I’ve not yet read the biography of Steve Jobs, but have certainly heard a lot about his leadership since he passed away. It strikes me that he wasn’t good with people (this may be an understatement, by the way). Stories of his arrogance, selfishness, explosive personality, and demeaning others abound. Yet he was a genius who was able to encourage others to create great things for Apple and our world.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful. Steve Jobs was a brilliant one-man powerhouse of creativity. But I wonder how much more Apple could have been if Steve Jobs were smart, creative, and consistently a positive, uplifting leader of people. How much did he leave on the table in terms of new ideas, creativity, new products and growth through his lack of people skills?
I have had the honor of working with a number of high potential senior leaders in technical organizations who are similarly smart and creative. The vast majority of them also understand the importance of being good leaders of people and work hard at being the kind of leader that we would all love to work with. Nonetheless, there are always areas that they can improve upon.
If you are a senior leader who has been successful and have had feedback that you are a good leader of people, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you are perfect and there is no room for improvement. I’m certain Steve Jobs had moments when he was a good leader of people, but all indications are that he could have used more of it.
We are all human. We can all improve, no matter how great we are at leading others. Here are some of the most common areas that the best leaders can improve upon:
Connection and Attention: Connect with others more. When you are with others, focus on them. Put away the distractions, turn, and look them in the eye. Don’t cut them off. Listen to them. Ask them questions. Be empathetic and respectful in your attention to them, even when you are angry with them.
Recognition and Praise: Everyone likes to be recognized for the work they do well. Yes, critical feedback is important. But in my experience, employees want to know if they are on the right track. Watch for what they do well, and let them know that you’ve observed. Positive feedback and praise are in short supply – you can always give them more.
Mission and Vision: Your followers want to know “what are we about?” and “where are we headed?”. Involve them in developing the mission and vision and then communicate it in as many ways that you can – in your speech and your actions; in different venues and through different media. You might think you’ve communicated it enough, but people will hear the message when they are ready.
No matter how good you are at leading, you can always get better. What do you need more of?
