you're currently utilizing with your team and reflect on which ones will support the type of leader your team needs.
