Be Brave! Leadership Attributes to Drive Change

Everyone fancies themselves a leader of change, but the fact is most people don’t like drastic change and like to stay in the pack. Most leaders make subtle changes here and there to continue to improve the business. They have very solid reputations and highly successful careers as great leaders and stewards of the business. 

And then there are the others that like to think different and poke the bear. We purposely take on risk to drive meaningful change and bold innovation. It’s just who we are. 

As an agent of change we are always thinking how can we do it better, different, what are we missing, we are constantly in motion. As a leader there are specific attributes that are necessary to drive change, whether you are making subtle or drastic changes these ten leadership attributes are critical to drive, sustain and deliver the change required to continuously improve your business.

LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES FOR INNOVATION AND CHANGE 

CURIOSITY As a leader in any organization it is not only vital but required to be learning everyday. This includes everything from staying current with industry trends, learning from others, learning from competitors, other industries, experiencing new ideas, self and formal education and as well as an understanding that others might have a different perspective than you.

COMPETENCE This is very simple. You need to be awesome at what you do. You need to constantly be delivering results, challenging the status quo, improving and mastering your area of expertise, building your team and expanding your influence. If you are not regarded as one of the best at what you do, it's time to make a personal action plan to start improving to change that perspective. 

HUMILITY Know what you don’t know. There are many leaders, in all parts of an organization, that have an insatiable need to be right. Asking others for their input and getting their honest feedback on your programs and leadership style makes you a better leader. It’s important to go back and question your “truths” to understand how things may have changed and how you may need to adjust your perspective. This also extends to how you treat others. No body needs to kiss the ring. We are all there to do a job and everyone’s contribution is valuable, the sooner you realize this the better leader you will become.

CONFIDENCE There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Everyone knows an arrogant leader, in fact they probably just popped into your mind. Confidence is not being afraid to be wrong and to learn from it, it’s defending a position with facts and research not emotion and being willing to learn from another point of view, it’s taking responsibility for shortfalls and correcting. It’s not bragging about every little accomplishment, it’s not trying to overshadow another person or department, it’s not getting caught up in your own hubris, it’s taking care of your team even in tough times

RESILIENCE No one likes change, even though everyone will tell you they are all about driving change the fact is most people are scared of change. As an agent of change you will be criticized and ridiculed in the first stages when big ideas are introduced. Unfortunately, in some cases when projects are successful other senior leaders may try to take credit for your work. You may have failed projects held over your head. Change is hard, change takes grit. If you feel strongly about a program that the data and research supports you will need to push through the naysayers and in the end the results will be worth it. You will get shut down, other’s may not understand your vision but it is on you, not them, to figure out where you are falling short on the communication strategy or should you move on and let the project go. Change is hard. 

STRENGTH Driving innovation and leadership requires a calm hand on the wheel in the storm. As a leader who drives change and innovation you will come face to face with extreme situations which will require you to make hard decisions, stay firm or in some cases kill a project. You will be pressed hard on the validity of your ideas. There will be times that you will need to take the hit for the team and show resolve. Leadership is hard and you must show strength and be the rock for you and the team.

BUILD ALLIANCES No one can get anything done alone. Your project and the actions of your department impact multiple departments. In any change situation it's necessary to understand the other areas that you will need for support and partnership as well as the areas that will be directly impacted. It is important to align with those leaders early in the process. Share your visions, show them how this will positively impact the organization and their area, understand and address their concerns, bring them in as a partner and ally, then start to build a coalition of leaders to create a ground swell of positive energy and excitement around the vision of the future. Remember your priorities are not their priorities so the best ideas may never see the light of day if there is not support or resources to support. 

ACCOUNTABILITY Great ideas are incredibly exciting and fun to envision the future but if you can’t execute, sustain and deliver results they are useless. It’s all about the results. There are many free thinkers who have a flurry of incredible ideas on a daily basis but don’t have a solid business case to support and can’t bring it to market. When they do it lasts about a year, loses momentum and eventually goes away. If you do not have a wherewith-all to plan and lead a team to implement, execute, and sustain to deliver the desired results that were promised you will soon find that your “great” ideas will lose their audience in the future and your reputation will suffer. 

INTEGRITY It’s everything. It’s your word, your reputation, your actions, how you treat people and how you hold yourself and others accountable to a higher standard. Once you lose it, it is gone. Don’t chance it, not for a second. 

BE BRAVE Driving change and innovation is hard work. In many cases no one has directly asked for your idea but you see a new, some times radical, way of doing business differently that will enhance the guest experience, drive sales and profit or bring about a new business model. As a leader feel compelled to follow this direction because it's ingrained in you as a leader that drives change. Others may not want to hear it, some may passive aggressively sabotage the project, you will be told it’s not a priority and some will fail with real consequences. 

Leaders take risks. As a leader that drives innovation its in your soul. Take risks, be bold, define new boundaries and be brave! 

 As Mr. Marriott said, “Success is never final.”