4 "ations" to being a good leader

I've said before that leadership, at its very core, isn't that difficult. It's having a vision of where you'd like to go and being able to communicate that vision to others so that they buy into it. With that in mind, here are four "ations" you need to be a good leader.


Delegation
As a leader you have a lot on your plate. You should make it a priority to delegate EVERYTHING that you don't absolutely, positively HAVE to do yourself.

This doesn't make you lazy. This doesn't mean you're trying to get out of doing your job. As a leader, your job is to make decisions, to make sure your team is doing their jobs. Your scarcest resource is time. Delegating that which you don't HAVE to do, frees up time to do the things you must do. Not only that, it helps build new leaders by giving them greater responsibilities.

Communication
Communication is probably the most important part of being a leader. Your team wants to do a good job for you. In order to do that, they need to know exactly what it is you expect from them, what is your "vision" for the organization?

If your vision changes or something comes up that is going to throw a monkey wrench into things - they need to know that as soon as you know.

If a team member isn't performing as you think they should, pull them aside and communicate with them what your expectations are and where their performance falls short. Find out if something's going on in their personal lives that could account for the difference. Maybe they didn't understand the tasks or your expectations, maybe they're in over their heads.

Your team also needs to know when they're doing a good job. Always publicly celebrate successes.

Motivation
The best way to motivate your team is by staying positive, enthusiastic, and upbeat. This helps instill a positive energy in the people around you. There are going to be days when that one particular club member has plucked your last nerve. There are going to be days when you feel beat down because, for the third meeting in a row, only 3 members have shown up. In cases like these, it's okay to "fake it 'til you make it". Eventually your positive attitude will motivate your fellow team members to up their game.

Obligation
(I gotta be honest with you. I had to stretch to find an "ation" for this one. It's actually "accountability"! But let's see how it goes!)

Obligation (accountability) is a two-way street. Yes, your team members are obligated to perform their roles for you. But you're obligated to them as well. You're obligated to find them the resources they need to do their jobs. You're obligated to be honest and aboveboard with them. You're obligated to act ethically and responsibly at ALL times. You NEVER lie to a team member, always keep your word, and never make promises you can't keep.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 Leadership Lessons From Hal Moore

This week's leadership lesson is inspired by the move, " We Were Soldiers ", starring Mel Gibson. The movie is based on a real life battle during the Viet Nam War. Mel played Lt. Col. Hal Moore, commander of the 1st Battalion of the 7th Calvary. On November 14, 1965, Lt. Col. Moore, and 450 of his men, were dropped by helicopter into the la Drang valley. They were immediately surrounded by around 2,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Thus began the first full-fledged battle between U.S. and North Vietnamese soldiers. Over the next two days U.S. soldiers were killed but they inflicted around 1,200 casualties and forced the Communist forces to withdraw. The movie, and the battle on which it was based teaches us 10 leadership lessons:(You can read General Moore’s  book .) Be head strong. when the setbacks come (and they will), a leader picks themselves up and keeps moving forward. There's always a way. Either you find one, or you make one. If you think you might fail in a giv
Read more

The Golden Circle

Today's tip is very short - just a link really. Simon Sinek is a British-American author, motivational speaker, and organizational consultant. You can find many of his talks on YouTube but I want to direct you to his TED Talk that, in my opinion, "launched" him. It's called "How great leaders inspire action" and he introduces the concept of the "Golden Circle". The talk is less than 20-minutes long and I think you'll find it eye-opening. You can find it  here .
Read more

Coaching people in difficult times

This post comes from Marcia Reynolds, author of, “ Coach the Person, Not the Problem ”. As leaders, we know how difficult it can be to lead people through difficult times, through times of radical change. As Ms. Reynolds says,  “ Emotions shape our reality more than facts and trend charts. The less we know for sure, the more we imagine the worse and believe it exists. ” When people’s worlds are being turned upside down, it’s hard for them to eliminate fear and focus on facts. It’s difficult to get them to focus on solutions and moving forward. These four practices though can help tremendously: Listen to their story  - This isn’t about you, it’s about THEM. So be patient, don’t judge, and accept their perspective as how THEY see the world right now. They need to feel heard and valued before they’re anywhere NEAR ready to examine their feelings and beliefs with you. Play back what you hear and notice  - Repeat back to them, in your own words, what you heard them say to make s
Read more