In a recent poll on LinkedIn, I asked people around the world how they viewed leadership in America

Ironically, this wasn’t a political poll or intended to stir up political debate.

It was about "leadership", honest feedback, perception gaps, better communication and listening to understand the needs of the people we lead.

The post didn’t do as well as most of my polls. I suspect it was because the results were inconsistent with algorithms trained to penalize conversations inconsistent with preferred political narratives. Which is unfortunate.

There’s much to be gained from the insight I did receive.

People around the world and in America are disappointed in their leaders.

Many leaders in politics and corporate environments have drifted away from offering a vision that encourages collaboration, kindness, tolerance, and empathy in favor of taking sides and choosing between political ideologies.

That isn’t inclusive and it isn’t diverse.

The definition of diversity includes “The state of being diverse, variety”. That includes race, religion, gender, orientation, and a myriad of other beliefs, including political predilections.

Many people are focused on their own definition of diversity, which refuses to include any inconvenient alternative to a belief system that is rigid, uncompromising, and intolerant.

Big surprise when asking people “confidentially” about the quality of leadership at their organization, the opinions are overwhelmingly negative. In the case of my poll, 80% of all those who responded said leadership is weak, vulnerable, and failing to bring people together.

Corporate America should pay attention.

Just because people comply and remain silent, doesn’t mean we are galvanizing support, building loyalty, trust, and better communication. We are merely building cults that worship at the altar of ideology, politics, and social experimentation.

Sorry, great leaders can’t afford to make that fatal mistake.

When leaders become married to beliefs it’s like being married to a business plan. They sink or swim based on their enormous assumptions, and those assumptions are often wrong.

So how do we encourage honest feedback, develop strong corporate cultures and value the opinions of the people we lead to create cohesion and success?

"Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal. "

--WALT DISNEY

TO BE A SUCCESSFUL LEADER 8 VALUES ARE ESSENTIAL:

01. EMPOWER

Many leaders struggle with delegating or sharing authority. They hang on to control or crave the power that coincides with being in a position of influence. Great leaders understand the importance of letting go and hiring exceptional people they can coach, mentor, and cultivate. In the process, leaders are free to focus on what truly deserves their undivided attention.

02. VISION

There’s nothing worse than working for someone without a clear vision of the future and the inability to articulate that vision clearly. Politicians that use nebulous rhetoric to describe some arbitrary future or dance around difficult issues to appease people that lack the ability to think for themselves. Organizations need leaders that see the future and specify the best path to arrive there.

"Much of leadership is the ability to communicate something that people want."

03. COMMUNICATION

Poor communication skills destroy many corporate environments, and many people lack the emotional aptitude to recognize the dysfunction they create from communicating poorly. When our values are intact, we articulate a message that’s consistent, strong, and rich with confidence. There’s nothing ambiguous about our convictions, and we create a culture that encourages respectful interaction, constructive feedback, and plenty of appreciation.

04. INFLUENCE DOES NOT MANIPULATE

Many top-level executives and people in politics wrestle with massive egos that have never been domesticated. They seek power and control, and many struggle with borderline personality disorders. They are manipulative and dishonest. Real influence occurs when we blaze a trail that invites remarkable people on the journey, and they come along willingly. We influence people with love, respect, true innovation, consistency, integrity, and consistency. Great leaders influence people, and those people make huge contributions that benefit the organization.

05. EMPATHY

No question that empathy is critical for great leadership. However, much of the empathy on display in corporate work environments and politics is disingenuous. Real empathy requires time and commitment. It’s a process of truly getting to know people and understanding their motivation. It also demands being accountable and holding other people accountable. That’s where the problem arises for most leaders.

06. HUMILITY

Without a commitment to constant learning, leaders become stagnant and lack wisdom. Real knowledge requires sharing what we know to improve those around us. It also demands strong emotional intelligence. Research shows most people think they have high emotional intelligence, but only 15% do. Humility is the product of being honest and insisting on honest feedback, transparency, vulnerability, and accountability. Without humility leaders start to believe in their own brilliance and resist feedback, criticism, or beneficial advice.

07. COMMITMENT

Strong leaders are passionate and have clear purpose. They also make commitments they plan to honor and demand the same from others. It’s a mindset of tenacity and consistency that conveys a powerful message. We do what we say and say what we do here. When we make commitments to one another, we honor our obligations.

08. RESPECT

When an organization values respect, it is modeled from the top. Diversity, inclusion and all the buzzwords that compel organizations to hire consultants is practiced. People feel safe and everyone is valued equally. People speak their mind and diversity of thought, political views, religious beliefs, lifestyles, orientations, and race are welcomed. Nobody is penalized because they don’t confirm ideological or political beliefs, tolerance and respect are offered to everyone. It’s a business not a social experiment.

"An organization's ability to learn and translate that learning into action is the key to a competitive advantage. "

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