In about a month from now, I will be completing my eighth year at PwC. A lot has changed over the years at the firm. The most obvious change for me personally is getting married. Other changes stem from the creative disruption caused by technology in the industry, which has resulted in some pretty amazing tools I have used since joining. Amongst the personal and professional changes, one thing which has remained static are the personalities and characteristics of leaders that I have been exposed to internally at the firm and externally at clients. Within the uniqueness of each CFO/partner, controller/senior manager, senior associate or even associate I have worked with, the best of them have consistently exhibited (and continue to show off) the following five traits:
Passion for what they do. There is nothing more inspirational than seeing a leader ooze passion out of his/her skin, regardless of the task at hand. The two most contagious characteristics that team members catch on to in the workplace are "positive-energy/passion" and "negative-energy/indifference." Aim for the former.
Compassion in their approach. The best leaders are those that understand that there is a fine line between work and life, and that it is okay for work and life not to balance as long as the quality of the deliverable/service does not suffer (a surgeon will never walk out of a surgery half-way through the process knowing what is at stake). The best way to gain the trust of your team members to make them feel that you care for them in not only their professional lives, but also in their personal lives.
Trust in the work of their teams. It is inevitable that people will get it wrong, but one should not presume they will. The best leaders give their teams an opportunity "to get it wrong." The best coaching and learning experiences come from getting things wrong. Trust your teams. No one is perfect.
Interest in helping others succeed. The best leaders are those that not only pave a path forward for themselves, but also create one behind them to plan for the next leader to take over (ie - succession planning).
Humility in their words, actions and how they carry themselves. Always remember that your job title are just words on a business card, regardless of what they spell out. Never let that define or guide who you are as a person.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - JQA
Compassion in their approach. The best leaders are those that understand that there is a fine line between work and life, and that it is okay for work and life not to balance as long as the quality of the deliverable/service does not suffer (a surgeon will never walk out of a surgery half-way through the process knowing what is at stake). The best way to gain the trust of your team members to make them feel that you care for them in not only their professional lives, but also in their personal lives.
Trust in the work of their teams. It is inevitable that people will get it wrong, but one should not presume they will. The best leaders give their teams an opportunity "to get it wrong." The best coaching and learning experiences come from getting things wrong. Trust your teams. No one is perfect.
Interest in helping others succeed. The best leaders are those that not only pave a path forward for themselves, but also create one behind them to plan for the next leader to take over (ie - succession planning).
Humility in their words, actions and how they carry themselves. Always remember that your job title are just words on a business card, regardless of what they spell out. Never let that define or guide who you are as a person.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - JQA
