When They Say "You Are A Great High Performing Leader" Or "You're Leading High Performing Teams...

Here's what they mean:

💡S/he doesn't carry all the responsibility and dictates ' do it this way' because I'm the leader - they promote 'let's do it together".
💡S/he support and interpret the needs of the team - they want to build meaningful relationships
💡 S/he creates harmony - where things "flow'.
💡S/he creates team norms and maintenance processes, defining communication strategies they will use (the leader is part of the team) - there is a commitment to finding, establishing and maintaining norms.
💡S/he takes the time to listen to, is curious, shows interest in people, and follows up soon after a conversation, demonstrating that they care about their teams and needs.
💡S/he understands how critical the high performance of their teams is to their business success.
💡S/he is aware of their thoughts and manages their emotions (EQ); they know that, as a leader, emotions are contagious.
💡S/he doesn't talk behind people's backs, talk about confidential matters to others, or denigrate others; they role model hard conversations and regular 1:1 conversations.
💡 S/he recognises that team performance is related to the leader's and teams' ability to create space, freedom and structure in the team (leader included) - building a workplace they want to be a part of daily.
💡S/he seeks honest feedback, where people feel they can speak up, engage fully and feel safe in saying X: people feel heard and seen and know what they say matters - without retribution.
💡S/he is trusted as they have a plan for inspirational dialogue- they walk their talk, s/he is the best version and value driven.

High-performance leadership is not a title, rank or position.

High-performance teams are created.

It's a combination of the things everyone in the team controls: mindset, EQ, communication, and taking risks. It involves being authentic and vulnerable, caring for people, and getting them to participate and define and maintain norms, ensuring they feel heard, seen, and understood.

These things, done extremely well, create safety and improve performance.

Louise