We have over time extolled, exalted and eulogized the role of a leader who above having a strong business sense also displays amazing 'People Leadership' Skills. But that is rather scopious.
What exactly does a business leader do differently to be classified as a business leader with 'People Leadership' acumen ??? Let me call them - People Soft Business Smart - 'PSBS' Leaders .
Looking back at some of the finest Business Leaders with 'People Leadership' acumen that I have been associated in my career with, let me identify certain common trends these 'PSBS' Leaders reflected :
1. Connect : PSBS Leaders have a unique bond of one-on-one emotional connect with each of their team members. Each member believes that he has a direct link and that 'Boss' was the protector of his interests. In moment of crisis, he could certainly knew where to turn to for support.
2. Sizing Skills: PSBS Leaders observe what people do objectively in work situations and figure out why they do that to make sense out of it. This helps them interact effectively with people by selecting the appropriate action they need to undertake from a range of alternatives.
3. Communications : PSBS leaders are masters at 'Empathetic Communications'. By that I mean, they change & modify their messages, their style, their tone, their language and their behavior to match the situation and the person. Sizing helps them there They communicate anger when they need to but that is not the only emotion they carry on them all the time. Nor are they always so soft & understanding that they could be taken for granted.
4. Adaptive : PSBS Leaders have business deliverables. They understand that this is not possible without people teams supporting him. They thus shape their people strategies & motivational actions depending on individuals & situations. The beauty is that everybody thinks that he/she was specially close to the boss. And that was true, though in fact, no one person was more close than the other.
5. Motivational : They have ability to make each team member believe his role is critical to the success of the business strategy. He thus Aligns, Connects and uses all ways to Engage & Motivate the team members to perform to their best
6. Rampart : In actual crisis or personal adversities, he stands with his full support, firm like a barricade, to pull out the person from crisis. By living up in expectation to what people had imagined, he thus builds undying loyalty.
Bob, my revered mentor in GE , many moons ago gave me a mantra and that has stayed with me all along. Let me share what he said. He said that an Effective People Leader is one who knows when to put his arms around others ... and yet not allow others to put their arms around him !!!
Think about it