From Skillsets to Mindsets // Exploring the Value of Modern Characteristics in Leadership
Why the future of leadership depends on a mindset shift, from skills and capabilities to personal characteristics and behaviours.
When discussing what it takes to be a good leader, conversations are frequently centred around the skills required to perform the role, but there is little collectively discussed about the characteristics and behaviours that need to sit alongside these skills. Living in a complex and developing environment, it is now more important than ever to be a thoughtful and impactful leader. Recently, Forbes featured an article looking more closely at important leaderships skills for the 21st Century. Inspired by radical conversations about modern leadership and how we can redefine it, the team at The Zebra Project has taken this a step further, outlining what we view to be core leadership characteristics, essential for guiding a modern workplace.
So, what have we identified as key characteristics so far?
Humility and Candour
The role of humility within leadership is often glossed over. For too long arrogance and ego have been synonymously linked with high powered leaders. Leading authentically by admitting you do not know everything and are willing to learn and evolve is valuable and in turn, shows you can be adaptable, empathetic, and importantly, approachable.
Authenticity and transparency are vital leadership qualities when it comes to humble leadership. While the world was well and truly tested through the pandemic, honesty became the only way to build trust. This also served leaders in not only attracting, but also retaining the best talent and building true customer loyalty.
Generosity and consciousness
Generous and conscious leaders place the wellbeing and development of their teams above their own interests. Leaders with these traits foster collaborative environments, building a connected community within the culture of the business.
Through discussions with our Zebra community, we identified and agreed that leaders who choose to serve their organisations – engaging with and understanding their teams, getting to know them and the motivation behind their work – out-perform those that stay within the boundaries of more traditional leadership styles.
Creating a mindset shift from having power over somebody to being able to empower others, that is the Zebra way.
Curiosity and Bravery
The key to discovery, is curiosity. And the path to discovery is through bravery.
Zebra leaders have a fierce curiosity and desire to discover, understand and actively shape the future, and not to be blind-sided by it. In solving the problems of the past, these leaders understand that discovering a new path is key to success.
Brave leaders who have the courage to make the decisions needed to make a positive change, and who are willing to face failure build cultures in which bravery is rewarded and people feel safe, seen, heard and respected.
Creativity and Imagination
Creativity fosters a successful and healthy workplace environment - opening opportunities for collaboration, problem-solving and inspiring teams to explore inventive new ideas.
Coupled closely with creativity, a leader must also have imagination to navigate unforeseen challenges with creative solutions. The heart of innovation is imagination and creativity – providing the freedom to be a visionary leader.
Supporting leaders in developing and protecting these characteristics
We live in an increasingly complex world, supporting leaders with modern qualities is more important now than ever. We can do just this by re-framing the conversation and focusing on how we think and not what we think – taking it from skillset to mindset – building awareness and development of the characteristics and behaviours of the leaders we need to build the ‘good’ businesses of today and tomorrow, the Zebra businesses, which are fundamentally built upon four core pillars:
· Purpose and impact-driven
· Culturally inclusive
· Connected by design
· Ethically innovative
The Zebra Project brings together a cultivated cohort of business leaders, creative thinkers and visionaries to explore and develop our own leadership DNA, together. With this, we support leaders in developing and protecting these key characteristics as they help us shape the future world of work.
Do you agree with how we have characterised the Zebra leader? Let us know if there are any qualities you think are important.
Join us at www.thezebraproject.co
Talk to us at zebra@taylorvinters.com
