For leaders to navigate complex situations effectively, I would suggest that they should have first and foremost a clear self-awareness. Self-awareness will reflect in how one learns one’s skills and translates them into action as well as how and why one acts or reacts in curtain ways. I break self-awareness into three pieces which flow in and out of each other in contrast to a checklist; self-identity; mission and purpose. My self-identity tells me who I am. In our stressful world, we are often pushed and pulled in different ways so as change occurs rapidly can we center and ourselves apart from what we do to who we are? My mission tells me what I do. Not to be confused with “the mission”. A few examples could be; I help people, I fix broken things, or I teach. Third is purpose, why I do it.

Aside from self-awareness, critical and creative thinking and effective communication are two hard skills needed. Looking through the situation and seeing the various dimensions, then effectively communicating those findings gives focus, direction and helps the team coordinate activities. This naturally flows into one needing organization skills to work toward a common mission or set of goals. These hard skills can be taught. With time and effort these can become a rock to build one’s leadership on.

Mindset can make or break a great plan. Effective leaders are aware that not everyone is like them. Just because we work are the same team doesn’t mean our experiences, training or environments are or were the same. Seeing this, one can find the strengths and weaknesses in the team, build on the strengths and mentor the weaknesses. Coaching vs directing is a mindset. There is a time and place for both but an effective leader can determine which is best suited for which situation and person involved.
My third mindset is knowing between information vs knowledge. Information tells leaders all the facts, assumptions, considerations and concerns there is in a situation but knowledge is the why one needs to know these things and how to enact that information.

There is an aptitude to critical and creative thinking and goal setting. Without sounding negative, some just can’t do it. That’s OK. Maybe they weren’t designed to be a leader. Hands have a tough time walking and feet have a tough time picking things up. The most important aptitude I see as an effective leader is to have a clear way of telling if the performance objective has been reached.

What hinders an effective leader? First, failure to have good interpersonal skills. If you can’t get along with people, either the team or the client, it’ll be tough to get things done. That can be acted out as just crotchety or “my way’s the only way” or being smartest person in the room. Second, lack of resiliency. Burning oneself out or not bouncing back from sets backs can make leadership burdensome or defeated. Third, projects vs people. Projects and deadlines are important long but we work and deal with people. Being reminded that these projects are for real people is a good focus but forgetting that misses our purpose.

I see over my time working with people that the leaders I’ve worked with used these key points and their teams accomplished their tasks successfully.