My 7 Personal Leadership Things
I have held many Executive Management and Leadership positions. Every time I started a new one, I use to think to myself “what have I gotten myself into this time”. Then I always turned my attention to what I needed to do.
1. Accept challenging Work
Virtually every job I have ever done I always considered that I was unprepared because it was much bigger than my last job or something I knew nothing or little about. But other people often see things in you that you cannot – so as a good Consultant I said “yes” to everything that was offered.
2. Look after Me
I have always tried to do 3 things as best I can: Eat well, Sleep well and Exercise well. Because as we all know if you are not in good mental and physical shape you are not doing your best to support those whom you are responsible for. If you look sharp then those around you will look sharp as well and vice versa – if you look poorly, then those around you will gravitate to the same state. I was always at my desk by 7.30 am and I walked into my gym each day at 5.30 pm.
3. Provide Autonomy and Empower everyone
My very first action is to meet my team members and evaluate their autonomy and empowerment. As the case requires, I remove any and all barriers and constraints that had been previously imposed. I would finish up by saying “there – now you have my permission and support to do as you see fit”. You can then tell if they are feeling and acting in an autonomous and empowered manner because if they are, they will rarely email you because there is simply no need.
4. Look after the Team
I was nothing without my teams. They do the work; I only provide direction, guidance, and support and because my own work is focused on what we can all see further ahead of us – I remove the roadblocks. Listen to what your team are telling you and act on what you have heard. Help them to be successful. Give honest, direct, frank feedback on their performance and insist on their undertaking ongoing professional management and discipline training.
5. Introduce High-Performance Positive Stress
Positive stress is a great motivator and brings about significant productivity, innovation, quality, and independence. Positive stress differentiates people from the crowd. To create positive stress, I plan carefully and then quite deliberately overload my team members with excessive workloads that capitalise on their strengths – that’s all I need to do. Their engagement, job satisfaction, wellbeing, and general happiness all skyrocket as a result. (High-Performance Team management technique.)
6. Constantly offer to Help
At the conclusion of every conversation I have with one of my team members, I offer my help. Interestingly it rarely if ever gets asked for – but knowing that it is available – is my way of saying “I’m here to support you always, I have your back.”
7. Insist on the use of Process
Process brings consistency, increased quality, cost-effectiveness, reduced task, and project timeframes with fewer errors. It also locks down the operational environment and reduces the number of resources needed by reducing the incidence of rework. It provides repeatable, consistent outcomes and reduces the incidence of failures which reduces cost. Process is necessary because it describes how things are done and then provides the focus and foundation for making them better.
