Leadership is the missing ingredient in many management positions. Often the people placed in leadership roles in an organization are those who have simply been around the longest. Seniority, though, is not a substitute for effective leadership strategies.
Tough Decisions
Real leaders make hard decisions. Making the popular decision is not always the right decision. Colin Powell, one of the foremost leaders of this generation, says, "Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: You'll avoid the tough decisions, you'll avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you'll avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset."
Tough decisions are those that require confidence, because inevitably someone will not be happy with you. Fear of backlash should not concern you if you know the decision to be made is in the best interest of your people.
Challenge the Status Quo
Going with the flow is not what leaders do. Leaders challenge social norms, typical procedures, generic answers, and create new questions that outline new opportunities. When leaders hears the phrase, "We have always done it that way," they say "Why?" They desire a better result. Leaders don't understand or accept answers that have no substance, no valid reasoning, or opportunity for growth.
Leaders constantly look to challenge, tweak and change. They recognize opportunities and are curious to learn of new strategies that will test their current capabilities. They are pushing the envelope to facilitate a "better" way.
Personal Actions
General Douglas MacArthur, a great American leader, used to carry with him a list of questions to guide his journey. One such question, was, "Have I the calmness of voice and manner to inspire confidence, or am I inclined to irascibility and excitability?" This question gets right to the heart of leading by example. General MacArthur understood that to gain the support and trust of his subordinates, he had to carry himself accordingly. Leaders do not allow themselves to be drawn into situations that will impact their standing within their group.
Leaders carry themselves to a higher standard--a standard that inspires their people to want to excel and push themselves further then they thought they could go.
Action Plan and Training
Leadership is easy to explain, but harder to put into practice. Frankly, it is more about personal actions first and actual skill second. However, there are some useful items that can be practiced to try and improve leadership abilities.
- Place people in the best possible positions to succeed. Evaluate your employees and team members and figure out what they do best and enjoy most. Situate them as closely as possible to align them with their strengths.
- Allow your employers to make decisions. The transfer of empowerment is motivational and it's a great knowledge builder.
- Create an atmosphere of excitement and happiness. While all work is not fun, people are more productive when they feel good about their situation.
- Reward Excellence. When your people do something well or they consistently stop to help others, reward them and recognize their efforts. This provides a confidence boost and it delivers a firm message that you are valuable.
- Be Positive. Challenges arise each day. Rather then look at challenges as problems, turn them into learning and growth opportunities for the team. Allow different people to be involved in the process.
- Allow the free flow of ideas to be heard. Listen to your employees. Each day people have great new ideas, philosophy differences, and improvement suggestions. Foster an environment that allows this communication exchange to thrive. Just because someone has a lower tier job classification does not mean they have a lower tier brain. Use everyone on your team as a knowledge building opportunity.
