Leadership and Innovation Characteristics - Transforming Your STEM Career Through Leadership and Innovation - page 69

7. Myth #7: Leaders have all the answers
The best leaders I know surround themselves with bright people and
seek input in areas where they need expertise, fully recognizing there are
limits. Great leaders are eager to gain input and are not afraid to admit
when they do not know something.
8. Myth #8: Your team is there to serve you
As a leader, you and the team are to serve the “vision” as it relates to the
good of the organization, constituents, shareholders, and all stakeholders.
The best leaders set the example with selfless leadership demonstrated
though a servant attitude, thinking about the vision first, the team second,
stakeholders third, and finally themselves. This is servant leadership.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERSHIP
Now that we've addressed the myths associated with leadership it is important
to get a clear understanding of what it means to be a leader and what leadership
entails. Leadership is an activity that should take place throughout your career,
whether you're leading yourself in a project, a small team, or an entire organi-
zation. The level of the position, however, is not the only indicator of the level
of leadership. As organizations move toward an increased recognition of the
value associated with human potential, many are seeking ways to further inspire
employees through enlightened leadership.
The academic literature and self-help resources are replete with definitions
of leadership and characteristics that leaders should possess. There is a good bit
of consistency and Table 4.2 [7] provides a summary of some of these leadership
behaviors from the literature.
Many of these characteristics will look familiar, as the lines between lead-
ing and innovating blend on multiple levels; recall - innovators are often con-
sidered “thought leaders.” Clearly, leading an organization or initiating the
development of a concept to a product both require an individual that is willing
to stand out and demonstrate additional effort: in other words, this requires
leadership. The difference is that the “Innovation Leader” focuses these char-
acteristics on moving an idea or product forward whereas an “Organizational
Leader” focuses on moving an organization or group of people forward.
A more in-depth discussion is provided of select characteristics in the following
section.
VISION
“Where there is no vision, the people perish”; [8] this ancient wisdom has stood
the test of time and is evident in business, education, and the community. While
a vision may at some point have had its genesis in a dream, a vision is not a
dream; it is an attainable reality that has yet to come into existence. Vision is
palpable to leaders; their confidence in it and dedication to seeing it realized