This list is particularly for those of us that work with volunteer singers, but also as we work with staff members, employees, or others that look to us for leadership. This list moves beyond the technical and managerial demands of leadership, and is in addition to the vision, energy, authority, and strategic abilities mentioned in previous posts. These traits consider how we capture the hearts, minds, and spirit of those we lead:
*Be human—As leaders, we do make mistakes and have errors in judgment. We show that we are human when we admit the mistake, and in collaboration work to learn from the error and build from the lessons learned. The image of a “perfect” leader is a joke, and a formula for one big failure at some point.
(Photography by Emma Jane Sharp)
*Learn off the chart—I learned a long time ago that business succeeds and fails, one day at a time, not all at once. That is why I study spreadsheets and reports every day, and one cell at a time. However, the same can be true for our interactions with others. The real life spreadsheet and life-report of another human being is written on their face, in their body language, and in their actions. They don’t spell it out for you with data, but rather through daily interractions, body language, and impressions. Learn from that information as well as the statistical data.
*Couple empathy with high expectations—We must care for those we work with, but care comes with the added dimension of caring about high expectations for those we lead. Setting low goals and low expectations has long been a way to avoid disappointment with others, but it is not the way of the inspirational leader.
*Be you—Being an honest leader also means bringing your own gifts and uniqueness to your role of leadership. I act authentically only out of who I am, not how others would want to shape me. Those same high expectations apply to me, as well, but to be the best of what I have to offer.
As postscript, I need to say that the above list is not easy, which is no different than any other aspect of good leadership. I have to work at each of these areas, and they represent gauges on my own personal mental dashboard as I work through my week. I have learned, however, that being inspirational is more than simply a finessed approach to sales or a matter of pumping up the energy.
Marie Grass Amenta says
Matt Koehlinger says
Ronald Richard Duquette says
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