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Have you ever wondered what you could do immediately to start improving your leadership skills? Here are 6 recommendations that will make a big difference as you start to implement them. It only takes 21 days to form a habit. Take one, form a habit and then move on to the next one.
1) Know your purpose, vision and goals for the organization and clearly communicate them to everyone within the organization. Don't assume that everyone knows what they are. Once you are clear on your purpose, clearly understand what your employees' purpose, vision and goals are. When there is a need for buy-in on the part of the members of your organization, then changes meet far less resistance than those that are handed down through a memo without any regard as to the long term effects of how employees will respond or not respond.
Sharing your vision and your reason for doing things will involve others and they will feel like they are a part of the solution. By creating this type of environment, they will start using their creativity to respond to your requirements. Prepare to be surprised with the results. When everyone is working in the same direction, the flow is easier which results in better productivity, better attendance and better profits.
You can easily test this by assigning a task to 2 people. Give one an order to do something and then with the other person, involve them by sharing why you want this done. Compare the outcomes.
2) Look for how you can serve others: Yesterday's leaders sat in their big offices, barking orders and expecting people to serve them. Today it is about how the leader can serve the organization, its employees and customers. By asking yourself each morning "what can I do today to better serve my organization?" you will ignite your imagination in a powerful and positive way.
3) Ask powerful questions: Like the question above, powerful questions are ones that are creative and empowering. Too often, people shut down their imagination and other mental faculties by saying things such as "I can't" or "It's not possible". Our possibilities are endless, but we need to learn how to ask questions that will tap into our creative power such as "how can I...?". I like the response an associate of mine has whenever confronted with a challenging situation. He immediately says "That's great!" and then looks for what is great about it. As Emerson said, "What we focus on must grow". Focus on solutions; not problems.
4) Be Approachable And Communicate With Everyone: Successful leaders of today are not isolated and insulated; instead they are at the grassroots level, sharing their vision, understanding the people's "whys" and providing a path for everyone to win. Leaders need to know the "why" for each employee, the "why" for their customers, and the "why" for their direction. It is a person's "why" that will motivate them. Don't assume that your employees and customers care about your "why" if you haven't bothered to know their's. But if you help them to achieving what is important to them, they will help you along the way.
You must be open to hear from others. Walk amongst your employees, speak with them on a personal level, listen to what they have to say and focus on them. This is about having constructive conversations; without grumbling or complaining. Implement a program where people can submit questions to the leader that are answered honestly and truthfully on a regular basis.
5) Learn to Make Decisions: Napoleon Hill in his classic "Think & Grow Rich" stated that one of the major causes of failure is lack of decision and I am inclined to agree with him. In his analysis of the wealthiest and most successful leaders of the time, he found that every one of them had the habit of reaching decisions quickly and of changing these decisions slowly, if, and when they were changed. I believe acquiring this habit is of paramount importance to top leaders. No one wants to follow someone that cannot make a decision and you will soon find that there is an informal leader in your organization that others look to for direction.
Many times people will use the excuse that they require more information before they can make a decision, but as Malcolm Gladwell proved in his book "Blink – The Power of Thinking Without Thinking", when he said we think better and make better decisions when we have less information rather than more. He coined the term 'thin-slicing'. He wrote, "And the truth is that our unconscious is really good at this, to the point where thin-slicing often delivers a better answer than more deliberate and exhaustive ways of thinking." Learn to make decisions and learn to trust your judgment.
There is only one question to ask when confronted with a decision. Don't ask yourself if doing something is right or wrong. Ask yourself "If I do this, will it move me in the direction of my goal?" If the answer is yes, then do it. If it won't, then leave it.
6) Take Responsibility For Everything That is Happening in Your Business: I find that people who refuse to accept responsibility for the life they have created also don't make decisions. The 2 habits of refusing responsibilities and fear of making a decision go hand in hand and must be overcome in order to be an effective leader.
Resolve today to stop blaming or making excuses and instead accept responsibility. Then look for your next step to improve the situation. No one can improve anything if they are focused on blame or excuses. The creative faculty will shut down or be used negatively which is really going in the wrong direction unless it is focused properly. So by simply acknowledging responsibility and then asking questions such as "Now what is the best next step to take?"
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