Antoine and I just returned from a project that literally took us around the world: from Cincinnati to Lucerne, Vienna, Singapore and Malaysia. Through our workshops, we had the opportunity to ask about 200 executives from around the world this question:
Who is your leadership icon/role model and why do you look up to them?
The specific icons mentioned were extremely diverse. Rarely was the same person mentioned more than once. These icons ranged from entrepreneurial CEO's and former managers to social and political leaders.
More interesting though was, that despite the fact the executives were from a wide range of countries (US, UK, France, Russia, Turkey, Jordon, Israel, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Bulgaria and others), the reasons they looked up to their icons were very similar. Below are the 4 common themes we heard.
- Courageous: The most frequently mentioned traits of admired leaders involved courage. Traits such as being visionary, an innovator, and a risk taker were mentioned most often. They told stories involving the courage to take an unpopular stand, the courage to go in a new direction, and the courage to make mistakes and to be vulnerable in front of superiors, peers and direct reports.
- Disciplined: The icons cited were also described as hard working and focused. They work long and hard, and kept a vigilant focus on the goal they are working towards for.
- Energized: Passion, enthusiasm, and morale builder were the third most mentioned traits. These icons believed in their work, were excited about it, and knew how to get others to connect with their own passion.
- Team Focused: Finally, executives mentioned getting people to work together. Leadership icons knew how to build coalitions and assemble teams of people with complementary skills. They trusted people and empowered others to get the job done.
While this is not a scientific study, the results beg an important question:
Are you the kind of leader your people look up to?
If these four areas are so commonly looked up to around the world, one can extrapolate that your people are looking for the same kind of leadership. They want leaders who are courageous, hard working, psyched up and team focused. So, the next time you are faced with a critical leadership decision such as making an investment, implementing a new idea or hiring/firing personnel, you may find it helpful to ask yourself if your action is in line with these 4 traits. If it is, your people will cheer and feel proud that they are working for a leader they can look up to.
And as always, let us know how it is going out there in the trenches.
