The key traits of Human Leaders

In my last blog on what will your “new normal” look like, I mentioned that I would outline my thoughts on what it means to be a Human Leader, therefore, please read on!

Since the pandemic began, people have been comparing the responses of various world leaders. Many have praised New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern for her empathy, communication skills and down to earth, human approach. This made me wonder - what is it that really makes a leader human? I came up with a list of what I believe are the key traits that are needed to be a great human leader.

High self-awareness

Being self-aware means understanding one’s own strengths, blindspots and emotions. It leads to a desire for self-improvement, strong emotional intelligence and a growth mindset, all of which are essential in developing a more human leadership style.

Compassion and kindness

For me this is about valuing others, and seeing that each and every person has something positive to offer. It is about understanding that diversity and inclusivity bring a range of useful perspectives to a situation, which is invaluable in seeing things from all angles. Too often we see leadership positions dominated by middle-aged, middle class white men. This can lead to boardroom myopia, where everyone sees things from the same narrow perspective. The result can be the sort of group-think that leads to poor decision-making.

Integrity and trust

This is all about honesty, openness and delivering on promises. When leaders are trustworthy, open and honest, others can feel confident in their ability to lead with integrity. Trust is essential in a leadership position, otherwise teams may be reluctant to get behind your vision. When they trust you as a leader with integrity, they will buy into your vision and want to deliver for you.

Don’t just use your head

Great human leadership comes from using not just the head, but also listening to the heart and gut. It takes an ability to strike the right balance between these elements to become a human leader who makes good decisions based on the facts, while also applying emotional intelligence, intuition and compassion.

Make decision with your heart, gut and head.

Do the right thing

This is not always the easiest thing, the most cost-effective thing, or the quickest thing. Too often decisions are based purely on the bottom line, or by blindly following fixed processes and procedures. This can be an expensive mistake, particularly if a cost cutting exercise leads to a reputational issue, such as reduced safety, loss of livelihoods, or sub-standard products. Leaders who genuinely care about their teams lead by example, and demonstrate an integrity which motivates others to do the right thing.

Remain true to your values

The most successful human leaders are the ones in positions which enable them to demonstrate and live by their own core values. If the organisation they represent deviates from their values and is not a good cultural fit, they will have difficulty leading others and gaining buy-in on any sort of emotional level, because they are not being authentic.

Empathy and emotional intelligence

The ability to step into somebody else's shoes and see the world from their perspective can be hard, but the best human leaders appear to do this with ease. It is an essential part of demonstrating good emotional intelligence. It sounds easy but can be very difficult to do in practice.

Inspiring communicators

The best leaders are also great orators. They can communicate the CEO and board’s strategic objectives in a way which gains buy-in from teams, connecting them to a higher purpose, underpinned by shared values that make them genuinely keen to deliver. They give people a reason to get up in the morning which goes way beyond simply putting bread on the table.

Encourage collaboration and self-development

Human leaders encourage collaboration by developing meaningful relationships with their teams. They create a psychologically safe place where team members flourish and grow. They actively encourage self-improvement, making sure people have time to develop themselves and each other as part of their day jobs. They see this not just as a ‘nice to have’ but something of real benefit and value that is worth investing time and money in.

To sum it up I feel real human leaders take a ‘human first’ approach, making as many decisions as possible using their hearts as well as their heads, applying common sense and empathy, and viewing policies and processes as secondary to doing the right thing.

Real human leaders are invaluable to organisations. People will be more engaged, more productive, and will go above and beyond, without ever feeling taken advantage of. There is plenty of research out there that proves that engaged, motivated and, therefore, productive people will enable a commercially successful organisation.

What does Human Leadership look like to you?