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Leading Elegantly is the ability to achieve maximum impact through simple, powerful and practical means

What separates the poor from the good and the great leader? How should a leader look to others and how should they behave? Is it okay to coerce people to get the results necessary? Conversely, is it okay to have such an inviting and amiable environment where group hugs abound at day’s end providing minimal results? And finally, what role does ego play with relationships and results?

Becoming an Elegant Leader means the whole is better than its parts – the results prove without their leadership a considerably healthier future of the enterprise wouldn’t exist. Three essential dimensions describe how an Elegant Leader crafts a healthier future- ABC: Ability, Balance and Control.

The ABC’s are not meant to be exhaustive, rather provide a practical guide to leadership while providing reference to works that form the foundation for both the theory and practice of leadership. Ability is the mindset to resolutely engage the challenge – to enter the fight, and to not stop until a given objective is accomplished. Successful leaders have overlapping commonalities, while in different situations, exhibit one simple characteristic – the ability to influence with impact – to motivate and to enable others to contribute to the success and effectiveness of their team or of their organization. While we can teach, coach and mentor leadership skills, the attributes of effective leaders are founded with an ability to establish trust and respect, to influence with impact and by inspiring the group, as a whole, to perform better than they would independently…Ability made everyone else better!

Balance is the direct action – a combination of flexibility to the situation at hand, and equally important, demonstrate a well-executed and coordinated plan. It is intention devoid of any impulsiveness – the willingness or balance one must have to Adapt, Overcome and Improvise.

A balanced leader recognizes values and how they support the mission and vision and balances their knowledge, competence, character and ability with those values. They make continuous delicate adjustments to maintain a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements when faced with internal or external influences in their global business world. Balance from leaders are vitally important if they are to effectively and efficiently execute within their responsibilities, challenges and opportunities…Balance made everyone else better!

Control is the individual choreographed flow that comes from practice and repetition of scenario-based tactics and/or experiences. The flow is not scripted, but allows for creative adaptations within the choreography in order to control the end result.

The focus of being in control and able to control the desired outcome. Are we in control of our end result and what skills, tactics and resources are required to meet that end? If we don’t practice for the desired outcome, then we are waiting for the outcome to be thrust upon us and ensure we will walk away from that situation wondering ‘what happened?’ When we demonstrate control as an Elegant Leader, we are actually leading with synchronicity – the team based performance or maneuvers consistently executed as a team while actively evaluating the opposition, the team and the arena of action and adapting when necessary. Choreographed execution of action becomes second nature, habitual, expected where you’ve proven yourself in the field…Control made everyone else better!

The 7-Steps to Become an Elegant Leader with Voltage:

Elegant Leaders Blueprint. We all know, what gets measured gets done and this analog, “old-school” dashboard helps you focus daily on what matters most.  With your personal Elegant Leadership Dashboard at your fingertips, you’ll succinctly understand in a compelling manner why Elegant Leadership is important to those you lead, what you can do daily to improve your leadership and how to continue to lead elegantly under stress.

Getting Comfortable In Your Own Skin. Becoming an Elegant Leader starts with the right Mindset before you can address other extents. Elegant Leaders have great attitudes and model Southern Behaviors. Here you’ll gain clarity and perspective as your foundation. There’s a reason Chik-fil-A is considered one of the premier quick-serve restaurants in the nation…it’s always my pleasure.

Develop Your Elegant Strategy. Your dashboard sets your steps on the right path to lead elegantly. Now you develop the powerful and practical strategies to get there. Here’s how you leverage what your organization should do best and how to practically and powerfully execute the tactics to realize the vision you set forth.

Be Clear, Concise and Compelling. It’s all about communicating effectively – simply, powerfully. It’s one thing to speak authentically to the organization. It’s also another to back up your communications with the appropriate behaviors that reinforce your communications. Elegant Leaders are authentic, generous and transparent.

It’s All About Relationships. If you don’t understand people, then you don’t understand business, and Elegant Leaders have great relationships up, down and across the organization even with vendors, suppliers and competitors. Internal and external relationships are high-value components once you understand the process to recognize, reinforce and replicate great relationships. Here are practical strategies to gain leverage from all of your relationships.

Moving Forward with Rhythm. Finding the Rhythm and keeping everything in perspective. Balancing ego with relationships and results is what it takes for organizations move forward successfully and profitably. How you develop the team and the employees is fundamental to your success as an Elegant Leader. Practical tools keep you on point and support you in your success when, not “if” it hits the fan.

Problem Solving Capacity. Improve decision making by accurately evaluating situations with the capacity for decision-making expertise, judgment, problem solving, and openness to new experiences and practical intelligence. Here’s how you expand your solution capacity and your agility in a practical, effective an elegant manner. An Elegant Leader understands why to replicate this skill, how to replicate it and what it means for their organization when capacity is expanded.

Let me tell you What Elegant Leadership is not:

It’s not a Band-Aid for a broken leg! It’s not some stench left from a dead woodchuck based upon some book or the panacea-of-the-month, quick-tip you found in some magazine. If that’s what you’re seeking, then stop reading now as you may be the reason why leadership, in some environments, is worthless.

Sadly, there are countless duplicitous people, who have assumed leadership roles, have eroded what leadership means and has led to the demise of many businesses. Elegant Leadership with Voltage will poke you in the eye and punch you in the gut for your past behaviors. Only leaders who have a sincere and honest desire to elevate themselves, who have the courage and desire to change and the willingness to ask for advice, seek counsel and commit to change and to eliminate unproductive behaviors will come out on the other side more successful, authentic, genuine and happier with themselves and those around them.

Perhaps you’d like more information of Elegant Leadership with Voltage or what Elegant Leadership can do for you, your team and your organization, feel free to contact me with your feedback, thoughts and ideas or to discuss any of these at scott@brookestoneassociates.com or contact me directly 205-482-2177. Thank you for your willingness to Become an Elegant Leader. If you’d like a FREE copy of the eBook on the 7-Steps to Become an Elegant Leader with Voltage, click here, and you can download an excerpt.

The conversation continues…