The ABC’s of Leadership (Day 13): Mature

Maturity is the ability to reap without apology and not complain when things don’t go well (Jim Rohn)

 

Day 13 – ‘M’

It’s never easy to get tough feedback. It might be even worse delivering it. But, learning how to deliver, or digest, feedback is one of the strongest things any of us can do. Feedback is the catapult from where you are, to where you want to be.

Maturity is achieved when a person postpones immediate pleasures for long-term values. (Joshua L. Liebman)

All eyes are on you, the leader. You’re (often) the first face people seek, and you’re the person team members look to for vision, clarity and support.  This means that acting with integrity, and modeling how to receive, and action, feedback.  You set the tone for your team’s behavior and performance.

Need proof? Look at recent events in the financial services industry, or the allegations of misconduct being alleged in the 2016 Presidential election.  The actions, and dialogue, reported and alleged don’t represent the ideal state of leadership.  Richard Davis’ 2011 Harvard Business Review article ‘We Need More Mature Leaders’ echoes this point:

This bad behavior is not necessarily a new thing. Decorum, self-control, compromise and honor have been found lacking in both the political realm and the c-suite before. And to be fair, many leaders — I would even say the majority — are honest, hard-working, dedicated individuals. But just as grains of sand that find their way into a grist mill make the bread inedible, the leadership that’s getting attention in both the private and public sector today is equally poisonous.

To put it simply, we need more mature leaders — now.

(Richard Davis)

Being mature is a leader’s calling card.  Make sure your reputation proceeds you.  Practice living with integrity.

Want more on leadership? Check out my partner Dale Richardson’s thoughts in his Live the Goals podcast here!

“The ABC’s of Leadership” is a web series highlighting principles of leadership.

Each day, we’ll highlight a new focus area and concept.  Done in partnership with Dale Richardson, a Podcast Host and John Maxwell Team certified speaker, trainer and coach, we’ll also offer a podcast exploring each idea further.

Tune in daily!