Traditionally leaders have been perceived of as “above,” or “out in front” of their people. Spherical leaders, however, lead from out in front, from above, from behind, from underneath, and from beside, to fulfill various employee needs. Read below to discover which dimensions you might add in order to become an exceptional leader.
Out Front -- Holding Out the Vision
Leaders hold out the vision for the company or team or project in front of their teams, reminding us of where we are headed, inspiring us with the benefits of getting there, benefits that motivate us and keep us going during the more difficult times. Many of us forget about the importance of this part of leadership; and yet, the vision is what keeps us going or restarts our engines when we find ourselves dragging through the muck. Visionary leaders find unifying themes that inspire us, and remind team members frequently of the vision in order to inspire our best work.
Above -- Calling Upward
Leaders not only inspire us with the vision of where the team is headed, but offer us the reasons why we, in particular, should get on board with that vision. They focus us on our higher “Calling,” on the values that mean something to us, on the “spirit” that makes what we do something special and fulfilling, that makes life and work all worth it. Good leaders know us well enough to understand the values that inspire us personally, and they expect us to do what is optimal. They believe that each of us has special gifts or a “sweet spot” in our work, and they give us opportunities to actualize these fully.
Behind -- Pushing Forward
Leaders also ensure that the job gets done, checking in regularly, ensuring that we stay on task, stick to the schedule, take the require steps, and meet or exceed expectations. There may be a certain element of task-master in this role. And some employees may need more of a task master. But, as important as this role is at times, it can never take over completely. Seeing oneself as solely a task master neglects the important visionary and “calling” roles of a true leader, which should always come first in any endeavor.
Underneath -- Holding Up
No matter how inspiring a leader, or how much checking on tasks and schedules, no team will succeed without adequate resources. So leaders stay aware of the tasks at hand as well as the resources necessary for success – whether time, money, supplies, knowledge, workers with particular expertise, or energy. And when necessary, leaders advocate to ensure that resources are available to their team in a timely way.
Beside -- Comrades
No matter how important the job, how “called” the employees might feel about completing the job, many initiatives are difficult to accomplish or encounter difficulties. In such cases, leaders walk beside their people, sharing the pain, joining them in the trenches, offering resources, support, and time until the “pain” is past. They serve as an example to emulate.
