TLP287: The Three Traits of a Leader People Find Worth Following

David Mead realized business school was contributing to the poor leadership styles he’s endured throughout much of his early career. After partnering with Simon Sinek and co-authoring, Find Your Why, David has presented his ideas on how to help people be inspired to go to work and feel safe while doing it, to over 150 organizations across five continents. David shares his thoughts on the great resignation, the three traits of a leader worth following, and the tools leaders need to build better company culture.

Key Takeaways

[4:40] Leadership hasn’t really changed in thousands of years.

[5:30] David defines the difference between management and leadership.

[6:55] The key is to tap into people and discover the personality quirks that they keep buried. Good leaders help people “drop their act” and be themselves.

[7:50] David explores the right balance between being transparent and open and being too casual and buddy-buddy with everyone. Ultimately, leaders have a standard to set.

[10:10] The pandemic has made a lot of people question their different personas and the roles they play at work and in life.

[13:00] David shares how the pandemic changed his motivations and also shares some of his biggest takeaways of what he learned about himself.

[16:00] Accountability really works best when there’s trust.

[18:50] David is against firing people based on their performance alone. He expands on why.

[22:45] David recently did a poll on LinkedIn asking people what their organization was doing to retain talent. Listen for what surprised him.

[27:25] David breaks down the types of tools that are available to leaders who are looking to improve company culture.

[31:00] There are three main traits in a leader that people will follow through and through, no matter what company he or she is leading at the time. They are honest, humble, and human.

[34:15] Good leaders have empathy. They can relate to someone in a way that doesn’t trigger their fight-or-flight response.

[39:05] People put up walls when they feel like their reputation, status, or their “core” selves are threatened.

[40:10] Listener challenge: We all have influence with people. Whether we want to be or not, we have the potential to be a leader.

The Leadership Podcast is sponsored by W.S. Darley & Company.

Founded in 1908, Darley remains a family owned and operated business, providing the highest quality equipment solutions to our country’s warfighters and firefighters.

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