Connected leaders have an understanding of what they want to accomplish and are driven to achieve their leadership purpose. Intention is the leadership accelerant that starts the journey of leadership and sustains leadership over time. Intention is the motivating spark that compels leaders to continually learn, grow, and take risks. It’s the part of the leader’s inner voice that says I must lead, I want to lead, and I can make a difference if I have the opportunity to lead.

Connected leaders see themselves, first and foremost as leaders (self-construct); they hold positive self-appraisals about their leadership abilities (self-esteem), they are consistent in their beliefs, behaviors, and temperament around leadership (self-consistency), and they believe they can be successful in their leadership roles (self-efficacy). These self-views are among the most important predictors of leadership effectiveness. In addition, a leader’s effectiveness is also predicated on a clarity of the values and beliefs that he or she employs in the leadership domain.

Connected leaders are acutely aware of theirs, and others’ values, strengths, needs, and weaknesses; understand the social, political, and cultural contexts of the workplace; and are able to leverage this awareness to maximize effective communication, relationships, business processes, and outcomes.

Connected leaders have a heightened sense of inquiry and actively explore industry and leadership best practices, challenge the status quo, and synthesize information into actionable strategies. They ask more questions than declare the answers, they try to identify next-and-best, they are early adopters and lifelong learners.

Connected leaders define and cast a direction that resonates with their constituents, develop plans that align human resources, strategic objectives and organizational processes, and maintain an appropriate sense of urgency throughout the course of a project or initiative. They speak in ways that galvanize emotions, challenge thinking, and fosters commitment.

Connected leaders are highly skilled in execution strategies and systems to help others prioritize, select, and follow through with the highest leverage actions. They relentlessly pursue results and foster accountability and follow through. They distribute the burden of execution and use fair rewards and incentives. They use tracking mechanisms to ensure they make continuous progress and stay on course.