I think we can all agree that managing is very different from "leading." Are you a new, established or aspiring leader? Do you mentor, coach and generally cultivate leadership skills in others? If so, this article and Checklist are meant for you.

 

Leadership skills research reveals that exceptional leaders set high performance standards to achieve results for their organizations. Top leaders model the integrity, intellectual curiosity, work ethic, and emotional intelligence they expect of others. But that's not enough. Leadership is more than being a leader. It's about delivering the results the organization needs to fulfill its mission. The buck has to stop somewhere, and that is with leaders.

 

This means that as a leader, it is critical to set high standards and stick to them. Not unrealistic standards, of course, but high ones. Failure to set high expectations leads to failure to reach low expectations, and every time you back off your previously established activity goals or performance levels, you send the message that they were unachievable to begin with, and you're only now realizing that. You must stay composed, consistent and credible.

 

Although it can be challenging to keep the bar high at all times, here's a quick checklist to recalibrate your standards if you feel yourself slipping.

• Set high standards for performance in every aspect of your business.
   
• Involve everyone in the commitment to quality. Make sure they understand that excellence is good business.
   
• Constantly evaluate the quality of work produced.
   
• No matter how well things are going, realize that improvements are always possible.
   
• Solicit suggestions from your direct reports, managers and peers.
   
• Invite your direct reports to challenge established boundaries. Help them identify "stretch" objectives to achieve organizational goals.
   
• Work to exceed customer expectations.
   
• Model your ethical beliefs through your behavior. Represent your organization in the best way possible. Because you are a model of what your organization believes, your direct reports form an opinion of your organization based on your interactions with them.
   
• Identify your most deeply held convictions. Use those convictions to guide your leadership.
   
• Report on both your successes and failures with equal candor.
   
• Actively seek opportunities to stand up for what you believe. Push openly for the kind of outcomes that support your values.
   
• Follow issues to completion. Persisting at problem-solving sends a strong message that you want issues resolved as quickly as possible and that you are willing to do what is necessary to bring problems to closure.
   
• Resist taking responsibility for your direct reports' decisions. In areas that are clearly their domain, lend your expertise, but stop short of making decisions for them. By coaching your direct reports to take responsibility, you are building their skills and helping them to rely less and less upon you.