Senior execs responses to, ‘What’s the first job of a leader?’

Last month I attended the the annual conference of MTAA (Medical Technology Association of Australia). During the conference breaks I surveyed delegates regarding the following question: ‘What’s the first job of a leader?’ Below are the responses to that question (in no particular order).

–    Vision (x 2 people said this)

–    Tell it like it is

–    Set the culture & vision

–    Develop the next generation of leaders

–    Passion

–    Inspire team to contribute in collaboration

–    Deliver certainty

–    Integrity

–    Dynamic, charismatic

–    Set the direction/example (x 2 people said this)

–    Build cohesion and inclusion

–    Be a role model

–    Manage yourself first

–    ‘Slow the game down’; keep the team focused on the result

–    Inspire (x 2 people said this)

–    Crystalise, focus, deliver

–    Define the needs of staff & shareholders

–    ‘Architecture’

–    ‘Help them get there’

________

At the conference I shared with the delegates, the research of Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, authors of the book The Leadership Challenge. Kouzes and Posner researched the characteristics of admired leaders across a wide range of countries. Their research revealed that for the last 20 years, the top, four characteristics of admired leaders have been:

1.    Honest

2.    Forward-looking

3.    Inspiring

4.    Competent

The ‘how to apply’ for this post: Review the above survey list and for the next seven days choose a idea/technique and daily apply it in your interactions and sales presentations.

p.s. my response to the question, ‘What’s the first job of a leader?, is: Be a beacon of hope.