6 Keys To Being Viewed As An Exceptional Business Leader

I am convinced that none of the business leaders I have met or known in my career was recognized as born with the leadership attribute, but earned it by learning and demonstrating the relevant skills along the way. As a mentor to aspiring new business founders, I’m often asked what skills are required, and how to acquire them. I’m sure that most business professionals have the same concerns.

Most people agree that leadership is critical in starting and running any successful business. You may be the one who envisioned the idea and built the plan, but it takes leadership to propel a team of people, including many constituents, to successfully execute the plan, overcome all the challenges, and manage it to long-term success.

Thus, in these times of major market changes and business volatility, I was disappointed to see a Gallup survey that shows trust in business leaders has been dropping. Only 21 percent of U.S. employees strongly agree that they currently even trust the leadership of their organization. That means that fewer of today’s business management executives are viewed as real leaders.

If you aspire to be one of the candidates who understand that real leadership is a privilege rather than an entitlement, I recommend that you focus on key relationship skills, independent of your job title, including the following:

1. Use your power to inspire and advance the position of others. Avoid the perception that you are attempting to improve your personal position through leadership demands on others. The best leaders focus on making the world a better place by focusing on a higher purpose in society, improving the environment, or giving back more than they take.

2. Develop storytelling and more effective communication. In my experience, effective leaders practice over-communication, using multiple mediums ranging from team meetings, mission statements, event updates, to individual emails. Relating personal stories to make a connection assists understanding and builds trust in your agenda.

3. Celebrating team achievements in front of their peers. Usually recognition by peers is more effective in building loyalty and commitment than monetary awards and bonuses. People like to be recognized for even small personal achievements, and see you as a leader for calling these out, rather than you taking personal credit for all good progress.

4. Always deliver on promises, even if won through negotiation. Work constantly to improve your negotiation skills, and never fail to deliver on the promises you make. You need to be trusted as a deal-maker, and followed as one who demands equity and excellence in all you efforts. Make your expectations clear and simple for all to see.

5. Asking questions and listening are key skills to nurture. Aspiring leaders who do more talking than listening rarely get the trust they expect. You need to actively solicit feedback through questioning and watching the body language of team members, constituents, and customers. Constant interruption limits contribution and your learning.

6. Business leadership is best learned from failed initiatives. I have concluded that major business innovators and leaders, such as Steve Jobs, developed their leadership skills from hard struggles and negative experiences. Leadership is not a born trait, but one that is honed through taking risks and pure determination to accomplish their dream.

Even if you are not currently in a leadership role, I’m convinced you can improve your image, productivity, as well as your job satisfaction, by practicing the relationship skills outlined above. Business relationships are the foundation for all leadership efforts, including solving customer problems, making strategy decisions, and countering competitive threats.

Of course, it is never too early to learn what you need to manage your own business or career down the road. All business opportunities are now global, adding an extra layer to your challenge of bringing people together and operating in unfamiliar cultures. Now is your golden opportunity to step ahead of the pack, and achieve the leadership potential that you always envisioned.