Are leaders braving enough ?

The topic of leadership is timeless. Every time has its specifics, but every time, the business era needs leaders of that kind.

But let’s ask a crucial question: how do leaders influence others? The answer is simple and constantly repeated in so much research. Leaders nourish trust and build great teams. According to Brene Brown, trust consists of seven components beautifully connected in one word: BRAVING. Leaders are braving connections among the team members and build trust and results. Word BRAVING is an acronym for something deeper and more meaningful.

B – Boundaries. Great leaders understand and respect the boundaries of their team members and, together with team members, define common boundaries.

R – Reliability. Every team member should rely on their peers in any situation that could happen in their work, not just once but at any time. Leaders should focus on doing what they are said to do every single time. Team members need to be clear on their limitations so they don’t take too much and don’t deliver their commitments.

A – Accountability. Leaders develop accountability through role modeling. When they make a mistake, they can own it, apologize, and make amendments. Only then can team members make mistakes, own them, apologize, and make amendments.

V – Vault. Leaders should be someone with whom team members can share their secrets or fears, and they will confidently hold this. Leaders will also promote this kind of trust among team members.

I – Integrity. Authentic leadership should choose courage over comfort, choose what’s right over what’s fun and easy, and practice what they preach.

N – Non-judment. True leaders should never judge any of their team members. This approach allows leaders to keep neutral positions, taking care of the team but developing them to be independent. Team members can ask for help and struggle without being judged by the leader. And vice versa.

G – Generoucity. A leader can assume the most generous things about team members’ words and behaviors. They should radiate positivity for everyone.

It’s a well-known fact that leaders are the company’s pillars. In some companies, these pillars are rooted deep in the foundation. For others, those pillars are well-polished, very visible, and untouchable. These facts depend on company culture, diversity among the team members, and psychological safety.

Finally, even if every time needs a different kind of leader, those leaders will do the same job over and over, lead their teams through uncertainty, and most importantly, brave connections and build great teams.