Great Leadership Behaviors

Great leaders may not be born that way, but the behaviors that mark the best and
lead to success can be developed and refined over time. Seven of the most important:

1. Being grounded in ethics and integrity. Both are hallmarks of the most

successful leaders – those who are deeply committed to doing the right things
for the right reasons, even when it is difficult or unpopular to stay the course.
This underscores the importance of adhering to high principles and
professional standards, and doing so with consistency.
2. Building trust. This isn’t something that just comes automatically to a
leader. It’s something the most successful know they must earn. To that end,
they take actions that gain them respect. They involve others in decisions that
affect them rather than making unilateral calls. They are transparent and
consistent, so subordinates know what to expect (and can count on it).
Successful leaders act in a way that makes others proud to be associated with
them.
3. Bringing others along. It’s important to help others grow and achieve, and
the best leaders serve as both coaches and teachers in pursuit of that goal. It
takes looking at individuals and treating them as such in understanding their
distinct needs, abilities and goals. At the same time, it takes working with
people to help them uncover what they do best and ways to strengthen their
assets.
4. Inspiring those around you. The most successful leaders have a vision
that motivates people to follow. But it’s not just the vision – for whatever
future or goal or purpose – that inspires. It’s expressing it with passion and
energy, and backing it with strong beliefs and values that count. It’s a matter
of exciting people to be equally engaged and uplifted at being a part of
something bigger and better.
5. Making decisions. Anybody can make a decision. But it takes a great leader
to take on the hard decisions with authority and confidence. Success here
comes from balancing emotion with reason, enlisting input from others to
ensure the move forward is well-informed, yet acting with authority. Even
when decisions may be unpopular, a leader who honestly communicates the
rationale behind them is in a better position for long-term success.
6. Encouraging innovation. Innovative organizations give their people the
space to stretch their creative wings. The culture to make this happen is set by
leaders who encourage the art of “possibility” thinking and looking at issues
from different perspectives – and who share how such practices have worked
for them. The most successful leaders also understand the importance of
training people in being more innovative through questioning, observing,
experimenting and networking, and to that end ensure that employees get
work time each week to do outside-the-job creative endeavors.
7. Reward achievement. No one likes to see their hard work and
accomplishments go unrecognized. The best leaders make a habit of calling
out people who make contributions to the organization, and they do it in in
both a timely and appropriate manner. This may be expressed through a
tangible reward or a public acknowledgement. Either way, it is a function of a
leader who not only sets and shares specific expectations, but shows what
happens when individuals meet them. Most importantly, the best leaders
deliver what they promise when that happens.
THESE ARE THE TOP 10 BEHAVIORS OF HIGH PERFORMING

MANAGERS:

1) COACHING 
The most important sales manager behavior that sales reps tell us is important
centers simply on coaching. This includes coaching strategies like providing feedback
and training, giving advice, role playing, and offering educational opportunities. A
critical best practice is holding regular 1:1 meetings. 

2) COMMUNICATING 
Second, reps report communication as highly valued.  Behaviors in this theme
include sharing of information, giving background, explaining the reasons behind
personal and corporate actions and active listening.

3) LEADING SALES 
In third place, reps report that good sales managers are also sales leaders. These
managers demonstrate good sales practices, create and practice good sales strategies,
help with problem accounts, close deals and help acquire new business.

4) MOTIVATING 
Sales reps also tell us that good sales managers are managers that are effective
motivators. These managers give encouragement, praise, and make an environment
where reps feel compelled to give their all. I highly recommend this Motivation
White Paper which digs deeper into this behavior.

5) COLLABORATING 
Behaviors that work to build collaboration and synergy between reps and managers
was the fifth most often mentioned theme. Here, reps talk about the value of sales
managers who are open to new ideas, involve the team in decisions, are approachable
with problems, and who foster teamwork.

6) CREATING INTERPERSONAL CONNECTIONS 

Reps report they want managers who extend themselves personally and
professionally to their reps. Managers can do this by demonstrating they care for
their reps as individuals, reacting appropriately in difficult situations and showing
reps that they understand how they work. Here's a blog that will give you more ideas
on how to build stronger relationships with your team members. 

7) PROVIDING AUTONOMY 
Next, reps tell us that autonomy is important. Sales managers who excel at this
provide their reps some latitude while also holding reps accountable to their actions.
8) KNOWING THE INDUSTRY/PRODUCT
Knowing your industry is also important. Reps see the value in managers who hold
knowledge of either their particular sales industry and/or the products being sold. 

9) SHARING CREATIVITY AND INSIGHT

Coming in ninth are behaviors relating to the idea of the manager being a source for
the generation of new ideas or for problem solving. Responses here included thinking
outside the box, having good ideas, being creative, playing the role of a counterpoint
or sounding board, or offering a fresh perspective to the situation at hand.

10) BEING KEEN TO CLIENT NEEDS

Completing our list is a theme comprised of behaviors indicating that the manager is
keen or astutely aware of client needs and/or being concerned with customer
satisfaction. 

Continuum of Leader Behavior

In 1958 Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1973) expanded on Lewin, Lippit, and

White's three leadership styles by extending them to seven styles and placing
them on a continuum as shown in the diagram below:

Notice that as you go from left to right, it moves from manager-oriented

decision making to team or subordinate oriented decision making, thus the
team’s freedom increases while the manager’s authority decreases.
Depending upon the present level of your team's experience and skills, you
select a starting point and as the team grows and develops, you move from on
to the next one:
 1. Manager makes decision and announces it – The team has no role in
the decision-making role. Coercion may or may not be used or implied.

2. Manager “Sells” decision – Rather than just tell, the manager needs to
sell the decision, as there is a possibility of some resistance from team
members.

3. Manager presents ideas and invites questions – This allows the team to
get a fuller explanation so they can gain a better understanding of what
the manager is trying to accomplish.

4. Manager presents a tentative decision that is subject to change – This

action invites the team to have some influence regarding the decision;
thus, it can be changed based on the team's input.

5. Manager presents the problem, gets suggestions, and then makes the
decision – Up to this point the manager has always presented the
decision, although the last style allows it to change based upon the
team's input. Now the team is free to come up with options, however,
the manager still has the final say on those options.

6. Manager defines limits, and requests the team to make a decision –

The manager delegates the decision making to the team; but instills
specific limits on the team's solution.

7. Manager allows team to function within limits – Now the team does
the decision making, however, the manager's superior may have placed
certain limits on the options they can make. If the manager sits in on
the decision making, he or she attempts to do so with no more
authority than the other members do.

Basically, the first two styles or behaviors are similar to the authoritarian
style, the next three are similar to the participative style, while the last two
are similar to the delegative style. This approach gives the leader more
options that can be refined to specific situations or environments.

Together, Howell and Costley (2001) wrote the first five styles. Shortly after
their work was published, Costley passed away. Howell then went on to list
two new ones (King, 2001):

+5

o Supportive Leader - Support and help with team member's

development, show consideration, and is people oriented.
 o Directive Leader - Delegate tasks to new team members and use when a
culture or situation prefers that the status be well defined.

o Participative Leaders - Involve team members in decision making by

using different approaches depending upon the situation; listen to
disparate voices, and then create an alliance.

o Reward and punishment leaders. Recognize and reward followers;

provide punishment when required (normally in the form
of counseling ).

o Charismatic Leaders - Have a strong effect on followers by appealing to

their emotions, aspirations, needs, and values.

+2

o Boundary Spanning Leader - Build networks for the team by

representing the team with higher-ups and connecting them with other
groups.

o Social Leader - Build and forge social exchanges.

The authors note that these are not styles in which a leader normally
operates out of one mode, but rather the leader fits one of the above seven
styles to fit the situation and the characteristics of his or her team to achieve
the best outcome. Thus, they are behavioral patterns that good leaders know
how and when to operate out of.

References- http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/social_lead.html