A robust style can make people appear more competent, and a poor style can drag down a superior skill set.
Your leadership style is based upon myriad factors, but when distilled into a few essential elements, you’ll find three spheres: Presence, Interaction, and Contribution.
PRESENCE
How you are viewed (and consistently graded) by your audience - superiors, peers, subordinates, vendors, and clients.
Appearance - the first thing people notice, and first impressions stick around forever. Mimic the uniform and look of the people you admire, and you will fit in nicely. Deviate at your peril (it works sometimes, but only if your performance is stellar - then people give you a pass for your alternate appearance). Whatever you wear or do to your appearance, focus on quality and cost - don’t be thrifty.
Gravitas - this is a combination of experience, knowledge, and timing. You can fake the first two, but you must pick the right time and place to present your presence in the right light. Watch others with gravitas and see how they choose their moments strategically to insert themselves into the conversation.
Camaraderie - the first rule of business - there are no friends, only colleagues. The faster you realize this, the better your relationship with your boss, peers, and team. A good analogy - corporate work is like a baseball team — you each have a job to do, and you have to do it well. Be amiable with others, but don’t let anyone step all over you. Stop it immediately in its tracks.
INTERACTION
How you associate with others and transform based on your audience.
Communication - how, when, and where you communicate is key to having a successful leadership style. Most managers see communication as a chore, while leaders see it as moving their careers forward. This is especially true regarding reporting status - a concise and robust communication style will impress your superiors, make acolytes of your peers, and evangelize your subordinates.
Promotion - you have to promote yourself - all the great leaders take advantage of communicating their wins without sounding like they’re bragging. If you don’t market your accomplishments, no one will notice, and you will fade into obscurity. Make it a point to promote yourself deftly.
Listening - too many blowhard managers talk too much and never listen. Listening is a skill that will allow you to better understand the people and events around you so you can react intentionally. Good listeners are at the forefront of their teams because they see things others pass by.
CONTRIBUTION
Where the rubber hits the road, and most leaders drop the ball.
Accomplishments - build up a reputation of someone who gets shit done. We all know those managers who grind on those loser initiatives (and act like saints when they do it) - but innovative leaders know those projects that are quick wins. They hit their deadlines, celebrate, and move on quickly.
Deliver what you promise - here’s where most leaders fail - they over-promise and under-deliver - all the time. Always ensure you give yourself ample runway to deliver - whether a small task or a significant project.
Strategic thinking and actions - you need to constantly run to where the tennis ball WILL BE. Everyone acknowledges good hard work, but they genuinely admire someone who thinks outside of the organization’s box and takes your team, division, or company in a successful new direction.
Save the day - some of your career’s best advancements can happen instantly. Helping a boss with their presentation, jumping in to save a departing client, or picking up a failing project and running it over the finish line.