13 Foundational Leadership Principles
If you don’t understand these 13 principles, you shouldn't be leading anyone.
1. The foundation is trust
Your team needs to have full trust in you and you need to trust your team.
Trust builds relationships, and relationships are key to your success.
It starts with you setting the example by delivering on your word.
Trust is the glue keeping your team together in a storm.
2. Stay humble
Humility is a leader’s most important value.
It keeps your ego in check, ensures you ask for help and keeps you working hard to honour the title of leader.
3. Always build relationships
Relationships trump rank every time.
People won’t follow you because of your title, they follow you because they like, trust and respect you.
Relationships are a leader’s most potent investment in future success.
4. Clarity of purpose
Understanding the why ensures people support you and the plan amidst chaos and adversity.
Repeat your team’s purpose at every chance you get.
You can’t state it often enough.
5. Own everything
Whether in business, at home or with yourself. There is no one else to blame.
Taking ownership of your mistakes helps you learn from them and builds trust with your team.
A team taking ownership is unbeatable in the long-run.
6. Empower your team
But not just lip-service. When you tell them ‘go lead’, let them lead.
It might not be perfect, but the plan that they come up with, means more to them than your direct order.
7. Be comfortable with conflict
People always find a way to create conflicts.
Your job is to thrive amidst conflict.
Be empathetic, listen and reflect.
Don’t shy away from friction.
Use it to find a better way.
8. Prioritise & Execute
Sometimes there are fires you must put out. Calls that must be made.
But don’t let other people or a non-strategic mindset derail you.
Think long-term.
What can you do right now to ensure success tomorrow, next year? Then go and execute.
9. Simple
Keep it clear, concise and to the point.
Communication
Project plans
Strategy
Complicated = Weak
10. Know your gaps
You don’t know everything and no one expects you to.
A great leader knows what and where their weaknesses are.
Then, they go out and recruit people to fill the gaps, creating a bulletproof team.
Note, often the people you need to recruit are the ones you experience friction with. That’s ok. Just make sure you both understand that.
11. Build-in time for reflection
It is your duty as a leader to make time to review how you’re doing.
A reflective leader is one who grows with their company and doesn’t need to be replaced.
12. Trust your gut
A leader must be in tune with his intuition and his inner voice.
If a situation feels off, or a person seems untrustworthy, trust your gut.
It’ll save you money and time.
13. It all comes down to culture
Culture permeates all aspects of what your team does and how it does it.
Creating a culture of authenticity and ownership is a leader’s greatest accomplishment.
