The Input-Output Leadership Model
The most important jobs, behaviors and character traits of great leaders
Leadership is an abstract construct that is hard to define and nearly impossible to formulate due to the complexity of human nature. But, I think it is an important exercise to attempt. So, I’ve created a model called The Input-Output Leadership Model, in order for leaders to improve their skills and for recruiters to be able to recognize leadership potential in an individual. The model illustrates nine inputs found in all great leaders and the outputs (or return on investment) gained by the team.
I’ve spent nearly a decade building and leading teams in corporate environments. However, much of what I discuss here is based on the wisdom of my father — a leader who has dedicated his life to social activism and community organizing — and that of my brother — a Captain in the Marines Corps who has demonstrated leadership in some of the most taxing, mentally stressful environments. This is to say that these ideas scale and can be applied to anyone in a leadership capacity.
TLDR: To simplify this model, I’ve outlined leadership inputs into three categories, with nine total inputs. Remember, these apply to leaders in any environment, and are chosen based on my beliefs regarding what provides the most value to a leader’s constituents:
- The 3 most important jobs of a leader in any environment
- The 3 most important behaviors a leader should demonstrate
- The 3 most important character traits a leader should embody
Job (what all leaders need to do to be great)
“Job” in this context refers to the job of a leader rather than the job that a leader holds (e.g. CEO, general, teacher, activist). All employees of an organization are paid to conduct initiatives that align to the objectives of that organization (drive sales, ensure safety, educate, etc.). However, while leaders are employees too and ultimately have organization-specific duties, ALL leaders have organization-agnostic jobs to do as well. In my experience, the three most important (and occasionally most difficult) organization-agnostic jobs of any leader, in no particular order, are to:
A. Set a vision
B. Inspire your team
C. Make tough decisions
Setting a vision is the critical component in ensuring your team (however large) is on the same page as you are. It’s much easier to row a boat synchronously when there’s a lighthouse in the distance than when out in open waters. A vision also creates a system of flexibility and nimbleness where, when the leader is away from the staff, the staff (if empowered) is capable of confidently making decisions that align to that vision. This will create fewer instances of misalignment than would happen without this vision. It’s the leader’s job to set the goal and — this is critical and often a miss — to ensure that EVERYONE on the team knows and can articulate exactly what it is. What’s the team output of setting a vision? A team that works in unison and with efficiency.
Inspiring one’s team may the toughest job of a leader, particularly for those in an uninspiring or challenging environment. But, those environments are where inspiration is needed most. Employees who aren’t inspired tend to get in late, leave at 5 and only do what they’re asked to. Employees who are inspired work extra hours, go above and beyond the call of duty, innovate, and fix problems without being prompted. Inspiration can be created through many techniques: positive framing, demonstrating enthusiasm and excitement, great storytelling and displays of heroism. Whatever your style, make sure you’re ready to inspire others when the time comes.
What’s the team output of inspiring your team? A team that is motivated, finds meaning in what they do and will not seek to leave.
Making the tough decision is a fairly simple but critical concept. First, in the event of a negative outcome, responsibility needs to fall on the shoulders of the leader and not on those of the team. Second, even in the face of uncertainty when making a decision (particularly those that will become public), it should be made with an appearance of confidence that others will notice. Third, somebody has to do it. What’s the team output of being the one that makes the tough decisions? You give your team confidence that you’ve got their back.
Behavior (how all leaders need to act to be great)
If the job of a leader is what they do to lead, the behavior inputs are how they lead. These are, in my view, the three most important behaviors a leader should constantly be demonstrating:
A. Lead by example
B. Look out for people’s welfare ahead of your own
C. Leave people better than when you got them
While some situations require leaders to lead from the front and others require leading from behind, all must lead by example. A leader who consistently asks their team to work late on new business pitches but does not work late themselves or a platoon commander who constantly pushes their Marines to do grueling physical training but does not join them will soon lose the respect of their team, kill motivation, and render themselves ineffective in short order. In practice, leading by example is about showing public displays of uncomfortable behavior — such as grit, toughness, courage and sympathy — in situations that require it. What’s the team output of leading by example? You get people who are agreeable, driven and positive.
Looking out for people’s welfare may be the most straightforward item on this list, but it’s often the most overlooked. Leaders typically hold stressful jobs and it’s easy to get bogged down in the day to day grind. But, great, forward-thinking leaders put the well-being of their people ahead of their own when making personnel-affected decisions. If the health, happiness, and fortunes of the group are constantly top of mind, the group will see it and reward you for it. What’s the team output of looking out for your people’s welfare ahead of your own? You will gain their trust and their willingness to sacrifice.
Leaders have a lot of accountability, but too often their accountability is focused in areas outside their staff. It’s the leaders who hold themselves accountable to not just the welfare, but the development of their staff, that set themselves apart. When you focus time and energy into building your people up — making them stronger, tougher, more capable and more refined — you bring fulfillment to them and to yourself. Few things are as rewarding to leaders as when they see their people blossom and reach their full potential. What’s the team output of leaving people better than when you got them? You build leverage by creating a stronger, more battle-ready and more capable team.
Character (traits of all great leaders)
Understanding the character traits of great leaders is the most critical element to finding them. It is the starting point when seeking them. A hiring manager considering promoting a candidate into a leadership position should first know their character before doing an audit of their previous behavior and experience. While there are certainly more than just three traits great leaders have in common, in my view, these are the three most important, in no particular order:
A. Caring
B. Humility
C. Courage
Caring in this context is not related to your work — though obviously that’s important — it’s about caring about the people you are responsible for. And it’s the trait most often found in military leaders but often missing in corporate leaders. In order to embody the key behaviors of a leader, you must care. If you want your direct reports to trust you, they must trust that you care about them as people and not just as employees. Caring is not really something you can learn, but you can improve the ways you show your team that you care about them. Some ways include making yourself available to them when they need you, learning about their lives outside of work, throwing teambuilding events, providing coaching and feedback and always being honest and transparent. But ultimately, some people care about others and some don’t. Only those that truly care make great leaders. What’s the team output of caring? Your people will love you, remain loyal to you and take a bullet for you.
Humility makes the list, not because of how powerful it is when you have it, but because of how damaging it can be when it’s lacking. Leaders who embody arrogance more than humility have a very low ceiling to succeed in organizations that prioritize people. Arrogance can deplete the benefits gained from being caring, make you appear insecure and cause people to lose respect for you. A humble leader learns from their staff, is not afraid to ask for help, bestows authentic praise and gives credit rather than taking it. What’s the team output of being humble? Your people will respect and admire you.
War comes to mind on the topic of “courage,” but courage is (nearly) as important in non-military, professional environments. Leadership is about piloting a group of people on a journey and all journeys contain both good and challenging times. Navigating through challenges — often found during crises and change — requires courage. Making tough decisions requires courage to face possible repercussions. Great leaders have the courage to say yes to something difficult, the courage to say no to someone powerful, the courage to do what is right when everyone else is doing what is wrong, the courage to fire someone themselves rather than assigning it to someone else, the courage take the final shot and the courage to fail. What’s the team output of being courageous? Your people become noble and fearless.
Of course, a machine learning algorithm that identifies leaders would include many more than just nine inputs. However, having a prioritized list of the job, behaviors and character traits of what a great leader looks like should make it clearer for you to improve as a leader and make it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to identify leaders from mere managers, in any environment.
