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The magnetism of great leaders

“The only reason I haven’t left…

…is him!”

I had a random come over to my house to try on some clothes I’m offloading on Facebook marketplace.

But turns out, she wasn’t a random at all. Her boss is my neighbour!

Between trying on dresses and fur coats, she explained to me that my neighbour is the best boss going round.

He’s “super sharp, clever and inspiring”, she shared.

Have you ever come across a leader who had such an impact on you that you’d never consider leaving the team?! (I have, her name is Kate 🙂 )

What qualities do they have?

The magnetism of great leaders

Research about transformational business leaders found that great leaders have a unique ability to inspire, motivate, and align their teams toward a shared vision.

They create a positive work environment where team members feel valued and motivated to perform at their best.

When you come across a leader like that of my neighbour, team members are more likely to feel loyalty and commitment…which makes it hard for them to leave.

Aligning goals and improving performance

To become a truly magnetic leader, you and your team need to share the same goals:

  • Regularly check in with your team
  • Get their input
  • Involve them in the decision-making process

Self-determination research found that employees who feel a sense of ownership and autonomy tend to have better performance and job satisfaction.

Reflection

Leaders

  • Do you and the team share the same goals? How do you know?
  • What could you do more of that would improve your team’s performance?
  • If you could choose your very own dream team, what would it be like?

Note: diverse teams have been found to be more innovative and better at addressing biases than homogenous teams (Why diverse teams are smarter, HBR).

Team members

Ask yourself these questions… because you deserve an awesome leader:

  • What kind of leadership do you need to perform at your best?
  • What’s your responsibility in supporting and enabling this change?

Tip: if you choose to share this with your leader, use phrases such as “How do we together…” or “How might we ….”

Magnetic leadership and a functional team can achieve amazing things.

How functional is your team? Take the free Group health check to find out.

LOUISE GILBERT

Founder & Director

Intime
Insights

Delivers practical things to try to make work work for you. Sent weekly-ish.