The Three “B’s” of Leadership Success
The three B’s of Leadership are traits that come from within. They can be developed over time, but are inherent within each of us.
The number one “B” is Buoyancy. Having buoyancy means being resilient. You need to be one who has a light heart; is encouraging; unsinkable and uplifting. You add purpose to the work you and your team are engaged in. And as such you are required to be buoyant. Buoyancy means to be positive, positive, and always positive. Don’t spend your time looking for things that went wrong; spend it looking for things that went right, and then build on them. Leaders must be able to manage up. Never display a behaviior of blaming your boss, which many people do, you’ll never empower yourself to become a strong leader. Do not provide insincere flattery, but rather build a rapport with your boss in the same way as you would any other colleague. Your boss is human too. You need to roll with decisions and be openly supportive. Share your concerns privately.
The second “B” leaders must have is Belief. Having a firm belief in what you say and do is imperative. You must be true to your assumptions and convictions that you hold to be true regarding people, concepts, or things. How can one possibly lead others without a firm belief in what they are doing? Impossible! People will see though you in no time and you, your reputation and your ability to lead will be totally debilitated. So understand what your product offer is; explore it well and align the mission and vision to your values and clearly determine for yourself if it is something you can completely believe in and support.
The third “B” is Behavior. Leaders must show emotionally balanced behavior. They must be recognized listeners and must never over react to situations. Leaders must display behaviors that instill confidence in people. This behavior includes strong decision-making skills and the ability to accept or share responsibility for success and failures. One must show respectful behaviors such as being on time for meetings, respecting other’s opinions, and able to maintaining objectivity. How a leader reacts and responds to challenges often sets the tempo for team members. If the team perceives that the leader is overwhelmed, stressed, or otherwise losing effectiveness, team members may in turn become distracted and ineffective.
Leaders should constantly strive for the optimal performance. This includes the performance of themselves, the company’s teams, and all staff.
