Below is a lesson from Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute on leadership traits to cultivate, as well as our key learning.

The Blue Courage team is dedicated to continual learning and growth.  We have adopted a concept from Simon Sinek’s Start With Why team called “Learn, Share, Grow”.  We are constantly finding great articles, videos, and readings that have so much learning.  As we learn new and great things, this new knowledge should be shared for everyone to then grow from.

FIVE LEADERSHIP TRAITS TO CULTIVATE IN 2020 AND BEYOND

The start of a new decade is making many of us feel reinvigorated with intentions for new beginnings. Perhaps the time marker 2020 in itself has sparked a desire to take our leadership skills to a new level. Perhaps it’s kicking off a new business venture or community project, launching into retirement, having a baby, graduating from college, or having the desire to find a new job or to land a promotion. Whatever the reason propelling each one of us to pay more attention to the way we lead ourselves, others and our projects, this year feels like the one to up the ante in personal leadership development.

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Key Learnings:

• As a first step, start by setting your target. First, define what leadership means in your life and unique context. 
• Then list some traits you’d like to see yourself exhibit, traits that you believe should accompany leadership.
• What area in particular are you interested in developing?
• Five Leadership Traits to Cultivate in 2020 and Beyond
  • Compassion – compassion can be learned. Study participants who practiced compassion were able to better remain calm in the face of suffering. Compassion is highly connected with interpersonal connection, collaboration, and reduced employee turnover rates.
  • Authentic vulnerability – vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation and creativity. Psychological safety has been shown to be a leading indicator of high performance on teams. It’s the team dynamic in which we aren’t afraid to show up, to bring our best ideas to the table, to contribute without fear of failure or loss of reputation holding us back. Open up to your team little by little about on-the-job failures and lessons learned that are relevant to both you and your team.
  • Resilience, the ability to navigate challenges – the ability to maintain focus on the ultimate vision and to refocus others, even in the midst of adversity. Key step might include cultivating compassion. Each failure offers us the opportunity to learn, to continue on our journey toward our most authentic selves, and in turn, to exercise more authentic leadership.
  • Connection – create meaningful bonds that can grow your sphere of influence, and hence, your platform to provide input that is welcomed when the time arises. 
  • Balance – it’s important that you remain curious as well as mentally and emotionally present. It’s more difficult, if not impossible to maintain this type of engagement when we’re overworked or burnt out. Don’t let ongoing demands get you out of balance. Leaders set the tone at work, and nothing speaks more loudly and clearly than their own actions.