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10 Ways Secure Leaders Differ From Insecure Leaders
10 Ways Secure Leaders Differ From Insecure Leaders
Blue-Collar Leadership
Leadership Speaker│Trainer│Author of 12 Books
Greater Atlanta Area
1. Delegation
Secure leaders delegate the desired results, not methods. When we delegate
results, we are transferring responsibility for methods to those doing the work. When those doing
the work determine the method, they take ownership in achieving the results. Since they’re
responsible for methods and ultimately results, they are flexible and can change methods to
effectively and efficiently achieve the desired results.
2. Decision Making
3. Trust
4. Teamwork
5. Thinking
Secure leaders want their team to do all of the thinking. They know that’s
where and when they will grow the most. They understand all growth happens outside of the
comfort zone. They often intentionally challenge their team members to find new solutions to old
problems.
6. Belief
Secure leaders believe in their team. They don’t just say it. They demonstrate it.
They don’t have to say it because their team members feel it. When you believe in others, it
releases them to achieve what they may not have thought was possible. They are borrowing
belief from you. When their team makes a mistake, the leader believes they learned a valuable
lesson during the process. As a result, the team is much more likely to expose problems in order
to correct and learn from them.
7. Support
Secure leaders come alongside their team. They are not out front pulling. Nor are
they in the back pushing. They are in a support role. They understand their job is to remove the
obstacles for the team. They are the team’s biggest cheerleader. The team loves to have them
around.
Insecure "leaders" are always pulling or pushing their teams. Why? For the
insecure leader, it’s not about the team. It’s about themselves. Their goal is not to grow and
support the team during the process. Their goal is to get the results they want when they want
them. The team hopes they don’t come around.
8. Credit
Secure leaders love to give credit to others. They don’t need it. They look for
opportunities to give recognition to the team. When things go right, they look through the
window and give credit to the team. When things go wrong, they look in the mirror and take the
blame. They believe they somehow let the team down. They feel there was something they could
have and should have done to help.
Insecure leaders seek the credit. They feed on it. They look for things to go right, so
they can take credit from the team. When things go right, they look in the mirror and take the
credit. When things go wrong, they look through the window and blame the team. They avoid
any responsibility. Remember, the leader is either making it happen, allowing it to happen, or
preventing it from happening. If not, someone else is leading.
9. Control
Secure leaders exhibit passion. They motivate and inspire others to take action. They
are most excited when they have inspired others to make things happen through motivation.
They are energized when they release others to freely find their way. They trust the team to carry
out the mission.
10. Process
Insecure "leaders" do not want to rock the boat. They also don’t want their team
to rock the boat. They value the status quo and will do everything in their power to maintain it.
Processes they put in place are the “sacred cows” or are not discussable. They think, “If it’s not
broke, don’t fix it.”