Want to be an
excellent leader? A truly inspirational, effective agent of your team’s
success? There is literally nothing harder – or more important – in the world
of work. That’s why effective leaders are so rare in real life.
If that discourages you, them maybe you don’t have what it takes to lead after all. If it motivates you instead? Well, then, here are a few tips to take it from “in charge guy/gal” to “excellent leader !” who gets the very best from their people.
1. Repeat after me (to your team): “My job is
to help you be successful by making your job easier.”
No, your job is not to
give them the day off to shop while you finish up their work for them. But your
job as leader – your only job, as leader – is to remove impediments and provide
the tools for your people’s success. Take the obstacles out of their way and
give them the resources so they can do the important work of your company:
serving your customers!
2. Foster friendships among your staff.
After work
socialization is important – it is! But nothing builds camaraderie and team
spirit like shared success as the result of shared struggle. What’s your team’s
greater goal? What significant challenges are you confronting that all of you
can be proud of overcoming together?
3. Reward for the big things. And the medium
things. And even the itty-bitty little things.
We like praise.
We want recognition. One winner-takes-all vacation or mega-bonus for the
year’s top performer is great and all, but how about a $5 Starbucks, or even a
made-up certificate from your printer, because someone filed her report on
time?
4. Push them.
People of quality want
to be good at their jobs. Kindly help them to improve. …Kindly, but maybe not
gently.
5. Release the “Just Enoughers” to other “opportunities.”
We all know the “Just Enoughers.” Employees that do just enough to avoid getting fired. No one likes to work with slackers – except other slackers. Redeploy them sooner than later. As the old saying goes, “If it’s inevitable, make it immediate.”
5. Release the “Just Enoughers” to other “opportunities.”
We all know the “Just Enoughers.” Employees that do just enough to avoid getting fired. No one likes to work with slackers – except other slackers. Redeploy them sooner than later. As the old saying goes, “If it’s inevitable, make it immediate.”
6. Hire slowly and caaaaarefully!
Show your current team
members and your new recruits that not just anybody belongs on your team. If
you want to build an elite group, hire top performers. You’ll have to kiss
a lot of frogs as you vet the talent pond.
7. Give them something important to get up for
in the morning.
Remember number 2,
with the part about shared challenges? Pick a lofty goal. Then make pursuit of
that the rallying cry of your team. Change lives, change how business is done;
don’t just settle to change who wins this year’s sales contest.
8. Talk up your people to others.
Talk your team up to
your peers, to their peers, to your boss and her boss and heck, to the security
guard, too. Be proud of each of them, and share that pride with anyone who’ll
listen. Word will filter back to them, and as it does, it will have have
a major impact.
9. Expect the world of them.
Establish with your
team how highly you respect and admire them. Expect big things from
them. They will live up to your image of them, no matter what it takes.
10. Be worthy of their effort.
Want to really be the
best, most effective leader ever? Work to improve yourself every day, in every
way that is important to your team’s success. In order to lead a group of
champions to new heights, you as leader must be worthy of the team’s time and energy.
And that’s a lot more than we have room for in one blog post.
You will never be as good as you can be as a leader. But every hour of every day, if you’re sufficiently devoted to the success of your team, you can improve. Keep at it, and your people will start bragging about you – to their peers, your peers, your boss and her boss. And yes, even to the security guards.
When it percolates back to you how admired you are by those you serve as leader… you’ll be infinitely prouder than if they told you themselves!
All the success!
Peter McLees
You will never be as good as you can be as a leader. But every hour of every day, if you’re sufficiently devoted to the success of your team, you can improve. Keep at it, and your people will start bragging about you – to their peers, your peers, your boss and her boss. And yes, even to the security guards.
When it percolates back to you how admired you are by those you serve as leader… you’ll be infinitely prouder than if they told you themselves!
All the success!
Peter McLees
petercmclees@gmail.com
P. S. Smart Development inc. has a proven track
record equipping leaders and companies to elevate employee and customer
engagement. We have helped restaurants, stores, branches, distribution centers,
food production facilities, and other businesses create a strong culture,
leadership bench strength and the teamwork necessary for growth. Having worked
with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights
and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized
company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.
