Two key components for great Leadership is in my mind; Speed and Trust. A leader must be able to make speedy decisions. Far too often getting to decisions and the implementation of those decisions take too long. Many times Committees and Sub-Committees are formed and assigned without clear expectations and deliverables. People involved in these Committees drag their feet because of insecurity and fear of making mistakes. Companies loose momentum, edge and growth due to slowness in either the decision making process or the implementation of decisions. Leadership comes down to understanding what needs to be done, assign people and resources to make it happen and then to follow-up. Simple! I am not saying that Leaders should arrive at decisions too hastily and without proper consideration, not at all. However, it is a fast world we live in and being too slow in adapting or creating newness will eventually lead to declining market share and profits. It is important to remember that the speed of the leader ultimately determines the speed of the team/organization.

Trust: Creating trust in the team/organization is crucial for great Leadership. Trust can only be developed over time and through consistent actions. Leaders who manage to create trust are Leaders who possess an equal blend of EQ and IQ. The reason behind this is self-explanatory. A Leader who genuinely cares for his/her people and at the same time understands that results need to be delivered and generated will be a far more powerful leader than those who can only do either. Trust is developed by: Clarity in communication, frankness, facing the hard facts and constant feedback. There is nothing more powerful for a Leader than to build and maintain trust of the team of people who he/she is leading. Once trust is established people will do nearly anything for the Leader. Not because he/she is smarter than others but because they have earned the trust of their people… Powerful!

One can write books on Speed and Trust alone and maybe I will one day, but these simple lines will have to do for now.