Let’s Talk About Leadership

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a presentation hosted by the ACCA (Alberta Community and Co-operative Association) involving EQUS, UFA Co-operative Limited & Calgary Co-op. Having read numerous books and articles, watched videos and taken courses about leadership, I couldn’t pass up a chance to hear from real-life CEOs what it takes to be a leader, their experiences, and perspectives on it.

Leadership is about vision and responsibility, not power. Seth Berkley

Let’s just say those 2 hours were well spent. Here are some of the highlights.

Being adaptable to change and embrace it with agility and flexibility.
Being a good listener and a lifelong learner.
Empowering your team by letting them fail and learn from it. Self-reflection is important.
Empower your staff to speak up and learn to receive it gracefully.
Coaching is #1 for everyone. A leader needs to be a coach/ mentor and he/she has to be open to being coached.
Having interpersonal skills. Being able to connect with people. In our digital age, it is crucial to know how to communicate directly with people.
Finding your “why”. If you can’t find your purpose your staff won’t care for it. When they understand it and agree with your vision, they will become your greatest advocates.
Being accountable to yourself and to the organization. Don’t let yourself off the hook.
Stepping forward when others step back. Work harder than most, roll up your sleeves and be ready to dig in. When opportunities present themselves be ready to take them. Even better, create opportunities.
Be willing to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Build your own resilience and test it over time. Don’t wait until you are backed up against a wall.
Know what you are good at, what you are not so good at and own it.
Have a sense of humor about yourself. Laugh at yourself or you will have a very stressful life as a leader.