Your Leadership Skills Can Make or Break Your High Growth Dream

Great books have been written about what makes a strong leader, and I am not going to tell anyone how to lead and which leadership style to apply. After all, I am convinced that founders have to be authentic anyway. People sense if founders masquerade as someone else.

But if you are a founder have a look at the following questions you may ask yourself. The questions have to do with communication, self-regulation, and self-awareness and may help you reflect on your leadership style and ability to deal with conflicts. You will have to draw your own conclusions, but I guess that me asking these questions shows you how I believe a strong leader might answer them.

• Do you manage your emotions effectively?
• Can you control your impulses and moods?
• Are you consciously communicating?
• Do you think before you speak and act?
• Do you genuinely listen, or do you listen already thinking about how to respond?
• Do you gather insights and facts before you interpret and act?
• Do you communicate effectively ensuring that your messages are well-understood?
• Do you create an environment where people feel ‘safe’?
• Do you have empathy and give people space to share personal and professional views and feelings? 
• Do you encourage opinion sharing, debate and fresh perspectives?
• Do you work to connect emotionally with your employees and make them feel seen, heard, and valued?
• Do you show respect?
• Do you pursue a ‘tough on the issue, soft on the people’ approach? 
• Are you radically honest without making it personal?
• Are you aware of your strengths and weaknesses?
• Do you hire people who complement you?
• Do you appreciate diversity and hire accordingly?
• Do you hire people who have better skills than you?
• Do you hire people who can tell you what to do or people whom you can tell what to do?
• Do you give credit for successes and assume responsibility for failure?
• Do you empower people and delegate important tasks?
• Do you walk the talk?
• Are you trustworthy?
• Are you alert to confirmation bias and to searching for and interpreting information in a way it confirms your beliefs, desires, and preconceptions, and thereby to disregarding important information and deviating thoughts?
• Do you consult your key stakeholders before you make material decisions?
• Do you trade your values for value?