What Should a Leader Be Thinking About - NOW?
By Mark David
I make my living as an executive coach, and I must admit that I am
quite often baffled by the poor quality of leadership displayed
these days. I hear leaders say all the time, "Our people are our
greatest assets," yet rarely do their actions match their words.
Sometimes I can't help but say to myself, "What are they thinking?"
A better question is, "What should they be thinking about?"
Today, right now, create a "Vision" of your organization's future
state. This Vision should include not only your overall company
goals, but also your goals for your employees, your culture and
morale. Paint a vivid picture in your mind's eye. Broadcast your
Vision to the team. Let everyone know what his or her part is in
achieving the Vision.
It is the leader's job to keep everyone focused on the Vision.
Deliver the message at least once a month in creative and
high-impact ways. Try creating logos or slogans that can be put on
memos or T-shirts. This reinforces your Vision as well. When
everyone is focused on moving in the same direction, the natural
result is to follow the leader.
The next step in leading and developing your employees is to put
them in a position where they can leverage their strengths. Give
them opportunities not only to succeed, but also to grow, develop
and shore-up weaknesses. Let them stand, walk, run and sometimes
fall. The key is for them not to be afraid to fall. When they do
fall, a successful leader shows them how to learn from it.
The aforementioned will only happen if you model the behavior that
you wish your employees to adopt. Create a culture of "No Fear" by
allowing the truth to be king. A culture of confluent and honest
communication increases productivity and empowerment. Mistakes are
made less often and, when they are, are treated as learning
experiences. Employees become solution-driven.
Listen to what your people say to you. Take time to understand
their point of view. That doesn't mean you have to agree with them,
but it does allow you to collect important data objectively. Why
are they saying what they are saying? How do they feel? When we
take the time to understand the employee's point of view, many
times we realize that they can see some things that we can't. Many
times, together you can see what neither could have seen alone.
People want to be themselves. They want to be a part of a proactive
culture where they can grow and develop. They want to make
decisions without fear of punishment. Great leaders accept the
responsibility to create such a culture.
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