Job Description for a Thriving Leader
November 12th, 2009 | 
Author: I had some fun thinking about what the job description for a “thriving leader” might look like after reading the wonderful guest post on Dan McCarthy’s blog about Getting Beyond Survive to Thrive at Work. I took some liberties and added many of my own thoughts. What do you think? What would you add?
Job Title: Thriving Leader
Job Purpose: Lead others in the organization in such a way as to release the potential they may be holding back (even if they are unaware that they are doing so).
Duties:
- Must know yourself: what`s important to you? Your values, your purpose, your ways of being a leader.
- Must be able to express the above to your followers.
- Must be able to let go of having all of the answers. Understand that your followers` knowledge is important.
- Next, get to know your followers personally. “Followers” are not strictly limited to your employees, but inclusive of your manager, your peers, your customers, your vendors, etc.
- Understand what others need from you and then give it when you can. Follow through on the commitments you make.
- Become strategic about your relationships: who can help you? What can you give back?
- Communicate more than you think you need to, and in more ways than you thought possible.
- Be visionary. Communicate the vision. Then do it again and again.
- Listen to others to the point of disappearing.
- Become curious, and ask powerful questions “What do you need from me to get the job done?” “What are the barriers to achieving your full potential”?
- Keep working at all of the above. Don`t stop when the going gets tough or stress is high; in fact, you must step up your efforts in these times.
- Meet the organizational goals for your position. You already know what they are, and by using the above competencies, go above and beyond them.
Primary Objectives:
- Genuinely create and foster relationships within the workforce that are positive, healthy, focused on using the talents of each and every individual in the organization in order to inspire, influence and motivate all to meet business objectives.
- Intentionally assure your own self-development and the development of every individual around you.
- Assure that the greater good is served by serving those around you.
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7 Responses to “Job Description for a Thriving Leader”
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Love it, MJ! But my number one would be:
Must know those you have been given the privilege to lead and truly care about what they value.
Something like that..
Thanks! Bret
In the followers department, I look for leaders who don’t just think of staff as subordinates; rather true leaders see the value and contributions of all and share the success. I see too many leaders who think that they have made it happen all on their own.
Very nice.
I love this creative way to describe what a thriving leader should be!
Under primary objectives, I think I would add something about removing obstacles so that others (followers) can thrive.
I love the post, Mary Jo, as I did Dan’s. I think each person will have their own list, slightly different from your list or anyone else’s.
I would add something about reveling in your work. You need to find the joy in what you do and then embrace it daily.
Mary Jo, a great post! Building on Bret’s point, I spent an entire chapter in Practical Lessons in Leadership describing, The Power of Paying Attention. This concept is more than the trite words of “paying attention,” but truly working to understand the people that work for you…to pay attention to their PTLs…(projects to live) etc. Paying attention to and getting to learn and appreciate people as unique individuals is one of the highest forms of respect that a leader can pay to his/her team members. -Art
Great post Mary Jo, thank you. My addition: Find ways to convince your team that they can be part of creating something absolutely GREAT. More than compensation or individual recognition can achieve, the opportunity to be part of a winning team that does great things together, in my experience, creates a dynamic of self-fulfilling success. Younger people feel it instinctively, veterans know just how rare an opportunity it is. Great leaders create this environment.
Bret, Deirdre, Tom, Wally, Art, Richard: How blessed am I to have your wisdom added to this post! Wonderful, insightful additions. I don’t know what more to say, except thank you.