5 Ways to be a Better Every Day Leader

Anyone whom has ever seen “Braveheart” remembers the speech that Sir William Wallace gave just prior to sending his under-armed and underprepared soldiers into what appeared to be a suicide mission to fight the “English.”

The speech was invigorating. Making the viewer want to jump out of their chair and into battle. And if the legend is true it was the springboard of an unexpected victory for the Scottish in a battle that Vegas would have deemed them a sure loser.

Moments like that, where the leader stands before his or her team and drives such results are the highlight reel for leadership. But when it comes to real leadership those moments are few and far between and attaining such results from those rare events is a byproduct of many other things; it isn’t in that moment where the leader becomes revered or inspirational. That determination had been made over time and the leader had emerged in every day moments rather than flashes of brilliance.

For anyone that has led a business, a team or an organization, you recognize that some days being a leader is quiet, passive and perhaps even relatively uneventful. But just because you aren’t on stage or pounding a fist on the boardroom table doesn’t mean that your daily contributions don’t matter.

In the grand scheme of leadership, those “Braveheart” moments where a few choice words lead people to accomplish the unthinkable are rare and must be saved for the most extraordinary of circumstances. While these types of speeches are great for Hollywood, Just like anything, an overabundance of this type of leadership will minimize the effectiveness of these moments.

Suffice it to say, pick your moments wisely.

But if leadership isn’t a daily regimen of pounding your fist on the boardroom or giving the “Ra-Ra” speech that moves the needle a foot when you only need an inch; then what is it?

The rest of the time leadership is subtle, unassuming and really the driver of most results that drive an organization forward.
 

Leadership the Rest of the Time

 
So what does every day leadership look like?

Here are 5 things every day leaders do that drive results and ultimately makes the “Big Moments” count.

Listen: Great leaders spend far less time talking than they do listening. The great orators may seem like great leaders, but their speaking to inspire and its effectiveness is usually built on the effectiveness of their listening. The reason that their words inspire you so much is usually because they have come to understand the audience. It is then that they can lead most effectively.

Exemplify: Many managers and supposed leaders expect certain things from their people, but they fail to lead by example. When they want more hours out of the team they ask for it, but they still pack up at 5. That isn’t leadership, that is management in its worst form. Every day leaders understand the importance of setting a good example.

Feedback: Most individuals performance thrives on continuous feedback yet companies and their management rarely provide it more than once a quarter. If you want every day results from people, continuous feedback is a key motivator. Waiting for the “Review” is a certain way to minimize results and alienate your people.

Dependable: Reliability is an undervalued trait, but is so important for leaders. To get the most from people, they usually need to have a certain comfort level. Most people find great comfort in a leader that is dependable. For instance showing up on time, valuing your time and the time of others and providing deliverables that are promised. Every day leaders focus on being highly dependable.

Passionate: When a leader is passionate about their business it resonates in everything that they do. Even the most mundane conversation sparks just a little bit of excitement. This isn’t because they are trained speaker or actors, this is because you can’t help but get behind them because it is so clear that they believe in what they are saying. Passion resonates in business and so does negativity and cynicism; therefore being positive and passionate can have tremendous results every day.

 

Applying Every Day Leadership

 
Sir William Wallace only gave his memorable speech one time. But it was on the heels of years of leading his people every day.

In the moment he was riveting, but his support came from listening, exemplifying, communicating and showing a passion for his people, his country and their “Freedom.”

And while what we do, for whomever we do it for, may seem trivial in comparison to leading your country to war for its freedom, the actions that drive results are the same.

It is what we do every day, in between those “Big Moments,” that give us the influence and credibility that make those rare opportunities to stand before our teams so rewarding.