The Heart of a Leader: The Power of Habits and Mindset

In this Heart of a Leader series, we seek to help you fortify your inner life, your character, as a leader. Out of your heart come many things that will build up or weaken your team. So, it is vital to take a few moments to observe and evaluate the habits and mindset that define you.

Content with Oneself

A hallmark of a team leader is personal security. They are content with their strengths and weaknesses, the way they are designed, knowing what they bring to the table. Their significance does not stem from others’ approval, nor are they in need of constant affirmation for their ego. They are content with themselves and forge a path ahead. It can be tragic when an insecure person is given a leadership role and is not strong enough in himself or herself to maintain direction and conviction.

A wise leader is also comfortable with adding other strong leaders who challenge and complement his or her own leadership. There is no better prescription for executive effectiveness than the words Andrew Carnegie, the father of the U.S. steel industry, chose for his tombstone: “Here lies a man who knew how to bring into his service men better than he was himself.”

Leaders Care

Effective team leaders are genuinely concerned for their teammates. They have compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. A study released in 1993 was conducted of executives who failed to reach their full potential. Ten fatal flaws were identified as factors leading to their downfall. The top two flaws were “insensitivity to others” and a “cold, aloof personality.” Have you experienced this characteristic in someone else? When you have, you know it, right?

Leaders know the importance of understanding people. “Until people feel that you understand them, they will not be open to your influence,” writes Covey. The popular tenet also proves true: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” As a general rule, individuals buy into the leader before they buy into his or her vision. Cultivate trust. Be transparent. Stay patient. Strive to see life through their eyes.

Learn the hopes and dreams of your team. Begin building a bridge between the vision of the organization and their personal goals. How can you connect the two? Leaders also ask questions about families and hobbies. They are seen walking the corridors, talking with people at the copy machine, and hand delivering words of appreciation.

Leaders Encourage

Leaders find every opportunity to affirm members of the team. If you had a fan club, your team leader should be the president. How strengthening it is to receive an uplifting, timely word.

But for lack of encouragement, willing workers find that the vigor they otherwise would contribute to the organization is squeezed out of them. For lack of encouragement, those who would work overtime, accept and overcome huge obstacles in the way of progress simply run out of steam. For lack of encouragement, those who consider attempting imaginative new enterprises consider it not worth the effort. They did not need others to do their work for them. They simply needed to get the green light of encouragement to move ahead. This green light of encouragement is the “go ahead” ingredient indispensable for leading motivated people.

A leader sees affirmation as a self-replenishing gift to be given out liberally. He or she knows that an anxious heart weighs a person down, but a kind word cheers him up.