Article: Leading For Success

Great leadership is an invaluable key to business success. For some people, great leadership skills are something they are born with. For others, it is a learned skill. The value of good leadership is often underestimated. Models of good leadership can so often fall into the category of charisma, charm and an outgoing personality who is always the center of attention. In groups, it often appears that the loud, bold and assertive person takes on the role of leader. The truth is that being the loudest and boldest does not necessarily make a good leader. In fact, quite the opposite. In any group effort, good leadership skills make a significant difference to the performance of the team.

1. Lead from Behind

The cliché image of the militant leader charging forth, leading his men into battle is not the one we should aspire to. There is a myth that the leader needs to be in front, leading the pack, forging the way, keeping the course. The truth is that great leaders have a variety of styles. It is most important that, as a leader, you are familiar with your personal style. An effective leader can easily lead from behind, if that is where he/she is most comfortable, guiding the team from a fallback position. Most importantly, a good leader exudes confidence in the team.

2. Have a Vision - or Borrow One From Someone Else!

This might sound obvious but you would be surprised at how many people find themselves in leadership roles without any idea of where they are heading. As the leader it is your job, it is your DUTY to have a clear vision of where the team is headed. It is not important that the team reach the final destination in the immediate future, but it is extremely important that you, as the leader, have a clear idea of where you are headed.

Imagine that your team, group, organization, corporation is on a journey. Imagine a journey with no clear destination vs. one with a clear destination. Which requires more energy effort and time? A journey without a clear destination may, in fact, offer more opportunities for discovery and exploration. However, if that is not your primary goal, it is necessary for you to immediately clarify where it is that you are GOING before you can lead your team there! It is not uncommon for several people on the same team to have entirely different visions of what the destination is. In order to work most effectively, the entire team must have a clear idea of the vision, the goal and be in AGREEMENT. When there is disagreement, or a lack of clarity, the result may be fragmentation, disgruntled team members and, sometimes, sabotage of the project.

3. Chart a Course

It always amazes me to see how many businesses, ventures and projects are thrust into full swing before anyone has even thought to make a PLAN. As a leader it is your job to make sure that a plan is created. You do not necessarily have to be the one to develop it. In fact, the success of the plan is directly related to the amount of buy-in from the team. Your project will have a greater chance of success if the plan is developed and presented by a group. Your first job, as the leader, is to ensure that a plan is created. Your next job is to ensure that the entire team understands the plan and is ready to put it into action.

Take the example of a crew sailing a ship. It is essential, to everyone’s survival, that the entire crew understands and has some agreement upon 1) the destination 2) the course. What will happen if the day shift is set on a course from San Francisco to Hawaii and the night crew thinks the course is from San Francisco to South America?

4. Ultimate Goals vs Actual Goals

Just as the success of a play depends upon the development of each character, the success of a business depends upon each team member’s understanding of his role and his/her ability to play it well. Each role is an essential element of the project. It is important that each team member understands the goal of his particular role and has a plan to reach the goal. It is the leader’s job to support each player, help clarify action plans, and set deadlines. On a hockey team, the goalie knows that his ROLE is much different from an offensive player’s role. Their GOALS are entirely different as well. While both players know that their ULTIMATE GOAL is to win the game, the goalie’s ACTUAL GOAL is to prevent opposing team’s pucks from reaching the net. The offensive player’s ACTUAL GOAL is to hit his puck into the opposing team’s net. Two very different actual goals; the same ultimate goal.

5. Listen as Well as Hear

One of the most important aspects of being a great leader is the ability to listen. Listening is different from hearing. While in hearing, one is able to obtain basic content and information, listening requires an ability to tune in on a variety of levels. Luckily, this is a skill that can be learned and is essential for great leadership. Listening requires not only receiving aural information, but also picking up on the underlying messages, the “background noise” (the feelings, perceptions and intents that are an integrate part of the message being relayed). A great leader not only listens to what is being said, but is able to listen for what is not being said.

6. Energy Boosters

Your team will go farther and further the more support they have. People are exerting energy, giving their time, experiencing set backs, as well as successes. Remember cookie time when you were a kid? Everyone needs a little pick me up, something to look forward to, a reward, not just for a job well done but also, for a job well attended to. Inspire, reward and energize your team with treats! Offer tickets to sports events, theatre, a lunch out or just a basket of morning muffins. If you don’t know what will work well as an energy booster, just ask. People are eager to offer suggestions for tempting treats and rewards.

7. Acknowledge the Baby Steps

Acknowledging the successes, the big WINS, is easy. For one thing, they are obvious. Your team’s performance rate will improve drastically once you start acknowledging the baby steps, the little wins, the small accomplishments. The way to reach the summit is one step at a time and you will see a noticeable increase in morale, efficiency and productivity once you, as the leader, make it your personal mission to acknowledge your team’s work. If you want to be a super successful leader, take on the challenge of acknowledging one accomplishment (no matter how small) each team member has made. One way to do this is to just look at what it is that this person has spent time doing and acknowledge one task they have completed, one contribution they have made to the group or one asset that you see them as having. You will be rewarded by witnessing a significant improvement in performance.

Being a good leader is not terribly challenging. Being a great leader requires commitment, self-realization and a desire to support the team as a whole. Great leadership can make the difference between a business which just coasts and a business which thrives. Great leadership will not only produce results in team performance, productivity and morale, but it will achieve an attraction effect on customers. People are drawn towards thriving enterprises. What’s your next step towards becoming a fantastic leader?

More Articles | Back to Top