By Kelley Reynard
When you think about a leader who was truly inspirational, impacted your life, and left a legacy you always think about, you are often left with motivation and desire to be the best person you can be. Some of the behaviours and habits these leaders engage in are quite unconventional, and Ekaterine Walter outlines these behaviours and the success they can bring.
1. Play Devil’s Advocate
Great leaders play the game of 10 ‘why’s’ and ask the question over and over again to test their understanding of the underlying strategy. They explore and defend the opposite point of view to uncover anything that may be critical to their mission.
2. Take the blame
If there is blame to be had, they take it on. If there is credit to be given, they give it to others. Exceptional leaders will always protect their teams and are humble when it comes to owning up to the accomplishments.
3. Couldn’t care less about conventional wisdom
The more difficult the challenge, the more excited they are to take it on. They don’t care about the failures, because they know that the only thing that matters is the way they respond to those failures. Failures teach and develop resilience.
4. Shut up
Some of the best leaders make it a point not to have their opinions heard all the time, and would rather sit back and truly listen to what their teams have to say, occasionally asking a question or two. It can be very empowering for the team to bring about discussion, ideas, and insights without the guidance of the senior leader.
5. Intentionally seek diversity
Exceptional leaders go outside of their comfort zones in recruiting their teams and intentionally seek diversity of opinions, ages, genders, race, personalities, and experiences. They want to innovate and evolve, and cannot do that without the benefits of diversity.
6. Invite naiveté
Being innovative is a fundamental attribute of a great leader. They know that curiosity and naiveté are critical conditions of innovation. They don’t expect perfection, and know that no one person can never know everything. They expect people to ask questions and like seeing the younger generation challenge with asking ‘why’ or ‘why not?’.
7. Disappear
Extraordinary leaders know how important it is for their wellbeing and productivity to disconnect and reflect. These leaders will often disappear, do something else, change their routine, go on a holiday, and learn something completely new outside of their vested interests. They are masters of knowing their limits and when their energy levels need recharging.
If you would like to access the full article, please click the following link http://www.forbes.com/sites/ekaterinawalter/2014/01/28/7-unconventional-behaviors-of-inspiring-leaders/