Relentless Leadership

I discuss relentless leadership. Relentless can sometimes have a negative meaning, but when it comes to leadership, it can also be positive. As a leader, being relentless in pursuing a shared goal or reaching an achievement is a good thing. Continuous improvement is a good thing. That’s what it means to be relentless as a great leader. This episode is the final in the 3R’s of leadership series; I previously discussed resilience in leadership and resourcefulness. 

There are really two things to focus on when focusing on being a relentless leader for the positive, shared goals of the team.

• Focus on outcomes, not input.  In most cases, I believe in letting your people find ways to get the work done that needs done. That means that you, the leader and manager, doesn’t need to get into the weeds with how something is getting done. What you want to focus on is the ultimate outcome. This helps you be more relentless in the pursuit of that shared goal, and it also helps your teams be more relentless, as well.
• Teach (and practice) patience. When you think of relentlessness, patience probably does not come to mind first. However, when you’re focused on a shared goal with your team, often times you run into the tortoise and the hare scenario. Often you’ll find that slow and steady really does win the race. Patience with yourself, your team, and with their own development can help you all practice more relentless leadership.

If you want to be relentless in a positive way, the best advice I can give you is…

Never stop practicing patience with yourself. 

Being relentless really starts with your own self-leadership and knowing when to put more pressure on yourself, and when to take your foot off the accelerator for a while. Learning that balance will make you not only a more appropriately relentless leader; it makes you a leader your people will follow anywhere.