Leading in Today's (crazy) World

I recently received a newsletter from Ackermann Public Relations firm*. They had a really nice article on leading that I thought was worth repeating here:

The challenging times in which we find ourselves call for today's business leaders to stretch beyond their comfort zones. Several recent research studies show that strong and effective leaders do the following:

* They Know Themselves - they understand their leadership style and how to optimize their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses. They are honest with themselves in this regard.
* They Focus on Outcomes - they help their teams prioritize and stay focused on what matters most.
* They Listen - they practice "active listening" and ask lots of questions. They also emphasize and reframe issues when necessary.
* They Understand Their Audiences - they are able to identify with their audiences and put themselves in their customers' and their employees' shoes.
* They Know Their Role - they understand that their job is to help put things in context and to motivate desired behavior.
* They Understand the "New Normal" - they provide an optimistic yet realistic view of the future, based on an accurate reading of the present.
* They Understand That the Intangibles Matter - they look beyond the obvious and try to understand and respond to the more subtle, intangible needs of their audiences and stakeholders.
* They are Short on Hype and Long on Consistency - their communication is regular, constant and positively repetitive.
* They Take Care of Their Best People - they help their brightest performers grow and don't expend energy on negative people and non-performers.

Are you practicing good leadership skills?

*Ackermann pr, 111 Northshore Drive, Suite N-400, Knoxville, TN 37919, www.ackermannpr.com