Does your leadership have what it takes? At MAP Consulting, we are all about coaching leaders and what clients tell us is that given the pandemic and uncertain business climate, effective leadership matters more to them than ever before.

But what does that mean exactly? It helps to look at leadership attributes, specifically those we can not only appreciate because they are essential to great leadership but because these attributes can also serve as a blueprint for accelerating performance and getting results.

You may know that MAP has over 60 years of leadership and business development expertise. So here are five attributes that we see as particularly important to your leadership during challenging, even pandemic, times.

Attribute #1: Humility. It can be hard, but great leaders face adversity not with an ego-mindset but one that accepts the current reality, bravely facing the brutal facts. It’s admitting you don’t have all the answers. And it’s embracing the fact that you don’t always get it right. As Winston Churchill once said, “In the course of my life, I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet.” Don’t let ego rule the roost. Instead, focus on others and less on yourself.

Attribute #2: Empathy. This is more than just lending an ear. Empathy is about connecting and listening to your people. It can be as simple as talking less, listening more, as well as proactively asking more of the right questions, taking the pulse of your people. Don’t be afraid to ask how your employees are doing personally. Times are stressful for many now, and being “real” builds connection and understanding.

Attribute #3: Courage. As we write about in our bestselling book, “The Disciplined Leader,” fear is a natural emotion—we all have it to some degree or another. But great leadership is about facing fears and taking positive action in spite of your fears. Actions such as showing up, stepping up, making tough decisions, setting direction and (always!) involving your people and teams in the creative, courageous process of innovation and solution-building.

Attribute #4: Discipline. By discipline, we’re not talking about old-fashioned, educational rigor or promoting a rigid culture. We’re talking about the daily practice of holding yourself, your team and your organization accountable. You set what MAP calls “Vital Goals”—the 20 percent of activities that will drive 80 percent of your results—and then assign them to your people, track and measure results, and take any corrective action necessary, always remembering to notice and celebrate wins.

Attribute #5: Patience. This is about staying the course. And don’t be fooled…patience—particularly for passionate, energetic leaders—is perhaps the most challenging attributive activity of all. Yet over time, you’ll find it nets the biggest return. When you stay the course through relentless focus and disciplined leadership, you, your team and your organization will achieve results.

Tell us how this blueprint has been working for you!

Does your leadership have what it takes? At MAP Consulting, we are all about coaching leaders and what clients tell us is that given the pandemic and uncertain business climate, effective leadership matters more to them than ever before.