In a conversation with a new colleague last week, she asked me a great question: “What are you noticing about great leaders these days?”
My mind hopped to the research I’ve been doing for my forthcoming book on ELASTIC leadership, but then three things came out of my mouth, based instead on the work of inspiring leaders I’m collaborating with right now:
- Great leaders think big. They operate at a scale that goes beyond where most of us live day-to-day.
- Great leaders repeatedly cast a motivating vision. Not the kind that gets hung on the wall, but the kind that connects people to purpose and keeps them moving forward when they risk getting mired in muck.
- Great leaders forge unlikely but necessary alliances to get things done. Even though they function at a high altitude, they give us that perspective in pragmatic ways to make an impact.
Not a bad list for a spontaneous answer! 🙂
If I were in conversation with you about this today, what else would you add? More importantly, what could we do today to act more like a great leader?