LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

I’m a self-proclaimed hoarder of interesting information.  I often tuck away random quotes, stories, articles, training highlights.  Periodically I sift back through them and always find renewed inspiration.  On one such scavenger hunt, I stumbled upon a list called the 5 C’s of Leadership.  Reflect and consider…have you seized all 5 C’s in your leadership?

 

The 5 C’s of Leadership:

 

COMPETENCE 

It’s good practice to have knowledge and understanding related to areas for which you lead.  Continue expanding your subject-level competence.  As a leader, however, we sometimes pressure ourselves into thinking we have to have all the answers.  Accept that is simply not possible.  Develop your resourcefulness and network for retrieving knowledge when you need it.  Be confident in responding with, “I don’t know yet know the answer.  I’ll look into it and share what I find.”  Or “That’s a great question.  Let me connect you with [Name], who is an expert and can support you better than I can.”  Employees don’t expect you to know everything; they expect your willingness to offer direction.

 

Competence is also not just technical understanding.  Schedule time to invest in honing leadership skill capabilities such as…communication, delegation, recognition, decision-making, giving and receiving feedback, developing teamwork, and conflict resolution, among others.

 

CHARACTER

I’ve heard integrity defined as “Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”  Brené Brown, author and speaker, suggests integrity (a.k.a., character) is “doing what is right over what is fast, fun, or easy.”  Indeed, leadership is not an easy road.  There may be temptations to avoid the difficult work of addressing poor performance or behaviors that don’t align with company culture.  Leading with character is about bravery—being scared or intimidated (even tired) but doing the tough stuff anyway… It’s the right thing to do for you, for them, for the team, for the organization.

 

COMPASSION

With the backdrop of healthcare, I might have put this one first.  Compassion is all about caring.  Like the Theodore Roosevelt saying, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care,” leadership requires genuinely caring about those you serve.  It’s about caring for others as much as we care for ourselves.  That last part is key.  You can’t pour from an empty cup.  As in, you can’t be in a position to care deeply for others and meet their needs if you haven’t yet met your own needs.  Prioritize self-care.  When you do, you’ll find your capacity for sincere compassion and caring of others will be abundant.

 

CATALYST

Being a catalyst is all about identifying needs, initiating efforts of improvement, removing obstacles to progress, supporting change efforts, and making things happen: servant leadership.  Serving others through leadership is less about doing the work itself and more about making it possible for others to succeed in their work.  We sometimes forget and slip back into our prior comfort zone of playing amongst the weeds rather than tending the garden.  Catch yourself when that happens and focus instead on clearing the path to action (maybe even adding some Miracle Grow here and there!).

 

COURAGE

This shows up twice—both under Character and now as its own category.  In this case, courage is speaking truth to others with simultaneous candor and respect—even those in authority positions—and taking accountability for the performance of the team(s) you serve.  No simple task.  It requires courage both to take the brunt of missed outcomes, as well as to give credit for successes achieved by teams you support.  The dividends of such daring behaviors, however, are remarkable, gaining you much respect and trust.

 

 

How did you do?  Did your reflection confirm strong marks in 2, 3, or even 4 categories?  Where can you seize opportunity to further develop one of the C’s?

___________

 

“Leadership shows judgment, wisdom, personal appeal and proven competence.” – Walt Disney

___________

 

Explore these workshops and programs offered by our RWHC Education Team to improve skills of the 5 C’s:

• Understanding & Developing Emotional Intelligence
• Servant Leadership: Committing to Being of Service as a Leader
• Walk the Talk: Leadership Accountability

 

To learn more, visit: https://www.rwhc.com/Services/Educational-Services/Leadership-Series or email me at csearles@rwhc.com.

 

Consider joining our Leadership Bites program: https://www.rwhc.com/Services/Educational-Services/Leadership-Bites

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Corrie Searles, MPT, Leadership Development Educator In Corrie’s role as Leadership Development Educator at the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC), her aim is to empower leaders—formal and informal—to create positive influence that enables others to serve well.