Stewart, Cooper & Coon manages all aspects of an executive job search. Let us help you achieve that senior-level position you are looking for.

  • ABOUT SC&C
  • CONTACT US
  • CLIENT LOGIN
  • STAFF LOGIN
  • No products in cart.
  • Home
  • Individual Executive Placement
    • Client Profile & Successes
      • Video Testimonials
      • Placed Client Interviews
      • Online Reviews
      • Client Success Stories
    • Cutting Edge Branding
      • Why Use an Executive Coach & Career Strategist
      • Career WebFolio©
      • The ViewPoint©
      • The Master Interview©
    • The Basics
      • 8 Executive Career Change Dilemmas
      • Placement Data
      • It’s Not About Job Search!
  • Military Transition
    • Unique Challenges –Military To Civilian Transition
    • General Officer Program
    • ETAP / CTAP Schedule
    • Meet Military Team
    • Contact
  • Boards of Directors
  • Retained Search
    • Why Choose SC&C
    • SC&C Search Process
    • Completed Searches
    • Meet Our Team
  • Career Resources
  • Home
  • Businesses
  • Essential Lessons for New Business Leaders
August 19, 2022

Essential Lessons for New Business Leaders

Essential Lessons for New Business Leaders

by fredcoon / Wednesday, 30 May 2018 / Published in Businesses, Career, Collaboration in the workplace, General executive advice, Latest, Leadership advice

Many professionals find themselves in the position to lead on an unexpected basis. Perhaps they were offered the opportunity because of a mastered skill or a suddenly discovered knack for guiding people through projects. All in all, leadership is mostly a learn-as-you-go venture.
Not surprisingly, there is an endless stream of advice available for new business leaders. While some say you should make all decisions methodically, others recommend simply trusting your instincts. The truth is that all leaders possess varying styles of leadership, and you will have to figure out what strategies work best for you, specifically.
Most new business leaders do possess a general concept of how they plan to lead in a particular situation. However, as conditions evolve and new circumstances develop, many aspiring leaders discover that their plans don’t necessarily match their reality.
According to leadership team coach and author of “Navigating Chaos: How to Find Certainty in Uncertain Situations”, Jeff Boss, a large part of the leadership challenges evident in today’s professional landscape stem from the tendency to overanalyze what could happen, rather than addressing present issues. As Boss points out, the future is uncertain; therefore, if business leaders base their strategies solely on possibilities, they are not technically leading, but simply planning for contingency.
This certainly doesn’t mean that leaders should not consider the future, but rather than simply anticipating events, they should try gaining a clear visual of the future they want, and mold their plans around achieving it.
As a former Navy Seal, Boss learned a great deal about leadership, and continues to glean expertise through his role and research as an executive coach and author, respectively. Here, we tap into some of Boss’s most valuable leadership lessons.
Leadership, itself, is a choice among choices for leaders.
The act of being promoted, offered new responsibilities and/or decision-making powers doesn’t automatically make you a leader. As Boss confirms, “These are just tools designed to test you, to be added to your arsenal of potential should you accept the challenge, but they don’t inspire others to follow you.” To attain true leadership status, you must have made a choice that motivated and influenced your team. Leaders are relied upon to make the challenging decisions that others tend to shy away from.
Leadership is the solution (not the problem).
It’s common to hear blame placed on “poor leadership” when something goes wrong within an organization. While “toxic leaders” do exist, those who choose to complain without action may actually be compounding the problem. Rather than assuming HR will “fix” an ineffectual leader, team members and aspiring leaders who speak candidly during meetings, ask questions that warrant direct answers, and hold inadequate leaders accountable, are working toward a solution to the problem. “Poor leadership doesn’t exist because people are malicious, but because nobody has taken the time to develop people as leaders,” says Boss.
Leadership is difficult to gauge.
Most people have varying opinions on the definition of leadership; which makes it a difficult concept to measure in terms of quality. Business leadership can be broken down into five basic styles:
1. Laissez-Faire (low supervision)
2. Autocratic (total authority)
3. Participative (value on team input)
4. Transactional (goal-based)
5. Transformational (high visibility)
While each style offers a legitimate approach to leadership, not every method will work in all situations. For example, a creative working environment with an autocratic leader could prove disastrous, while a sales department with a transactional leader may be just what the team needs to achieve their goals. The key is to know which leadership style works best in a particular environment. As Boss explains, “…leadership is neither good nor bad, but a tool that serves as a guide toward intention”.

Leading is not a solo job.

Many still hold on to the visual trope which depicts a business leader at the top of an organizational pyramid with his or her subordinates inhabiting various levels beneath. Yet, in circumstances of effective leadership, this model could not be further from the truth. Successful leaders know that positive outcomes are the result of a shared effort toward a collective goal. A budding entrepreneur enlists the advice, skills, and general expertise of others when building a new enterprise; therefore, it makes little sense to assume that the practice of consulting with those who have something valuable to offer should end once an organization has been established. “The point is,” says Boss, “smart leaders are smart because of the people they surround themselves with”.

0
  • Tweet
Tagged under: guide to effective business leadership, how to improve your leadership skills, leadership lessons, tips for aspiring leaders, what makes a great leader

What you can read next

Top 7 Employer Tips for Preventing Employee Lawsuits
Female Venture Capitalists: Understanding and Expanding the Current Climate
Why Human Resources is Necessary for Leadership Development

Notice: Undefined variable: user_ID in /home/stewartc/public_html/wp-content/themes/kallyas/comments.php on line 73

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Submit Your Resume

Contact Us

Companies SC&C Clients Joined

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Individual Executive Placement
  • Military Transition
  • Boards of Directors
  • Retained Executive Search
  • Corporate Outplacement
  • Contact
  • Submit Resume

Our site is SSL enabled, ensuring all communications to and from our website are encrypted and your information secured.

© 1997 - 2021 Stewart, Cooper & Coon, Inc. | 10429 S. 51st Street Suite 201| Phoenix, AZ 85044 |
Phone: 602-385-3000 | Toll Free: 866-883-4200
TOP
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT