Bold Leadership: Your Voice Matters
Bold leadership is nothing new, but it is “an imperative for companies across all industries both to successfully navigate digital transformation and to further innovation,” according to Josh Bersin.
Why are we still talking about it? Because as highlighted in the 2016 Deloitte Business Confidence Report, 97 percent of CXOs believe that breakthrough performance requires bold leadership but 52 percent of CXOs believe there are not enough bold leaders in their companies. More than half of CXOs believe that bold leadership is not being emphasized during recruitment.
Deloitte uses six characteristics to assess bold leadership. Bold leaders must:
- Set ambitious goals
- Invite feedback from colleagues at all levels of seniority
- Innovate and look for new ways of doing things
- Propose ideas their companies might consider controversial
- Take risks
- Build strong teams and empower them to succeed
Become a Bold Leader … Now
Anticipate Needs. Leaders must both communicate the culture of their organizations and develop growth opportunities by aligning between marketing, sales, HR, finance, and IT. There must be a clear brand identity, and there must be demonstrated examples of the culture from the top leadership in the form of behaviors and attitudes.
Speak Boldly. Speak openly about things that matter, without worrying so much about what people will think. Whether it’s a new product, idea, or a dynamic shift in direction for your organization, don’t let fear of failure or judgment prevent you from taking action.
Grossly Improve Gender Parity. Diversity strengthens the organization, but you cannot simply talk about the need for better diversity. Take – and make – bold steps in making this a must have.
Demand Leadership as a Mandate. This means offering and investing in all levels of the organization so leadership is realized from the ground up. Recognize the benefit of surrounding yourself with strong, agile leaders. Listen carefully and hear what people need and want to thrive, then boldly create opportunities.
Be Bold. Why Not? You have more than 140 characters at your fingertips.
As the CEO & Founder of East Tenth Group, Michelle leverages 25 years of business and experience as a strategic advisor and executive coach to help drive actionable people solutions and provide practical insights on business strategy to senior leaders. she and her team and are fiercely committed to the development and growth of people and companies because we believe that when people thrive, business thrives.
