5 WAYS TO SKYROCKET YOUR LEADERSHIP RESULTS!
- Learn What NOT to Do. Be willing to learn from others weaknesses! I am not starting out with a negative, rather one of the first steps to take in preparing for a leadership role. Most managers spend years working hard until they earn a leadership position. Don’t wait until that moment to start thinking about your own desires for genuine leadership skills and styles. If you aspire to become a great leader think about it now and it puts you ahead of the game!
In my first management role, I felt a need to control everything and failing. I eventually realized this was a direct result of my own insecurity. (Unfortunately, I have seen managers continue with this immature management style well into their careers and it is truly toxic)
While in middle management positions I had many wonderful mentors. But even some of the best of them had, shall we say, their own quirks. There were many times I would promise myself, “When I am in a leadership position I will never do that!”. (And, that included things like: playing favorites, having very high expectations for most [but not all] of the department staff, receiving oddly written performance appraisals without any actionable criticism [“she glides seamlessly like a duck on a pond while furiously paddling underneath and out of site” – yes, that is precisely what was written!])
- Examine What is Working or Not Working and Why. A good leader has an open mind and questions their experiences and learns from them. As you enter into the management phase of your career take the time to reflect upon your interactions. If a certain interaction left you feeling like you made a positive contribution - why? What did I do? How can I repeat this in other interactions?
If you have had a difficult interaction, ask yourself the same questions. The most important thing to ask yourself is - should I have done something differently? Be honest with yourself – was it body language? Was I not listening? Did I misread the situation?
This leads us to the number one most important trait a truly great leader must possess…
- High Emotional Intelligence
o It’s People, Stupid! This might come across as an actual “duh” but this is so important! People are any companies number one asset.
o Your employees - coach them, encourage them and give them opportunities to grow professionally. I once hired an employee who was at the time working at the company as the front desk clerk – not a very challenging job. After I hired this person as my admin, I noticed great promise and the staffer was eventually promoted to PR and Tradeshow Coordinator. I’ve never seen someone so happy, appreciative, and fulfilled.
o Kindly acknowledge their mistakes and discuss what can be learned from them. There is nothing to be gained by yelling or belittling someone for a mistake – they probably have already beaten themselves up enough. Use this as an opportunity for growth (what do you think you should do differently in the future?) and increased productivity.
o Recognize that they all have personal lives, need work/life balance and be supportive and flexible(if you can) when you believe they are going through a personal crisis. In one instance I had a staffer whose spouse was diagnosed with a critical condition that required treatment at a cancer center for one day a month. I was able to allow this staffer to support her spouse while also working remotely from the center as most of the time there was spent sitting around and waiting. This greatly alleviated job stress, worry about running out of days off and a steady amount of productivity throughout the months-long ordeal.
o Good ideas can come from anyone and anywhere - listen more than you speak.Do you have creatives on your staff? Send them to Comicon (or similar event) and task them with coming back with a trend report to present to the entire team. You will be surprised with what can come out of this.
o Explain how their jobs relate to and contribute to the bigger picture- this is especially important to entry-level and more junior employees. How else could I get a graphic designer to stay until 8 PM on a Friday night making the tenth round of changes on a high-profile packaging project? (and, yes, I stayed with him until he was finished)
o Make them laugh! Be outrageous and spontaneous once in a while. Have an industry or discipline related movie-viewing lunch hour (or two) once every six months and provide pizza especially if the workload has been heavy or stressful. Get creative!
- Life-long Learning. This isn’t a set it and forget it process. Being a good leader is not easy, it is a life-long learning exercise but it can be more rewarding than you could ever have imagined.
- Immensely Gratifying. I have received awards, recognition from industry groups and some pretty nice bonuses throughout the many years of my career, yet nothing has been as tremendously satisfying as receiving affirmations from staffers. For example: "You are the best boss I have ever had!". Or “I hate my job/my boss. Can I work for you instead?”. And “Your leadership style has allowed me to learn so much!”.
So, go out there and lead with compassion, understanding and genuine interest in your employees!