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#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer -7 Signs You’re #CEO Material… How Did You Score?

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You may be starting in your first entry-level position, or you maybe be an executive VP at an established company. Wherever you are in your career, if you’re ambitious and goal-driven, you may have one question in your mind: will I be the CEO someday?

Becoming a CEO often requires a certain amount of being in the right place at the right time, but having certain qualities will significantly boost the chance that you’ll be considered for the spot of CEO – or any leadership position, for that matter. To find more about what those essential qualities are, we reached out to Tiffany Franklin, executive career consultant and founder of TJF Career Coaching, who broke down what it takes to be considered as CEO material.

1. You’re not afraid to take calculated risks

CEOs are responsible for significant decisions about the strategy and future of the organizations they lead. While a CEO must maintain stability within an organization, they also must sometimes take risks that can result in both short- and long-term pay-offs for an organization. Enter the importance of being a strategic risk taker. Franklin describes this as “having that ability to consider a confluence of multiple internal and external factors, both for the organization and the global market as a whole.” She adds that strategic risk takers “see lessons from the past, but you are looking to the future, in terms of marketing, timing, and people. You’re learning from mistakes, but yet you will take a calculated risk.”

 

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2. You know how to communicate well

Communication is one of the foundation stones for being a leader. For CEOs, Franklin says, “you want to motivate and empower the people around you… To be able to sell your vision, and also outline a path to make it a reality.” She adds that a big part of that is relationship-building skills.  Communication and relationship-building skills are also an integral part of generating employee satisfaction as a leader. As a CEO, a critical component of approval is employee satisfaction. In a 2016 Glassdoor study on the factors that predict high CEO approval, it was found that a one-star increase in employee satisfaction (measured by the overall Glassdoor rating of a company) predicts a 36.9 percent improvement in CEO approval.

Best Communication Skills for Workplace Success

3. You’re always challenging yourself

Being a CEO generally doesn’t happen in the first year of career, and often doesn’t even happen in the first decade of your career. It is a place of leadership that, more often than not, is earned through repeatedly facing professional challengesand retaining a diligent focus on self-improvement. There are multiple challenges that are good to take on throughout your career in order to boost your leadership skills and gain recognition among professional peers. On top of volunteering for leadership positions within your company and pursuing leadership credentials like an MBA, Franklin also recommends getting involved with affinity groups at your workplace, as well as getting involved in professional associations, volunteering for boards of directors, and even looking for community service projects that have leadership opportunities.

4. You’re emotionally intelligent

It’s not enough for somebody to be ambitious, says Franklin, but they also need emotional intelligence. “So much of being a CEO is being decisive and purposeful, yet thoughtful when you’re making decisions,” she adds. For thoughtful decision-making, as well as building strong, trust-filled relationships, not to mention being a good communicator, emotional intelligence is key.

What Is Emotional Intelligence, and Why Everyone Needs It

5. You know how to surround yourself with the right people

While a CEO is often the face of an organization, they are supported by a team of people who are helping them maximally perform. According to Franklin, having CEO potential means being self-aware enough to know what you’re good at, but also what you may lack, and building a team that complements the areas you have deficiencies in. In turn, she says, this makes a team that can challenge each other, and also brings different things to the table.

6. You find yourself leading projects

CEOs are people who trust can be put in to get a job done. CEOs are also good managers and delegators. You may find that you’re naturally asked by people in your organization to take on big projects and to lead teams. But putting yourself in situations like that whenever the opportunity arises can also help hone your leadership skills. “I think when you volunteer to go above and beyond, not immediately expecting anything, people will start to take notice,” says Franklin.

6 Reasons Why We All Need Executive Leadership Coaching

7. You’re thinking ahead

The best CEOs are visionaries for the organizations they lead. “It’s not just trying to figure out what the trends are and jumping on those, it’s being a thought leader,” says Franklin. Another critical component of being a thought leader is the ability to translate your visions into concrete actions that employees within your organization can take.

Building CEO Leadership Skills

Even if you’re not strong in some of the leadership capabilities that CEOs require, there are many routes to take to bulk up your management prowess. For one, MBA programs are always a good way to learn leadership skills and show your commitment to be a good manager. Franklin also says that If you don’t have the time or availability, there are also smaller courses and certificate programs that you can take in leadership. Reading books in MBA curricula can also both help you build your leadership skills and make for a great conversation starter at professional events, she points out. Then, she says, “keep networking, building skills, and stretching yourself to get to the visionary piece.”

 

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Your #Career : #CareerAdvice – 15 #Books That #TopCEOs Think Everyone Should #Read ….So if you Want to Enjoy your #Vacation Time and Stay on Top of the Hustle, we’ve Built your Summer #ReadingList with Recommendations from our #TopCEOs of 2018.

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Think spending the summer lying on the beach with a book is unproductive? Think again. Successful leaders such as Warren Buffett and Mark Cuban dedicate hours each day to reading.

So if you want to enjoy your vacation time and stay on top of the hustle, we’ve built your summer reading list with recommendations from our Top CEOs of 2018.

1. “The Speed of Trust: The One That Changes Everything” by Stephen Covey

Those who are perfectionists often struggle with micromanagement tendencies — when you have a clear vision for something, it’s hard to not want to take the reins at all times. But this often slows the whole team down, and ends up being more harmful than helpful, Stephen Covey argues. In the quick and competitive atmosphere of the start-up world, trusting your team is paramount.

Eric S. Yuan, CEO of Zoom Video Communications, counts “The Speed of Trust” among his favorite books.

“The big thing I learned from this book is that especially for start-up companies, speed is everything. You’re competing with the legacy companies and quite often you have to make tough, critical decisions… how to build a company at full speed at the same time without creating major problems is the challenge. But if trust is already there, it is very easy,” Yuan said. “If I trust you, I know your intentions are good. Even if you tell me, ‘Eric, this is a huge mistake. Can you fix that’ I trust you and I can make the fix.”

 

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2. “Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company” by Andy Grove

Authored by Andy Grove, founder and former CEO of Intel, this book gives guidance to leaders facing sudden change in their companies — and shares how these moments can actually be some of the most valuable opportunities available to a company. Yuan counts this another favorite book of his.

“I’m very paranoid. I think in any start-up, no matter what, there is no room to say, ‘We’re okay now,’” Yuan said. “No, we’ve got to work harder. We need to always be paranoid and ready.”

3. “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Harari

In this New York Times’ bestseller, Yuval Harari manages to capture the story of the past 70,000 years of the human race. Beyond chronicling the history of our species, Harari’s book also implores readers to think about what it means to be human, and ask how we want to shape the future of the many generations to come.

This groundbreaking book is a favorite of Sanjit Biswas, CEO of Samsara — but he’s not alone. Fellow leaders Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have also endorsed the book.

4. “The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves” by Matt Ridley

Don’t listen to the naysayers and doomsdayers. According to nearly any metric — food availability, lifespan, income — now is the best time to be alive by a wide margin, Matt Ridley believes.  In this nonfiction book, Ridley touches on how the human tendencies of exchange and specialization have improved life for everyone over the past 100,000 years — and how they will continue to benefit mankind in the future.

Biswas cites this book as another of his favorites: “It’s interesting to zoom way out and realize how fortunate we are to live in modern times,” he said.

5. “The Fourth Industrial Revolution” by Klaus Schwab

We already know how much of an impact the steam engine, the telephone and the personal computer have had on the way humans work —but what is the next industrial revolution around the corner? According to Klaus Schwab, we’re smack-dab in the middle of it. Artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, quantum computing and more are transforming the way business is done in a completely unprecedented way.

Among this book’s fans is Bernard J. Tyson, Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, who said it has helped him stay up-to-date and ready for whatever comes next.

“I keep current by reading what very smart people are thinking about the future,” Tyson said.

6. “Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice” by Adam Makos

It might not be the first book you think of when it comes to professional development, but this work of historical fiction has lessons about leadership and collaboration in spades. Set in the midst of the Korean War and widespread segregation, “Devotion” recounts the friendship of aviator duo Tom Hudner and Jesse Brown, the first African American carrier pilot for the U.S. Navy.

“It’s a wonderful book about friendship, resilience and amazing courage,” said Michael Mahoney, CEO of Boston Scientific.

7. “Return on Integrity: The New Definition of ROI and Why Leaders Need to Know It” by John Blumberg

We live in a world where sacrificing morality in order to drive the bottom line is no longer profitable, said John Blumberg. In fact, integrity might just be the most valuable asset you have. In “Return on Integrity,” Blumberg explores the intersections between the core values of CEOs and leaders and the impact on their companies.

Lynne Doughtie, CEO of KPMG, describes it as “a powerful book that challenges you to reflect on the importance of personal core values.”

“When each of us really knows our personal core values, they’ll permeate the organizations we work for by strengthening our decision making and enhancing openness, collaboration and trust,” Doughtie said.

8. “The Art of Happiness” by the Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cutler

Penned by Dr. Howard Cutler and the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, this seminal guide on happiness explores how to overcome loss and everyday anxieties in order to find your own personal nirvana.

Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, credits the book with shaping his management philosophy.

“That’s where I learned the true definition of compassion and the difference between compassion and empathy and how important it is to aspire to live compassionately and manage compassionately,” Wiener told the Silicon Valley Business Journal.

9. “Being Digital” by Nicholas Negroponte

Although it was written over 20 years ago, “Being Digital” is still a classic on the future of digital technology. It dives deep into the successes and failures of technological innovations like the Internet, virtual reality, the CD-ROM and more.

Weiner recommends this book as well, and said it played a large part in helping him shape the online business plan for Warner Bros.

“One of the key points that Negroponte was making was everything that can be converted from an atom to a bit will be. So I looked around Warner Bros. and thought, well, that’s going to have some pretty serious implications for a studio and for media,” Wiener said in the same Silicon Valley Business Journal interview.

10. “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander

In 2015, CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg created a digital book club in which he and other members read a new book every two weeks, then took to Facebook to discuss it. One of his picks was “The New Jim Crow,” a gripping critique by Michelle Alexander that pulls back the curtain on the crisis of mass incarceration in the United States.

“This social justice book outlines the many ways the US criminal justice system discriminates against minorities, disadvantages them and prevents everyone from having equal opportunity. I’ve been interested in learning about criminal justice reform for a while, and this book was highly recommended by several people I trust,” Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page.

 11. “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu

Written nearly 1,500 years ago, this Chinese military treatise revolutionized military strategy — and still makes an impact to this day. Sun Tzu’s lessons on strategy, planning and leadership are applicable not just on the battlefield, but also in the business world.

The book made so much of an impression on Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, that he wrote the foreword for the 2008 release “The Art of War—Spirituality for Conflict: Annotated & Explained.”

“Fundamentally, the book demonstrates how small armies can defeat larger ones,” Benioff said. “Ultimately, it is how salesforce.com took on the entire software industry.”

12. “The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown

Nobody expected a group of Washington boys descended from loggers, shipyard workers and farmers to beat elite rowing teams from the East Coast, let alone the world over, but that’s exactly what they did. In “The Boys in the Boat,” Brown tells the story of the U.S. men’s rowing team in the wake of the Great Depression and their ultimate triumph over the team playing for Nazi Germany.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella endorsed this book in an interview with Fast Company, calling it “a wonderful illustration of the importance of teamwork, which was a core part of my focus out of the gate as CEO.”

13. “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth

Strike the word “talent” from your vocabulary — Angela Duckworth’s “Grit” shares that the power of persistence is the true driver of success. Duckworth knows a thing or two about success, having earned a MacArthur Genius Grant and serving as an advisor to “the White House, the World Bank, NBA and NFL teams, and Fortune 500 CEOs.”

One of the many CEOs who counts themselves as a fan of Duckworth’s is Brad Smith, CEO of Intuit

“It’s full of amazing, inspirational stories that show that anyone, regardless of I.Q., talent or background, can succeed if they have grit — a blend of passion and persistence,” Smith said in an interview with Lifehacker. “This book makes all of us underdogs feel like we’re just as capable as anybody else.”

14. “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t” by James Collins 

The world’s best companies don’t reach the top by settling for “good enough” — rather, a constant drive for excellence propels them forward. But what exactly separates a good company from a great one? In “Good to Great,” Collins defines these differences, and shares how to make the transition.

Richard Flint, CEO of Sky Betting & Gaming and the #1 Top CEO in the UK, recommends this book to those hoping to make the leap: “It contains some surprises on what makes good leaders and companies,” Flint said.

15. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Whoever said CEOs can’t enjoy a good fantasy novel (or seven) on occasion? Craig Donaldson, CEO of Metro Bank, endorses Rowling’s acclaimed series to every parent out there.

“Read all the Harry Potter books with your kids if you have children, because there is no better way to relax than reading with an eight-year-old!” Donaldson said.

 

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#Leadership : Five CEOS On The Skills It Takes To Land The Corner Office…These Business Leaders Share Some of the Skills they Didn’t Expect They’d Need Once they Tot to the Top.

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The lure of the top corner office is strong, but there’s a reason not everybody grows up to be the head of a company—the job is a massive undertaking. CEOs are asked to do it all: setting strategy, closing deals, hiring people, firing people, calming irate customers, fixing broken light switches. And sometimes that’s just by 10 a.m. on Monday.
CEO Image Getty

Of course, the job doesn’t end there. Monster talked to several CEOs to find out what must-haves you need before you can consider yourself cut out for the gig.

1. HOW TO SAY NO

Whether you’re leading a team of 20 people or you’re a giant in the industry, it can be hard to turn down opportunities to grow, says David Nilssen, CEO of Guidant Financial, a small-business financing company based in Bellevue, Washington. CEOs are often looking for new ideas and markets, and when opportunities come up, it can be tempting to take every one.

But a CEO has to learn how to say no.

“The ability to scale will come from stripping out distraction and complexity from the system,” Nilssen says. So focus on whether these opportunities are really ones you can fulfill or merely serve as a distraction from your main mission.

 

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2. HOW TO PITCH

Sometimes, the opportunities don’t come knocking; sometimes you need to do the knocking. You have to be able to make a case for your company to outsiders.

“That applies whether you’re looking for investment dollars or appealing to the board of directors on something you really want to make a priority for the company,” says Clark Benson, CEO of Ranker.com, a Los Angeles-based company that compiles crowdsourced lists online.

“You just really need to know how to pitch, and it’s not as easy as it sounds,” he continues. “It’s a learned skill that you have to invest hours in to be really good at. You don’t really realize how much you, the CEO, are also expected to be the hype guy.”

3. HOW TO READ FINANCIALS

Anne-Marie Faiola, CEO of Bramble Berry, a soap-making supply company in Bellingham, Washington, says she wishes she had had the ability to read financial statements before she started her business.

“Unfortunately, I learned how to read those reports the hard way—by being embezzled from or by having to draw on a line of credit because I couldn’t read a cash-flow analysis properly,” she says.

Faiola went back to school to get an MBA, focusing on accounting. “This is a skill that can be learned,” she says. Even getting familiar with the basics of business finance can help prevent disasters down the line.

4. HOW TO TAKE CRITICISM

“When you’re at the top, you’re the primary target for people’s criticism,” says Timothy Trudeau, CEO of Syntax Creative, a San Diego-based digital marketing company focused on music distribution. “You need to be able to hear this criticism and do something about it, all the while not taking things personally.”

At the core of criticism lies a valuable learning opportunity: People are telling you they want to see change. As CEO, change is something you need to know how to facilitate. Writing off criticism as mere complaining misses the point entirely.

And when the criticism isn’t warranted, you’ll simply need to find ways to move on. Trudeau says CEOs must take the high road, even if they have been treated unfairly.

5. KNOWING HOW THE WORK REALLY GETS DONE

When Erin Jump Fry became CEO of Fancy Fortune Cookies in Indianapolis in 2005, she knew she’d have to be familiar with the business—but she didn’t know that would include details like how the baking machines worked.

“As the person who has to approve equipment purchases and repairs, I eventually realized I needed to have hands-on knowledge of how all our custom machinery works so I could source upgrades and additional machines, and know how to talk to engineers and machinery designers in their terms,” she says.

Even though the day-to-day details are no longer in your job description as CEO, understanding your production processes has serious benefits. Knowing how the sausage gets made at your company can help you identify efficiencies and estimate your ability to scale. And if the need arises, you can step into different roles in an emergency.

“I didn’t expect to have to pitch in and work production for huge orders,” Fry says, “but when someone calls in sick on a day when you need to ship 40,000 cookies, then it’s all hands into the bakery.”

FastCompany.com | MARY ELLEN SLAYTER, MONSTER |  11.16.16 5:00 AM

#Leadership : How I’ve Learned To Fight Loneliness And Isolation As A CEO…When Everyone’s Looking to You for Answers, one CEO Recounts from Experience, the Pressures can be Intense.

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 Martin Senn, the former head of Zurich Insurance, committed suicide in May this year, less than three years after two other top Swiss executives took their own lives. It’s difficult to generalize from individual tragedies like these, but it’s just as difficult not to see a common thread. It’s long been argued that companies could do a lot more to support their employees’ mental health and well-being, considering that so many of those pressures arise in the workplace.

Free- Bench on a Lonely Beach

What’s clear is that CEOs aren’t exempt from the pressures. Many execs face intense scrutiny in their roles and bear the mental and emotional burden of guiding their companies to success and protecting their employees’ livelihoods—and that’s outside of any issues in their personal lives.

LONELINESS IN THE CORNER OFFICE

So many roll their eyes at the notion that highly compensated business leaders need or deserve special attention. And at a time when so many Americans struggle just to find a decently paid job, that sentiment is understandable. But it doesn’t diminish or negate the reality that the c-suite offers no shelter from psychological pressures—many of which are unique to those in leadership positions.

A survey by RHR International found that half of CEOs report experiencing feelings of loneliness in their roles. Of this group, 61% believe isolation hinders their performance. That’s a significant proportion of top executives who are suffering and not performing at their peak. Executive loneliness and isolation is bad for people and bad for business.

In my experience, fear and ego are two of the main causes of this kind of isolation. On the one hand, there’s fear of appearing inadequate and the concern that asking for help could make others doubt your judgment. After all, CEOs are supposed to have all the answers—the buck stops with you. Meanwhile, your ego is telling you that you really don’t need others to help make big decisions; who knows your business better than you do? Combined, these two factors can prevent even highly capable CEOs from turning to others for support when they need it most.

When times are good, you may not even notice this. It’s when your business faces real struggles that the risks and consequences of loneliness come into play. In the 2008—2009 financial crisis, my business was in desperate shape and everyone was looking to me for answers. I could feel the walls closing in. Here are some steps I was able to take to overcome those feelings of anxiety and loneliness and get myself—and my company—back in gear.

1. DON’T WAIT TO FIND PEER SUPPORT

For me, one of the most revelatory things was simply realizing that I wasn’t alone in being alone. Lots of other CEOs out there were experiencing the same challenges and going through the same emotions. I just had to look outside my own company and immediate circle to find them.

For me, the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), a group of CEOs from companies around the world, has been an incredible channel for connecting with peers who’ve had similar experiences. During regular meetings with my YPO forum group—eight to 10 CEOs or other top decision makers from non-competing businesses—we all share the challenges we’re facing and speak frankly about how we’re trying to tackle them.

In 2009, when BuildDirect was teetering on the brink of collapse, I confessed to my forum mates that in about a month’s time we wouldn’t be able to make payroll. This was an incredibly scary thing to admit, but just being able to say it out loud to others helped me unlock the creative thinking it took to come up with a solution.

Bottom line: There are other people out there who have gone through the exact same challenges. Finding them—even if it means looking outside your company—is a first step toward overcoming isolation.

 

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2. LET YOURSELF FEEL VULNERABLE, THEN LET PEOPLE IN

Vulnerability is all about inviting others into your world, making it a natural antidote to loneliness. The challenge is taking that first step and letting down your defenses. I’ve found that simply confiding in people from the get-go—essentially, trusting first and asking questions later—can dramatically improve ties with your team. While you never know what kind of response you’ll get, in my experience the benefits far outweigh the risks.

This isn’t a unique perspective on my part. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has spoken previously about the importance of vulnerability and transparency and the role they played when his company was struggling in 2008. Instead of trying to become the lone savior of Starbucks, Schultz helped his employees understand the challenges the company was facing and empowered them to become part of the solution. But he first had to let his own guard down as their leader in order to do that.

I’ve seen the power of this firsthand. During the crisis, I held a company-wide meeting and explained to everyone that we would have to shut down BuildDirect if we couldn’t figure our way out of the problems we were facing. Rather than drawing up a strategy behind closed doors and hoping for the best, laying everything out there in the open encouraged the whole team to take ownership of our challenges and work toward solving it, which we ultimately did.

3. STAY GRATEFUL WHEN IT’S HARDEST

When I think about how fortunate I am to have a loving family, good health, and the ability to make positive contributions to the world around me, it’s hard to get bogged down in despair or loneliness for too long. A 2007 study, in fact, found that gratitude led directly to “higher levels of perceived social support, and lower levels of stress and depression”—just one of the psychological benefits of simple thankfulness.

The challenge, as always, is remembering all of this in the heat of the moment. For me, maintaining this perspective is all about routine and repetition. I work hard to carve out dedicated time for family and friends—then try and protect that time when I do. My family sometimes takes trips to a cabin, and when we’re there, I do my best to make sure I give my full attention to things like swimming, campfires, and enjoying each other’s company—not work. That may sound simple, but any business leader knows how hard it can be. In the end, gratitude is almost like a muscle: It’s something you have to consciously exercise or else you risk losing it.

Media coverage of high-profile CEOs tends to ramp up whenever things are going really well or really badly, and that can add a real psychological pressure on execs themselves. For leaders who judge their success by that popular narrative, the pressures on them can build, sometimes with terrible consequences.

But great CEOs know—and always try to remind themselves, especially when it’s hardest—that it’s never about them. It’s about the impact that their businesses have on others. They build relationships and teams that pass credit for success onto other people. They stand in when mistakes are made, shielding their teams so that experimenting and learning can continue. As I’ve come to understand, win or lose, knowing it’s not all about you—and never has been—can make a big difference.

Jeff Booth is cofounder and CEO of BuildDirect. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBooth.

 

FastCompany.com | JEFF BOOTH 07.27.16 5:00 AM

#Leadership : 2 Business School Professors Explain How you Can Become a More Authentic Leader…The Newly Appointed Ask Themselves: Am I Tough Enough? Extroverted Enough? Can I Deal with the Constant Exposure? Faced with this Uncertainty, #Leaders Naturally Look for Models they can Emulate.

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Few transitions test one’s character like moving to a senior leadership role. It’s one thing to gain mastery of a particular function or skillset; it’s quite another to take responsibility for, and earn the respect of, employees from different backgrounds, functions, and cultures.

Free- Stones stacked on each other

For many leaders, this transition is marked by a period of self-doubt. The newly appointed ask themselves: Am I tough enough? Extroverted enough? Can I deal with the constant exposure? Faced with this uncertainty, leaders naturally look for models they can emulate.

But interestingly, imitating the leadership styles of others may not be the best way to go. “People often think they need to change or mold themselves into an idealized version of leadership,” says Brenda Booth, a clinical professor of management at the Kellogg School. “This creates a kind of impostor syndrome. They think that if they are truly themselves, people won’t accept it.”

Becoming a leader does not require adopting a new persona; it means amplifying your true self with focus and discipline. The key is to be authentic — to draw from one’s own experiences, values, and strengths.

“Authenticity is not a license to be excessively focused on the self,” says Brooke Vuckovic, an adjunct professor of leadership coaching at the Kellogg School. “It’s about being aligned with your character and values in order to lead effectively. That takes work.”

So how does a new senior leader achieve this alignment? Booth and Vuckovic offer five tips for how to lead authentically.

1. Know yourself.

“The cornerstone of authenticity is self-awareness,” Booth says. “It is about being comfortable in your own skin so you can lead the organization in a way where you do not feel ethically compromised or like a charlatan.”

In part, this means being aware of your unique character, values, strengths, and shortcomings. Decades of research on leadership shows that there is no one right way to lead. Instead, what distinguishes leaders is their ability to understand the impact they have on other people. “Many leaders are characteristically outgoing,” Booth says. “They thrive in social settings and give bold, inspirational speeches. However, more introverted types can be great leaders, too.”

Take, for example, Douglas Conant, a self-described introvert (and Kellogg alum) who became CEO of Campbell’s Soup in 2001 — a turbulent year. Despite overseeing a period of layoffs, Conant was able to boost morale, achieve results, and earn the respect of employees throughout the company.

He did this not by delivering grandiose, fist-pounding speeches at company-wide meetings, but by drawing upon his natural gift for connecting in more intimate settings. One of his trademark moves was to walk the halls, which allowed him to meet employees one-on-one or in smaller groups.

And he always sent handwritten notes to those he wanted to acknowledge. “That was his version of authentic leadership,” Booth says. “He had a personal touch.” The point is not to find the appropriate dial on the introvert–extrovert meter; it is simply to be aware of your personality and use it to your advantage.

Perhaps even more fundamental than personality is understanding one’s values and purpose. One way to explore your values and purpose, Vuckovic says, is to take the time to review your life in detailed chapters, which can help you understand yourself in narrative terms. “Stories help leaders explain where they came from, what they stand for, and why they lead. All of this is related to the vision they project,” Vuckovic says.

“Most leaders are not driven by shareholder value alone,” she continues. So it is critical to develop a strong understanding of what motivates you — and how you want to motivate others. “Is recognition important? Is having a fun-loving culture important? The clearer you are about what motivates you and those around you, the more authentic and effective you will be as a leader.”

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2. Learn to connect.

Whether you are speaking to a packed auditorium or chatting with a single employee, it is important to make a sincere connection that matches the needs of the situation.

“This capacity to connect and demonstrate ease is a central component of executive presence. Those who demonstrate the qualities that make up ‘likability’ convey warmth, for certain, but also congruence,” Vuckovic says.

In other words, your actions should align with your words, and your words with your emotional affect. But being congruent also means adapting to the situation at hand. If a leader prepares for a large meeting but it turns out only six people attend, it might put others off if that leader insisted on formalistically sticking to the script. “It’s usually incongruence that makes people feel you are inauthentic,” she says.

Leaders should also be hyper-aware of the culture in which they are operating. “You want to be yourself — but with care,” Vuckovic says.

3. Be discreet.

“Being an authentic leader doesn’t mean revealing inappropriate personal details, talking about yourself incessantly, or telling people how you feel all the time,” Vuckovic says. “The point of being authentic is that it frees you up to be others-focused. So you should always ask yourself before personal disclosure: Is this relevant to the task at hand? Does this contribute to this individual understanding my values and decision here?”

Disclosing too much information — especially if it is highly personal — can have a negative impact on a leader’s reputation and can call into questions their capacity to self-monitor.

There is also the question of how transparent leaders should be about high-level decision making. “Sometimes being fully transparent is neither prudent nor an option,” Booth says.

Consider a scenario where senior management is discussing a possible reorganization. If a decision has not yet been made, it would not make sense to share this information with employees, since productivity would clearly suffer. And in the case of a merger or spin-off, top management must sometimes keep information confidential due to fiduciary reasons.

4. Play to your strengths.

Every leader has strengths and weaknesses. Some are good at boosting morale; others are good at ensuring productivity. Some are natural-born mentors; others prefer to keep more distance. It is important to know your limitations and figure out how to compensate for them — possibly by making sure other leaders can assist in playing those roles.

“If you need to impose cost reductions or cut staff, that would require tough leadership,” Booth says. “If you need to boost morale — that’s a different kind of leadership.” A single leader may be able to do both authentically, but not everyone has that range.

“Some people are hardwired to be hard as nails,” she says, pointing to Donald Rumsfeld, who was famous in the intelligence community for ruthless efficiency. “He would randomly call first-line supervisors or analysts and ask them what they were doing,” she says. “He’s not the guy for boosting morale.”

5. Keep requesting feedback.

Authentic leaders welcome feedback, both formal and informal, though Booth cautions against worrying too much about popularity. “Being authentic is not a popularity contest,” Booth says. “People may not like what you do even if you are authentic. But if you focus on what is right for the organization, make ethical choices, and treat employees with dignity in the process, then chances are you will earn the respect of the vast majority.”

If the feedback deals with a known weakness — for example, chronic impatience — it is helpful to track your own progress. A leader may occasionally learn of a flaw they had not been aware of — say, awkward body language. They will also have to keep the context of the feedback in mind when deciding on how to respond.

Vuckovic takes the example of an introverted leader whose predecessor was a charismatic extrovert: “Someone might say to you, ‘I wish you would hold more rah-rah meetings like we used to — they got people really excited,’” she says. “And, let’s say that you’ve seen those and you know you can’t pull them off authentically and that you would be a poor imitation of another.

First, you need to determine what those rah-rah meetings achieved — was it communication? Socializing with others? Celebration? For you, it may better to achieve those goals in a different way or to support someone else conducting those meetings. Identify what is needed, and then determine the ‘how’ in a way that is authentic to you.”

“You need honest people to act as whetstones — to keep you sharp and in line with your values,” Vuckovic says. “But remember: you get to filter that feedback and decide what to act on. There may be times when you say, ‘I hear you, I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not going to change a thing.’”

Read the original article on Kellogg Insight. Copyright 2016.

Businessinsider.com | March 21, 2016 | Drew Calvert, Kellogg Insight