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Tips for Leadership Success
Everyone at every level can choose to be a leader.
We all know there isn't a 'magic wand' when it comes to effective leadership. It's a deliberate, daily endeavour that requires great effort and creativity. Good leaders can elevate team performance to unexpected levels when they conduct themselves with clarity and commitment. Everyone at every level can choose to be a leader. Whether you're beginning your career as a team leader or trying to re-energize your organization, here are some simple guidelines that can help you to become a more effective and successful leader.
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Gather feedback from unlikely sources.
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Ask for feedback, not only from the usual sources such as your boss, peers and reports, but from unusual sources as well. Administrative staff often represents the point of continuity as employees come and go. They know the teams and the particulars. Ask their opinion.
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Read Death by Meeting.
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People frequently complain that the meetings they attend are boring, ineffective and a waste of valuable time. Read Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni (Jossey-Bass, 2004) and make your meetings more effective. If you're chairing a meeting, make sure to define your meeting goals - and you should know what they are if you're chairing the meeting!
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Keep your boss informed with monthly written updates.
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Executive summaries should be sufficient, bullets only with details provided if required. If you can put it on a chart for easy reading, all the better. This lets you keep your boss informed but is also a great venue to identify your successes. Performance reviews are always just around the corner, if you don't keep your boss informed (especially of victories) then there's little to set you apart from the crowd.
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Don't let the rumour mill get ahead of real information from you.
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Be the leader that your team needs. Nature abhors a vacuum so if you don't provide information then people will listen to the rumour mill whether it's true or not. You may not know what to say, especially if you are still figuring out the next steps. So talk about that! People don't expect you to be perfect and to have all the answers; they expect you to keep the lines of communication open. Don't forget to validate people's fears - if it's real to them it's real. Talk about it and reassure the group that as soon as you have an update to share you will.
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Have a plan.
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Les Stroud from "Survivor Man" says the key to survival is having a plan. This also applies to work. You should be able to sketch out your high level strategy in 10 minutes for anyone that asks. The plan doesn't have to be fancy or outlined using the latest technological tools. Some of the best plans are outlined on a piece of paper! The plan is meant to be reviewed and shifted as your priorities and information changes. Without a plan your team will think they don't have a leader. Use it to guide the team, inform your stakeholders and keep yourself on track.
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Be positive.
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Les Stroud says a positive attitude is the other part of the survival equation. Think of it - if you aren't positive about your plan why would your team follow you? Positivity is infectious. Teams who start meetings by spending the first five minutes reviewing successes from the previous weeks are cited to be much more likely to have a positive can-do meeting.
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Take time for reflection on a regular basis.
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Pause once every week or two and have another look at your plan. Think about the events of the week and analyze how they inform you for your future approach. If you can't do this effectively by yourself consistently get a coach. As your professional development partner, a good coach will guide and assist you through structured reflection. Reflection helps you answer the question "Am I in the right place at the right time?"
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Have fun!
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There are some who say that if the leader isn't fun, the work isn't fun. They aren't talking about the clown-of-the-office kind of fun, but someone who understood that humour can often make the stress of the day manageable. Don't be afraid to laugh and smile - it will help your team see you as an approachable leader and will help everyone (including you) relax.
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Be calm.
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The biggest fatality on the highway of overwork is the sense of calm. As a leader, you set the bar for your team. If you are using words like "swamped" and "never-ending work" then you brand your team attitude accordingly. Assist your team in identifying efficiencies that can make the day a bit easier. Usually they have lots of ideas that can make a difference and are just waiting for you to ask! (See tip #2 - often it's about the meetings.) Frequently you can't regulate the amount of work coming in but you have total determination over your state of mind when facing it.
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| Source: Katherine Craig, Spearhead Executive Coaching |
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FSEAP offers confidential professional assistance on a wide variety of personal and work-related issues. For more information on your EAP, call 1.800.668.9920 or visit your MyEAP Web site at www.myfseap.com.
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This newsletter is to provide timely information to readers; contents are not intended as advice to individual problems. Please contact your EAP professional for assistance. Editorial material is to be used at your discretion and does not necessarily imply endorsement by Family Services Employee Assistance Programs. |
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