Early in my career I was fortunate to work for Searle, a pharmaceutical company where strong leadership skills seemingly coursed through the heart and veins of every employee. Everyone would bring their best self to work, and teams consequently pulsed with positive energy.

I didn’t realize, at the time, how precious this experience was. But ever since then, I’ve been determined to help other teams recreate that magic.

“Leadership” has always fascinated me. Perhaps this is because I’ve been blessed with strong mentors. Perhaps it’s because, unfortunately, I’ve also worked with rough and tumble managers; the kind that create turbulence instead of flow, and I know how demotivating this can be. Perhaps it’s because I believe strong leadership helps all of us thrive – as we are meant to do. Sadly, however, with only 30% of the workforce fully engaged, the world clearly needs stronger, more consistent leadership.

Without question, leadership is important. But for a topic that’s cited so incessantly, it’s surprisingly nebulous. What, exactly, does it take to master leadership? This is a question I’ve been studying for over a decade through interviews, books and surveys. Thankfully, a formula does exist. This critical mindset is captured in six key pillars.

6 pillars to master leadership

1. Meaning

Several years ago, my family and I went on a Disney cruise. I knew Disney’s vision was to make people happy, but experiencing it is an entirely different experience. Every single Disney employee, from the wait staff to the front desk, was committed to making each interaction special. And happy we were. From grandpa down to our toddler, every one of us continue to rave about that holiday.

“People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”

Simon Sinek, author: Start With Why

A sense of meaning is an important differentiator for both individuals and teams. Meaning is simply why we do what we do. According to John Baldoni, author of Lead with Purpose, a clear sense of meaning is the single most important thing skillful leaders use to unify, enable and develop their team.

What gives you meaning? Perhaps your meaning is similar to Oprah: “To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be.” Or perhaps your meaning is similar to Sir Richard Branson: “To have fun in [my] journey through life and learn from [my] mistakes.” Clarity around your personal meaning enables you to make a profound impact as a leader.

2. Attitude

Tight-rope walkers overcome seemingly impossible odds as they balance on a tiny base. Experts cite the criticality of focusing on the rope, as opposed to everything else. Similarly, leaders keep a focused eye on what they intend to achieve, as opposed to all the distractions and reasons why they might not succeed. Leaders recognize that their attitude – a compilation of what they think, say and do – translates into results. Leaders know what they focus on expands. They focus on their goal, and set their intention on making it happen. Leaders consistently choose an optimistic interpretation when faced with situations others feel defeated by. While some may see problems, leaders see opportunities.

Your attitude is a critical predictor in leadership success and overall life satisfaction. Seek out the lessons and opportunities when you encounter an obstacle. Think of challenges as valuable experiences to set you up for future success. Choose optimism and abundance will appear. Your thoughts translate into your reality. Whether you believe this to be true or not, you are correct.

3. Strategic thinking

Back in my management consulting days, there was a constant message given to new associates: “We’re paying you to think”. To be honest, I initially had no idea what this meant (and was mildly insulted). After all, weren’t we always “thinking”? I finally came to realize they were talking about a special kind of thinking: strategic thinking.

Strategic thinking is all about consolidating, assessing, drawing insights and forming unique opinions. And it is a form of thinking that differentiates leaders from followers. Leaders skillfully translate uninspiring data points into compelling insights. They use market awareness and other disparate knowledge to innovate and problem-solve. Leaders don’t accept a “we’ve always done it this way” mentality, but embrace a natural curiosity about everything. The best way to embrace strategic thinking is to go back to your childhood roots and keep asking “why” things are the way they are.

4. Team Approach

Leaders value the power of a village. They invest in cultivating their team and strategically recruit three different types of personalities into their community. They seek challengers such as mentors, coaches and others who inspire them to scale bigger heights. They partner with collaborators to focus on common goals. And they recruit champions for support and reinforcement. As they build their village, strong leaders focus, first, on what they can do for others.

Who is on your team? Are you consciously recruiting positive influencers? It is often said that the five people with whom you spend the most time have the biggest impact on your life. Everyone has something to teach you. Leaders embrace listening and seek to understand

5. Efficacy

How is it that two people can face the same challenge, with one crumbling and the other triumphing? What differentiates them? What enables one to overcome set-backs and rise from failure?

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

Charles R. Swindoll

Leaders recognize that high self-efficacy – confidence in their own abilities – is crucial for success. This self-assurance helps them to embrace challenges and work harder than someone with lower self-efficacy. Many of the world’s most successful people accept failure as part of their success. This video profiling Michael Jordan, one of the most successful athletes of all time, embodies this view. They accept they will stumble when they risk stepping out of their comfort zone, but they do it anyway. They confront their fears and seek support and inspiration along the way.

6. Resiliency

Resiliency is the final leadership pillar. And resiliency is critical in our complex, ever-changing market. One study compared managers who had a difficult time recovering from setbacks to those who seemed better equipped to such challenges. Interestingly, the better equipped managers weren’t smarter than the others, nor did they make fewer mistakes. These more resilient managers simply did things to allow themselves to recover more quickly and learn from mistakes. They better managed their emotions, actively sought support during adversity and perceived challenges as learning.

Leaders rely on resiliency to adapt and thrive despite the obstacles they face. They appreciate their perception of stress is more harmful than the stress itself. They build their reserves through physical and mental health exercises. And they guard themselves against vulnerable saboteurs like judgment and controlling tendencies. Finally, they monitor themselves with the goal of maintaining high resiliency. This prompts the question: are you sufficiently investing in your resiliency reserves?

Six pillars to mastering leadership. All are well within our grasp. And when more of us embrace these ideas, we all benefit from better work cultures. Thankfully, I have come full circle in my career and am once again surrounded by a village of leaders who embody these six pillars. But the world continues to need better leaders, just like you. I hope this leadership framework inspires your leadership light to shine even brighter.

Are you interested to learn how you rank on the six pillars of a leader mindset? Contact us for a complimentary, confidential leadership assessment. This could be the best investment you make in yourself – and in your team.