Becoming a Great Leader Takes the Same Effort As Building a Great BusinessEntrepreneurs always think they can build a better mousetrap. Leaders can be built, too.

ByTodd Davis

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Klaus Vedfelt | Getty Images

As a chief people officer, I've coached leaders for many years, and I always ask, "Do you want to be agreat leader…or do you want your team to be led by a great leader?" Granted, they sound very similar, but the slight difference leads to very different results.

很多伟大的组织,training companies, and consultants teach leaders what they should do to get better results. That's important — but it's not enough.

Related:How to Delegate Better and Become a Great Leader

Real leadership improvement starts with the way we see things. Our mindsets and paradigms can be accurate, limited or flat-out wrong, and if we don't occasionally assess their veracity, we'll be stuck spinning our wheels when it comes to our growth as leaders.

People want to be inspired by their bosses and to win at what they're doing. And nobody takes on a leadership role not wanting to besuccessful. But to be the great leader for your team that they truly deserve, might require a mindset adjustment.

Take a moment to think through these key leadership paradigms. Could you use an adjustment?

1. Be sure you're viewing your role through the right lens

If you wake up in the morning intending to be a great leader, you might accomplish a few productive things for your team and organization. But if you wake up wanting your team to be led by a great leader, then you're looking through the lens of your team, not just what you can accomplish. You're asking, what does Aaron need today to reach his full potential? How can you remove this roadblock for Stephanie? Lee seems disengaged — how can you surface what's going on?

In the process, you become a great leader, but that's the end-all, be-all. The focus must be kept on what your team needs from their leader every day sotheycan achieve great results.

Related:To Be a Great Leader, Be a Great Talent Manager

Unfortunately, adopting this mindset is not a one-and-done thing. I've been in leadership for a long time, and I very sincerely admit I have to remind myself every morning that it's not about me. It's about them. I've run my marathon, and now I'm helping them train, win, and beat their own times.

2. Challenge your mindset around feedback

Too many leaders think that to be credible, they have to know everything. Not true. To be credible, you have to be vulnerable and let your team know you're learning right along with them. Make it safe for your team to give you feedback on how to improve.

Don't put them on the spot, but in your next 1-on-1, you might say something like, "I'd love for you to feel comfortable sharing some things I can do better as a leader. I'm not fishing for compliments. I'd love to know what's working, but I really want to know something I can do better."

When you receive the feedback, be careful not to fall into the trap of the poser: people who pretend to want feedback when they really want validation. They're hoping to hear how great they did on their presentation or how much you appreciated the report they wrote or the sale they made. When you ask your team for feedback, you have to be willing to do something different or you'll end up damaging your credibility instead.

3. Take a fresh look when problems arise

When we're stymied by a challenging situation, differentiating between facts and opinions can help us open up to new paradigms and solutions.

If you have a situation that's not going well — maybe a contentious relationship with a team member or a project going off the rails — list all the reasons why you think things aren't happening the way you think they should. Now go through that list, and circle which statements are facts. You'll probably notice that very few of them are. Then identify the ones that are opinions. Are any of them worth investigating to see if they're accurate?

Related:Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer: This One Thing Makes a Great Leader

I once had the paradigm that an employee wasn't competent and was causing everyone else to pick up the slack. When I went through this exercise, I realized,Wait a minute, is she really lazy, or does she not understand how to do this part of her job?Have I taken the time to find out what's really meaningful work for this person?

Eventually, I realigned her with projects she found more exciting, challenging, and useful to the team. And boy, this person was anything but lazy. Thank goodness I checked that paradigm, or I would have missed out on a hidden top performer.

I believe the real key that differentiates great leaders is their continued work on theirmindsetsbecause what we see determines everything we do, and ultimately, the results that we achieve.

Wavy Line
Todd Davis

Entrepreneur Leadership Network Contributor

Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President for Franklin Covey

Todd Davis is the Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President at Franklin Covey. He has been with Franklin Covey for more than 20 years and is responsible for Franklin Covey’s global talent development in 40-plus offices in 160 countries.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

An 81-Year-Old Florida CEO Just Indicted for a $250 Million Ponzi Scheme Ran a Sprawling Senior Citizen Crime Ring

Carl Ruderman is the fifth senior citizen in the Miami-Fort-Lauderdale-Palm Beach metropolitan area to face charges in connection with the scam.

Business News

'Soul Crushing': Internet Sleuths Notice Something Is Very Off With This Condo Listing

From the grey carpets to the fluorescent lights, it's obvious that this home was not always a home.

Business News

'Awful Advice': Barbara Corcoran Slammed For 'Tone Deaf' Business Advice to Interns

The "Shark Tank" star shared tips on social media about how interns can increase their chances of getting hired full-time, but the public reaction didn't go as planned.

Money & Finance

Want to Become a Millionaire? Follow Warren Buffett's 4 Rules.

企业家是不能过度指狗万官方望太多a company exit for their eventual 'win.' Do this instead.

Green Entrepreneur

Phoenix Has Hit 110 Degrees for a Month, But This One Invention Is Cooling Things Down a Tad

For the Arizona city amid a record-breaking heat wave, cool surfaces bring a modicum of relief.