In a world where leadership is often reduced to buzzwords and abstract concepts, there are six fundamental responsibilities that define true leadership: building a cohesive team, providing crystal-clear direction, modeling sound judgment, relentlessly communicating culture and vision, crafting supportive systems, and exemplifying the right behavior.

These are not mere tasks to be delegated but are the essence of leadership, the non-negotiable elements that forge high-performing teams and ethical organizations. From the trenches of teamwork to the subtleties of corporate culture, I explore how these responsibilities shape not just teams but the very fabric of successful organizations. Join me as I unpack what it really means to lead, not just manage, in today’s dynamic business environment.

What are your key responsibilities as a leader that you can’t delegate to anyone else? Patrick Lencioni talks about four obsessions or disciplines the leaders should have: be cohesive, be clear, over-communicate, and reinforce. Let’s build on these. Ultimately, leadership is about getting work done through building high-performing teams and leading from the forefront. I would summarize the key responsibilities of a leader in six major areas you need to focus on:

• Build a cohesive team
• Provide crystal-clear direction
• Model sound judgment
• Relentlessly communicate culture and vision
• Craft supportive systems
• Exemplify the right behavior

Build A Cohesive Team

This means the team needs to trust each other, be transparent, be willing to open up and be vulnerable, and be ready to argue with passion but then have a beer together. We are talking about a true team, not just a random bunch of people working together.

A true team can eliminate silos and politics and increase efficiency. Understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses is important to complement one another. It is essential to keep each other honest and accountable. It is crucial to be able to engage in constructive disagreement without feeling threatened. Ultimately, it is about the willingness to commit to group decisions. Disagree and commit.

How do you know if you have a strong management team? Consider some of these questions.

• Is the team willing to engage in a constructive argument?
• Are the team members able to give each other candid feedback?
• Do people apologize when they cross the line?
• Are important issues discussed at the meeting?
• Are meetings efficient and lead to decisions?
• Can people who argued different opinions align behind a decision they disagreed with?
• Do people hold grudges, or can they go for a beer even after a hard argument?
• Do people know each other and avoid gossiping behind the backs of others?

Provide Crystal-Clear Direction

Establishing absolute clarity regarding the organization’s strategy, identity, values, mission, goals, objectives, roles, and responsibilities is crucial. Without clarity, the organization cannot reach its full potential. This clarity should be incorporated into the hiring process so that potential employees can assess their alignment with and passion for the team’s endeavors.

Organizational clarity entails a shared understanding of the organization’s purpose, core values, distinctive features, objectives, and individual responsibilities. Ultimately, all members of the organization must comprehend their roles in relation to the company’s overarching objectives and how success is measured, both individually and collectively.

As a leader, you have limited control over resources. The budget is finite, and you cannot influence customer preferences, changes in politics or the environment, or economic cycles. However, you can influence the factors that impact employee motivation by creating the right environment and being crystal-clear on the objectives.

Model Sound Judgment

Good judgment is the ability to make considered decisions or reach sensible conclusions. It is a combination of personal virtues, knowledge, and experience. It is the secret sauce that helps great individuals make the right choices even when others hesitate.

It goes beyond mere gut feeling. As I have previously demonstrated, gut feeling or intuition does not work if you are not an expert. Good judgment includes thinking critically, analyzing the situation thoughtfully, eliminating biases, and having self-awareness so you know when you are out of your league and need help.

There is a good reason why the ancient Stoics believed that logic and the ability to reason are the foundation for a virtuous life. This is a uniquely human ability. No other creature on this planet can reason. Good judgment is incredibly important not only for leadership and your career but also for your overall satisfaction with life.

If you are confident in your ability to make the right decisions, you will be more comfortable actually making them. You won’t rely on others. With solid critical thinking, you won’t be at the mercy of those trying to take advantage of you. You won’t accept what you hear or read blindly. You will have control over your own life.

Relentlessly Communicate Culture And Vision

Having resources like money is insufficient to keep a business running. The support and dedication of the workforce are also essential. The willingness of employees to work is intangible and not easily quantifiable. It encompasses elements such as motivation, morale, commitment, and determination to persevere. The leader’s role is to cultivate an environment that fosters enthusiasm and encourages employees to give their best.

If the organization’s purpose can’t be explained in simple terms, it will be difficult to garner buy-in from people. They may work for the sake of a paycheck, but they will not be motivated to contribute to something greater. Without inspiration, excitement, purpose, and loyalty are lacking.

Leaders are the guardians of the culture. Don’t worry about repeating yourself. In fact, do repeat as much as possible. Use all the communication channels at your disposal to continually communicate the company’s identity and the direction you are heading. It is not about posters and paying lip service to your values. It is about ensuring everyone on the team, regardless of the role, understands who the company is and why they are here.

Remind this in some way every time you communicate with the team, email, or give a speech. Make sure your managers are doing the same. The repetition of a simple, clear message achieves clarity. The more complicated the message, the less clarity and the bigger the chance of confusion. It is not about the CEO talking about it once a year at an all-hands meeting. It is about making sure the message gets cascaded and repeated by everyone on the team. In the end, everyone understands and aligns with it.

Craft Supportive Systems

Build the systems to support and reinforce the culture. It is not necessarily about the IT systems or facilities. It is about people. Ensure that your systems and processes, how you search for, interview, hire, onboard, manage performance, and reward people, align with the company’s identity and mission. It is essential to make clear the consequences of not aligning with the company culture. Use the same hiring criteria in performance management, promotions, and bonus decisions.

Consider some of these questions to evaluate how well your human systems support organizational clarity and culture.

• Do you have a consistent set of behavioral questions that are asked all candidates?
• Do the interviewers share their notes and debrief as a team?
• Do you have a performance management system that uses the same criteria as for interviews?
• Is the performance management system based on company values?
• Is the behavior of employees evaluated together with the performance?
• Do employees understand the importance of these systems and embrace them?
• Are promotions done based on performance as well as alignment with organizational values?
• Are employees let go when they don’t align with the values?

Exemplify The Right Behavior

Leadership requires effort. In ineffective leadership, you delegate that effort to human resources and legal departments. When you abdicate your leadership responsibility, you may end up with numerous policies and processes that no one understands or follows. This gives you a false sense of security, as people continue to ignore the policies or find shortcuts, prioritizing their own jobs. This lays the foundation for an unethical culture.

There are a few recommendations for modeling behavior to build an ethical organization:

• Be humble: Humility is more important than charisma when it comes to being seen as ethical. While charisma may attract people, excessive charisma can lead to self-absorption, believing that you can do no wrong, and prioritizing personal interests over the organization’s well-being.
• Be dependable: Visibility and charisma may help you stand out and get promoted faster, but being reliable and responsible is crucial for the team. Ignoring your team, breaking promises, and acting irresponsibly will cause you to lose their respect. You will be seen as trustworthy by acting with integrity, following organizational rules and principles, and being prudent.
• Be modest: Modesty and temperance are essential qualities. You should be seen as a professional who knows their job and is in charge. Excessive behavior, such as inappropriate humor or anger, works against you. Having a good laugh with the team and showing emotions is acceptable, but avoid becoming a clown or drama queen.
• Be aware: When transitioning to a new role, it is important to increase your awareness of what is happening around you. Observe, listen, and be mindful of your interactions with others. Maintain this level of awareness even after settling into the role. There is always a risk that it becomes routine, causing you to overlook unethical behavior or even engage in it yourself.
• Be assertive: If you witness unethical behavior, don’t wait for someone else to address it; take the initiative yourself. Lead by example, be assertive and proactive, and help others understand their actions are unacceptable. Often, people are unaware that their behavior may be ethically questionable due to cultural numbness or justified neglect.

Putting It All Together

The essence of impactful leadership transcends the boundaries of mere task delegation and operational oversight. It’s about embodying and nurturing a set of core values and responsibilities that cannot be handed off. The pivotal roles of a leader—building strong teams, providing clear direction, exercising sound judgment, consistently communicating the culture and vision, establishing supportive systems, and modeling ethical behavior—are fundamental to the creation of a thriving, productive, and ethical organizational environment.

These responsibilities are the lifeblood of leadership, integral to cultivating a culture of trust, performance, and integrity. True leadership is not just about holding a position of authority; it’s about actively fostering an environment where every team member feels valued, understood, and aligned with the organization’s mission. It’s a journey that requires constant effort, dedication, and a deep commitment to the growth and success of both the individuals and the organization as a whole.

Ready to elevate your leadership journey? Embrace these essential responsibilities and start making a real difference in your organization today. Your journey to becoming an extraordinary leader begins with a single, committed step. Start now and make it happen!

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