International Leadership Week: are you connecting with intent?
Between 15 and 21 April 2024, the Institute of Leadership celebrates International Leadership Week.
This year's theme is #CollaborateForSuccess - recognising that effective leadership goes beyond individual accomplishments and focuses on bringing people together to work towards a common purpose. It highlights The Power of Collaboration in harnessing diverse perspectives, skills, and strengths to overcome challenges and achieve meaningful outcomes.
What makes a good leader?
My work is all about leadership and I’m lucky to work with some incredible leaders doing great things. I also come across lots of ‘accidental leaders’, leaders who were great at their jobs so took the natural next step of leading a team. Leadership is often a new and different skill set entirely. For example, a good salesperson doesn’t necessarily make a good leader of salespeople. Not only do organisations fail to invest sufficiently in setting expectations or building capability, new leaders underestimate the magnitude and responsibility of their role.
I was at the offices of a client one recent Monday morning. En route to the meeting room, I bumped into a gentleman looking lost. Being helpful, I asked him if he was looking for somewhere in particular. He replied that he was looking for the kitchen, adding that it was his first day with the firm and his line manager had decided to work from home. Needless to say his first impressions of the company and his new manager weren’t fantastic.
I was astounded. How can any leader think that working from home when they have someone new starting on their team think that is good leadership? Yet I come across situations like this regularly. Where did we go wrong?
Connect with intent
At HEX, we know that the best leaders lead with intent. We have our own leadership framework which we use with our clients, THE INTENTIONAL LEADER®. This comprehensive framework recognises that at the heart of great leadership is a core intention: a deep desire to use their leadership to help their team, organisation, and the world better. Without this, leadership can’t be successful or effective.
Our framework takes inspiration from Amy Cuddy, Matthew Kohut, and John Neffinger, who wrote the famous ‘Connect then lead’ HBR article in 2013. One of core elements of THE INTENTIONAL LEADER® is to connect with intent, valuing strength, agency, and competence, but prioritising warmth, communication, and trustworthiness. In connecting with intent, we encourage leaders to ask four questions to each of their team members:
What energises you and what do you love doing – I’ll get you doing more of this.
What frustrates you – I’ll get rid of as much of this for you as I can
Is it clear what I need from you – then you know where to spend your time
Do I know what you need from me – then I can give you the support you need
I’ve seen these four questions make a fundamental difference to a team’s connection and performance in short timescales. In fact, when I recall some of the great leaders I’ve had the privilege of working for, they all knew the answers to these questions when it came to me.
Collaborate for success
Without intentional connection, there is no opportunity to #CollaborateForSuccess, or to effectively work towards a common purpose. So, this International Leadership Week, reflect on whether you’re really leading (and connecting) with intent, or is there more to do?
Interested in learning more about THE INTENTIONAL LEADER®? Get hold of your free guide to leadership here.
