Leaders are crucial to the success of a company primarily on the bases of management and leading by example. If a leader appears unprofessional with a scant attendance record and poor communication skills, then it almost certainly spells failure for a team.
Conversely, an excellent team leader can inspire the same work ethic in their team members. However, there are different types of excellent leaders, and whether or not they have the strategic capacity to produce long-lasting growth for their business is another matter entirely.
While team leaders who are preoccupied with completing their daily tasks efficiently are commendable, it is more important to prioritise actions geared towards long-term success. This is where a strategically agile leader comes in.
Here are the four traits that make a strategically agile leader and how they bring success to their company:
They’re Daring
Taking risks fearlessly, courageously, but wisely is a key component of a strategically agile leader. Few people have found success by playing it safe, and these types of leaders are well aware of this. They weigh opportunities properly and calculate the risks associated with it. They do their research properly and extensively gather the information needed to make a well-informed decision before jumping right in.
These leaders are also confident. Taking risks is a huge part of finding success, and it’s important to be confident in one’s own decisions. This also means that these types of leaders do not waste time worrying about what others think of them or their decisions. They are also confident enough to humbly take criticism and learn from their mistakes if the risk doesn’t pay off. There is no success without failure, after all.
They’re Nimble
A strategically agile leader must be nimble enough to execute crucial objectives and initiatives with speed and precision. The pace at which many industries move can be incredibly fast, which means that the company has to keep up or risk being left behind.
These leaders are on the lookout for prime opportunities to advance their business. And once they’re ready for the taking, these leaders take the first chance they get to seize it. They are always active about looking for ways to grow the company: if there are no opportunities then they look for ways to create some; if things appear stagnant or have reached a dead-end, they look for new options.
The ability to act fast helps these leaders seize prosperous prospects for the company—bringing a world of possibilities to succeed.
They’re Creative
Tried-and-true, traditional methods often bring traditional results—and strategically agile leaders aren’t interested in that. They want groundbreaking solutions that will really propel their company forward for the long-term, and that takes a lot of imagination.
These leaders aren’t necessarily expecting to create the next viral innovation, but they are always looking for ways to optimise operations. They approach problems with creativity and resourcefulness in order to find new ways to help their business be more focused and efficient.
They’re Curious
Strategically agile leaders tend to ask a lot of questions. They want to know how things work, ask about new perspectives, and expand their network in the spirit of simply learning more. By broadening their knowledge, they can integrate new information with their current strategies to make it better and more innovative.
Asking bold questions leads to entertaining potentially exciting scenarios that could benefit the business—and this all comes from an endless curiosity.
Bottom Line
These four traits are key characteristics of a strategically agile leader. They are always on their toes for something exciting and better to factor into their strategy. By having an open mind and a knack for exploring, these types of leaders typically find success for their business, making them a key component in every company.
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