Anyone can call themselves a “leader” but truly being one isn’t so easy. A remarkable leader has important qualities like honesty, integrity, courage, and dedication. They inspire their team and encourage growth and satisfaction. A remarkable leader is someone who people want to follow.
Being a remarkable leader doesn’t come down to just one trait. There are quite a few parts of being a remarkable leader, and some of their common traits include:
Champion organizational change
Build relationships and develop others
Solve problems and make decisions
Demonstrate collaboration and teamwork
Taking responsibility and accountability for the team
Manage projects and processes
Set goals and objectives for the team
The most important thing, however, is that the leader continually learns how to be the best manager they can be. Certain tools and products can help with this necessity.
Q&A with a Leadership Expert
Leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry is the author of the acclaimed book, “Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at a Time,” which sets out to challenge participants to be more intentional about what, when, and how they learn. He shared a few thoughts with HRDQ on how to become a remarkable leader:
HRDQ: “How do you describe Remarkable Leadership and how does one become a remarkable leader?”
Eikenberry: “When you think about the word ‘remarkable’ it means that something is worth
talking about. Remarkable leadership is a choice that leaders make to become the best, most effective leader they can be. The goal isn’t to be talked about or to become the center of attention, but rather to be noticed for their skills and effectiveness so that they can make a positive difference for others and the organization. You become a ‘Remarkable Leader’ by making a choice to learn, by making a choice to improve, and by making a choice to make a difference every day.”
HRDQ: “How did you realize the need for a different type of leadership training solution?”
Eikenberry: “By talking to clients, observing the challenges that organizations have in helping
leaders grow. The challenge that organizations face is that training becomes an event. They build a workshop (or identify one to send people to), and then measure performance based on people’s attendance there. This is a fine thing to measure, but it doesn’t measure leadership development! We try to develop tools and solutions that match the way learning really happens. Training is an event, but learning is a process – so our goal is to provide solutions that become an ongoing learning process rather than a training event.”
HRDQ: “What is the advantage of the modular approach to training?”
Eikenberry: “Application! When people leave a general leadership workshop, regardless of how well-designed it is, or how skilled the facilitator is, they are in ‘overwhelmed mode.’ They have a ton of new ideas and a ton of work to do when they return. We like to say that when they get back to work, real life happens. By modularizing the material, people leave a short session with some specific and actionable ideas. While we as designers and trainers can’t guarantee they will go back to work and apply it, we have, through our design and the module approach, improved the likelihood that they can find one or more things to try right away. And success, of course, builds on success, so once people have successes they will be open to more learning and be more excited about the next module.”
HRDQ: “Who should participate in Remarkable Leadership?
Eikenberry: “While leaders at all levels, from new, first line managers to C-level participants, have had great success, the examples and situations are probably best matched to the first-line and mid-manager levels. Having said that, we believe the best success comes when organizations include a vertical slice of leaders in these sessions. While some of the more experienced or senior leaders may know some of the ideas, a refresher is always valuable and the interaction and relationships that can be built with a cross section of leaders involved can be a powerful part of the process.”
HRDQ: “What results can trainers expect to see after facilitating Remarkable Leadership?”
Eikenberry: “They can expect leaders to be better equipped to do the challenging and complex work of leadership. This program will not guarantee that people will try the skills and ideas they learn (nor will any other program). Remarkable Leadership will provide a platform for growth, extended materials to support it, and ideas for the trainers to help them support people outside of the classroom – where the application happens.”
HRDQ: “Are there any specific Remarkable Leadership stories you can share?”
Eikenberry: “We’ve delivered these materials in various forms and formats over the past four years. Because of that we have heard lots of feedback. The most powerful stories are of people who were encouraged and inspired by the ideas in Remarkable Leadership to go back and make a difference in their organizations and for their teams. We’ve heard lots of stories of promotions, improved working relationships, successful change and coaching efforts and much more. More important than my stories are the stories you will create as you use Remarkable Leadership with your leaders.”
Learning More
Attend HRDQ’s webinar “Leadership Development: 12 Ways to Develop Remarkable Leaders” on Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. EDT. Participants will learn the four reasons why many leadership development processes fail, 12 keys to a successful organizational leadership development process, strategies for developing targeted leadership skills in a relatively small period of time, and how to create relevant learning experiences to build leadership skills.
Click here to register: www.hrdqu.com/webinars/leadership-development-12-ways/.
This webinar is based on Remarkable Leadership: A Learning Series, which offers a flexible and practical learning experiences for leaders at all levels.
Click here to learn more: https://hrdqstore.com/products/remarkable-leadership.
