Leaders walk the walk
Leaders walk the walk, they perform all tasks including the unglamorous
ones it demonstrates the task isn't beneath no-one, they also walk slowly
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Leaders Walk the WalkSimple Leadership
Tips That Will Improve Your Management Skills Managing
staff is one of the toughest parts to running a business because everyone is
different. They all have different requirements, expectations, knowledge,
capability, passions and with some their attention lies elsewhere (for example
it could be a part timer who is also a student). Yet with the
right management skills they can still be motivated and inspired to perform
their job roles with pride, purpose and skills. However, you must remember that
if you are my manager, I have to do what you tell me to do. If I don’t, I could
lose my job, but I don’t necessarily follow you! Leadership is a decision you
make not a seat you sit in and with training it is possible to be
a manager who leads and a leader who manages. Whether you want to improve the motivation levels of your current team, improve moral, listen more effectively, inspire new team members, manage individual’s performance, have that difficult conversation and become a little more assertive, these tips will help. “Effective
leaders set high standards for performance and values, validate efforts and
contributions, and ensure cooperative interaction and performance in a
trusting, respectful work environment.” |
Tip 2 - Walk the Walk - Back up your words with action.
Do as I say and do as I do – not do as I say and not what I do!
Leading by example is simple. It doesn’t mean performing every duty
just to prove your worth. Lots of managers and leaders think they have to do everything;
all this does is produce an over dependant team of frustrated and demotivated
team members who feel worthless.
One of the worst things a leader can do is have an “open-door
policy”, you’ll get nothing done, get frustrated with your lack of work
completed and start snapping at people. You need to plan you day so that you
complete your most important task when your energy levels are high, close your
door for 90- minutes and crack on. Your team need to know this is happening and
not to disturb you unless the office is on fire!
Note: Performing every duty is not an exercise is criticising the
performance of your team members - It’s about setting a positive example.
Step 1
Don’t ask your staff to do anything you wouldn’t be prepared to do, leaders walk the walk, they're capable of getting it done
Step 2
Be seen to do the occasional ‘unglamorous’ task. For example, if you
use the coffee facilities ensure you are down to clean it once a week
If tasks like these are always given to the receptionist, or the
lowliest or newest member of the team, it will seem more like a punishment. If
you the leader and manager are mucking in to ensure that your high standards
are adhered to, it demonstrates the task isn't beneath no-one.
There is a great book written by James Kerr called Legacy. In
the book James Kerr goes deep into the heart of the world’s most successful
sporting team, the legendary All Blacks of New Zealand. The information within
the book is all about building a high-performance culture, and every company
and leader can learn from it. The first chapter is about character.
SWEEP THE SHEDS – Never be too big to do the small things that need to
be done. This basically means that after every game the All Blacks clean up
their own mess, how many managers and leaders in companies and organisations
all over the world could learn from this?
Step 3
Do the job well! After all, you want your staff to follow your
example.
Top tip, while you are walking the walk, walk slowly. This means take
your time to chat and get to know your people, not all in one day but throughout
the year:
“How’s your week so far”?
“How are you getting on with such and such”?
“I remember you saying it’s your little boy/girl’s birthday this week,
have you anything planned”?
The last one is a “must not forget date” and is a sign that a leader
knows his team. Obviously if you are responsible for a huge team you should know
the MNF dates of your directs and they theirs.
All these
and more are discussed in our 12 month action focused leadership and management
program which holds the team responsible for achieving their part of the
vision.
Leaders Walk the Walk
As well as lots of smaller businesses and organisations, below are examples of some larger organisations who have received training from our director of learning at Ultimate Leadership Training:
Please contact us to discuss any training requirements you have, we either deliver for you or sell you the course for your trainers to deliver to your team
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Leaders Walk the Walk