Lolly Daskal's Blog, page 81

5 Important Traits of the Most Admired Leaders

As a leadership coach, I have the privilege of working with some of the best leaders around the world, and I’m able to see firsthand the consistent attributes that make them the kind of leader that people admire.

These traits are surprising in their simplicity. Even so, they’re not easy to cultivate—but if you make the effort you’ll not only earn admiration but also inspire others to work together toward your shared goals.

Here are the five most important attributes shared by admired leaders:

They say what they mean and mean what they say. They encourage confidence and demonstrate consistency to everyone in the organization at all times. This straightforward honesty is among the strongest traits anyone can bring to leadership.

They take ownership of their mistakes and failures. The most admired leaders own their own decisions and actions—good and bad. Many people are quick to hold others  to account, but admired leaders hold themselves accountable above all. They don’t blame anyone else or downplay the consequences of their failures and mistakes. Whatever the situations, they hold themselves to high standards.

They develop solutions and solve problems collaboratively. For those who lead from ownership, the next step is seeking solutions to organizational problems. That doesn’t mean micromanagement but collaboration, a system in which everyone is included in developing a solution. And because everyone has a voice, people better understand the proposed solutions and everyone can move forward together to execute the desired outcome.

They leverage assets, relationships and resources to get the job done. The most admired leaders know that solving problems and creating solutions require that they make use of their most important assets, relationships and resources to get the job done. Because they have worked to maintain a store of goodwill at every level, they are able to bring together people and resources to accomplish extraordinary things. It takes a compelling person to rally an organization to work together toward a common goal.

They check their ego at the door. The last trait, and maybe the most important, is that of leading with humility. These leaders have built a culture of trust—one in which they know they can depend on their people, and their people know they can depend on their leader, as they work together to accomplish the needed results and support the organization’s mission. 

These traits may sound like things that are easy to develop, but they are not—they take commitment, drive, and the will to forge strong connections with the members of your team.

Working to build the attributes of admired leadership is challenging, but if you put in the effort you and your organization will benefit—no matter what kind of industry or organization you’re working in, whatever your leadership position or title. When you lead with these traits your outcomes will be consistently successful—and you will be consistently admired.

Lead from within: An admired leader is the thread that ties people together and aligns everyone to succeed as a unit.

 

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The post 5 Important Traits of the Most Admired Leaders appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

CEO Succession Starts With This One Important Thing

One of the most surprising things I’ve found in my extensive experience as a leadership executive coach that most companies are missing the mark when it comes to CEO succession. And in virtually all cases the issue is the same: they’re waiting until there’s a need and looking for new leadership from outside the organization instead of planning ahead and focusing within. Looking for someone new to come in and be successful is a risky strategy. Constantly developing the leaders who are already within the organization is far more likely to lead to success.

Continued strong leadership at the top is critical to any company’s long-term prospects. This is the succession process I recommend to my clients—one that I’ve seen carried out many times with successful results.

Create a process. First and foremost, have a solid plan in place. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Corporate Directors last year, two-thirds of American public and private companies said they have no formal CEO succession plan in place. And headhunter Korn Ferry reports that of the executives who talked with him this year about their CEO succession processes, only about one-third were satisfied with the outcome. These figures are unnerving. CEO succession planning is far too critical to neglect or get wrong. The time to begin planning is now.

Produce a profile. Define the skills and talents you are looking for, the kind of candidate who will be able to deliver on future strategies and present results. This profile will keep your process grounded in the desired results and will help you select the best candidates when the time comes.

Groom internal candidates. Choosing a new CEO is unambiguously the board’s responsibility, but the current CEO and senior leadership team have an important role in identifying and developing likely candidates within the organization.

Generate a continuing framework. Succession planning is not a one-shot initiative. A successful succession plan should be a multiyear structured process connected to leadership development. The CEO succession then becomes the result of initiatives that actively develop potential candidates through a process that’s responsive rather than reactive. Without a structured process, potential candidates may not have sufficient time or encouragement to work on areas for development or improvement—and as a side effect, the organization may gain a damaging reputation for not developing their leaders and talent.

Design a rotation. When I work with companies on their succession plan, we create a process in which developing leaders—especially those who have been identified as prospective succession candidates—rotate over a three-year period through key leadership roles within the organization. This cross-training gives leaders an opportunity to learn and develop within all aspects of the company, learning key skills within each role and getting to know the company from the inside out. As a bonus, a few standout potential leaders generally emerge during this process.

Maintain a leadership development plan. Keep coaching and mentoring your organization’s developing leaders. A smart approach is to develop a plan for each candidate and feed it into their annual review, providing opportunities for supportive and constructive feedback. These tailored leadership development plans serve both the organization and the individual leaders.

For now, the most important thing is to get started on developing a plan—or, if you already have a plan, reviewing it against best practices—regardless of the status of your current CEO. Life is uncertain, and leaders owe their organization the ability to maintain stable leadership at the top.

Lead from within: A succession plan is not a recruiting process. It’s the responsibility of every organization to develop leaders among leaders, finding the best candidates and helping them succeed.

 

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The post CEO Succession Starts With This One Important Thing appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

Can I Be a Leader? Even if I Don’t Have the Title?

 

Summit Scale 5 minute interview

Lolly Daskal, is one of the most sought-after executive leadership coaches in the world.

Her award-winning book The Leadership Gap: What gets between you and your greatness is a national bestseller.

Check out these episode highlights:

00:57 – Can I lead if I don’t have the title?

01:46 – What kind of leadership is needed right now?

02:29 – If I wanted to excel what leadership gaps should I look for?

04:19 – Is WHAT I do or HOW I do it important as WHO I am?

05:31 – What can I do to bring out my greatness?

07 :10 – Lolly’s Website Address.

Tweetable Takeaways from this Episode:

“The definition of Leadership is; to make an impact on someone else. Think about your life as little small nuggets of moments and how you can make an impact on other individuals” – @LollyDaskal >>  Click To Tweet

“You cannot rely on someone else to make you great. You have to first lead from within. Find out who you are in order to make an impact on yourself and others ” – @LollyDaskal  >> Click To Tweet

“There is greatness in all of us. We just have to take ownership of it” – @LollyDaskal >> Click To Tweet

“For anything you want to do in the world you must identify self. WHO you are before you can do the how the what, the when, the where and even the why. The WHO is the deepest level of what we need to work on” – @LollyDaskal >> Click To Tweet

The post Can I Be a Leader? Even if I Don’t Have the Title? appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

When it Comes to Leadership, This is What Really Matters

When I first started out as an executive leadership coach, not many CEOs saw the importance of leadership coaching or development. Over the past few years attitudes have changed, and recent research finds that 90 percent of CEOs are planning to increase their investment in leadership development and see it as the most important human capital issue their organizations face.

Identifying and developing great leaders is a critical factor in organizational health, which in turn drives shareholder returns. But what direction should that development take? I think it’s important to focus on the fundamentals—the most critical traits and skills leaders need to be successful. Here are some of the most important:

Emotional intelligence. Any successful leader must have a healthy dose of emotional intelligence. Leaders with good EI know how to identify and manage emotions—their own as well as those of others. They practice awareness and empathy, and stay connected with their own feelings and in control of situations. Understanding emotional intelligence and developing the EI of your organization’s leaders is a great investment.

Effective problem solving. Knowing how to solve problems is one thing, but knowing how to solve them effectively is far more valuable. To be an effective problem solver requires the ability to discover key information, the knowledge to conduct a detailed analysis, and a willingness to consider all solutions. It’s a key skill, not just in high-stakes situations but every day, and it’s surprisingly difficult to get it right. Successful leaders have just as many problems as others, but they know how to solve them more effectively.

A willingness to consider the opinions of others. Most leaders think they need to have all the answers to be successful, but that’s as far from the truth as you can get. Successful leadership means being able to listen to the ideas, viewpoints and positions of others. Leaders who do well on this dimension typically base their decisions on sound analysis and input from the right people; they avoid biases and premature conclusions.

The ability to achieve results. Great leadership is not only about developing and communicating a vision and setting objectives but also about following through to achieve results. Leaders who focus on results tend to emphasize the importance of efficiency, productivity and accountability, resulting in a process that naturally prioritizes the highest-value work.

Being able to be supportive. A successful leader is supportive of those they lead by showing up with authenticity and a sincere interest. They build trust and help people overcome challenges. They manage group work in a way that promotes efficiency, and they never forget that the role of leadership is not to develop followers but to develop new leaders.

The power to motivate and inspire. Part of great leadership is developing strategies that reenergize people’s attitudes about the organization and their role within it. Research shows that leaders who can reenergize their employees tend to have a workforce that’s truly engaged, with higher levels of employee retention and productivity. And because motivation and inspiration mean different things to different people, the most successful leaders in this area start by knowing their people well enough to understand what works for them.

These are far from the only traits a good leader needs, but they’re among those with the highest return on investment. Keep them in mind as you plan your leadership development program.

Lead from within: For organizations investing in development of their future leaders, prioritizing the most important areas ensures the highest level of success.

 

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The post When it Comes to Leadership, This is What Really Matters appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Attract and Keep the Workforce You Need

Every organization wants a reputation as a great place to work. In many fields, the workplace has become a candidate’s market where the best people have their pick of jobs. And it’s not enough to attract and hire top people—you have to be able to retain them too.

Being known as an organization where the best people want to work isn’t just an HR issue—it brings a serious competitive advantage when the best people want to be part of your team. But it doesn’t just happen by chance.

As business consultant and leadership executive coach who has worked with thousands of companies around the world, I’m able to see firsthand which strategies are the most effective in attracting and keeping top talent. They fall into six critical areas:

Great leadership. People are attracted to leaders who are inspirational, supportive and empowering. Supervisors and managers are sometimes unaware of the role their actions and decisions have on employee turnover, so manager training and leadership awareness are a must. Managers need the skills, the tools, the knowledge and the inspiration to keep employees engaged. When you get leadership right, you get the right people.

Great jobs. Getting people to join your workforce won’t be a problem if the job is attractive and challenging. But to retain your best people, you have to provide room for advancement with a career path and meaningful professional development. If you fall short in this area, you’ll lose employees to organizations that do better—which in turn will harm your reputation with prospective employees.

Great culture. People are more committed and engaged when they can contribute their talents and ideas. A sense of ownership and respect makes employees feel they can excel. Creating a culture that nourishes top talent, encouraging creativity and risk and avoiding petty rules, is among the best ways to keep and attract the best people.

Great purpose. Millennial’s now entering the workforce need to understand the why, not just the what. They want to understand and connect with an organization’s mission; they want to know how their work benefits that mission. You need to make sure you have a clearly expressed mission that resonates with people, and an organization that lives out that mission with authenticity and consistency at every level.

Great development. The best workplaces make training and development part of their culture. A solid professional development program is one of the best recruitment tools you can develop. The investment of time and money will yield massive dividends in workforce security and the resulting benefits.

Great rewards. It goes without saying that your salary and benefits need to be competitive. Beyond that, you also need to make sure people feel appreciated and recognized for their efforts with external rewards like public recognition, bonuses and awards. Even more important is intrinsic motivation—feeling connected and valued, with autonomy and opportunity for development and growth.

Even if you’re doing well right now in recruitment and retention, these issues are important enough to warrant a proactive approach. Make an assessment of your organization’s leadership, culture and practices that affect employees—and if you see an area that’s wanting, don’t wait to make it right.

Lead from within: Being a good employer means staying aware of what it takes to attract and keep the talent that you have. Pay attention to what your people need so you can be responsive to what they want.

 

 

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

This is Why People Really Quit Their Jobs
12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
11 Things Employees Complain Most About Their Leaders
How to Succeed as A New Leader
It’s Never Too Late to Learn These 12 Powerful Leadership Habits
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
How to Increase Your Influence Using 5 Simple Words

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The post How to Attract and Keep the Workforce You Need appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

7 Guaranteed Ways to Boost Your Confidence

Successful people seem to radiate confidence. It’s obvious that they feel assured about themselves and what they’re doing. But in almost every case, it’s not success that makes people confident—it’s confidence that makes them successful.

Here are seven bulletproof strategies you can use to become more confident.

Think confidently. Many people limit themselves with what they think. Remember, you can always go as far as your thoughts let you, and what you believe you can achieve. So, what are you thinking? Are they positive thoughts? Are they thoughts of you being successful? If not, it’s time to change your thinking and change your life. When you think confidently you become confident.

Communicate confidently. A confident person is assured in their communication. They speak up when something needs to be said and they say what needs to be heard. When you communicate with self-assurance, you gain respect. And that respect, in turn, gives you even more assurance.

Decide confidently. When decisions need to be made, a strong confident person jumps in and makes them. They may study the situation, but they don’t waffle over the options. When you’re strong and decisive, you invariably come across as self-assured and self-confident.

Act confidently. The quickest way to acquire confidence is to tackle something you fear and learn to do it well. Confident people are not afraid to take on challenges, because they know their self-opinion isn’t based on a single success or failure. What they do does not affect their outlook. They know that they’re always going to do their best in any given situation, so they will act confident even if mistakes happen. The best way to act confident is to feel confident.

Believe confidently. No matter how you well you think you carry yourself, if you do not believe in yourself it will show. People determine how to treat others based on perceptions, so it’s important to project belief in yourself. Knowing your worth gives you  inner confidence, which leads naturally to confident behavior.

Dress confidently: People often make snap judgments based on a person’s appearance. Sometimes that means dressing the part. If you look like you’re ready to get things done, people are more likely to treat you with respect and deference. Self-confidence is the best outfit, so give it your personal spin and own it.

Focus confidently. Confidence is all about focus. Confident people focus on how to improve everything they do until they succeed. People who lack confidence, on the other hand, focus on what they don’t know and what they can’t do. They worry about their shortcomings instead of leveraging their strengths. When you worry about failing, you’re more likely to fail. But when you confidently seek out solutions, you’re more likely to succeed.

Lead from within: Confidence is within your power. if you take to heart these seven strategies and incorporate them into your life, you’ll soon be the picture of confidence.

 

 

N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 7 Guaranteed Ways to Boost Your Confidence appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Work with a Leader Who Lacks Emotional Intelligence

 

Many experts believe that a person’s emotional intelligence quotient, or EQ, may be more important than IQ. The ability to perceive and manage emotions certainly seems to be a better predictor of success, quality of relationships, and overall happiness.

Low emotional intelligence has demonstrated negative effects in the workplace; it lowers morale and reduces productivity.

When leaders exhibit low EQ, the effects are especially pronounced. A study by Pearson and Porath of thousands of managers and employees found strong repercussions when a leader engages in negative behavior:

Two-thirds of employees said their performance declined
Four out of five employees lost work time worrying about an unpleasant incident
63 percent wasted time trying to avoid the offender
More than 75 percent said their commitment to their employer had waned
12 percent resigned due to the leader’s behavior

Unfortunately, many leaders still lack emotional intelligence. But there are strategies that can help when you encounter a leader with low EQ. Here are five of the most fundamental ways to help improve the situation:

Acknowledge them. Leaders have a lot on their plate; they are juggling more than one responsibility at a time. The best way to work with a busy leader who lacks emotional intelligence is to acknowledge their emotions and frustrations, to let them know you see their challenges and hardships. Let them learn how it feels to be acknowledged. In South Africa, when you greet someone you say “Ubuntu,” which translates as “I see you.” See your leader and their struggles.

Serve them. Leaders serve others, so even if you feel they don’t need your help, it can be beneficial to let them be on the receiving end of service. Give respectful feedback without criticism. Help them understand the importance of emotional intelligence and the benefits of cultivating related skills, for the benefit of not only the leader but also the team and the entire organization.

Calm them. A big component of emotional intelligence is the ability to manage emotions and triggers. If your leader has a low EQ, it may fall to you  to calm them down and model for them how emotionally intelligent people are able to regulate and control their emotions.

Appreciate them. It’s hard for a leader not to notice when people on their team are appreciative and thoughtful. It not only makes them feel good but also sets the tone for the way people speak to each other and behave toward each other. Consideration, compassion and understanding are important elements to demonstrate.

Lead them. Be the example you want to see in your team and your company. Watch your own emotions and your own triggers—be the person who understands how your emotions impact others and recognize the role you may have played in creating difficult circumstances. At the end of the day you become the leader who illustrating to others what it’s like embodies emotional intelligence.

At the end of the day, the best way to help those who lack emotional intelligence is to lead by example in acknowledging them, serving them, calming them, and caring for them. Show them what is like to have EI within yourself and how they too can begin to embody those skills to benefit themselves and those around them.

Emotional intelligence is essential in the workplace. Don’t tolerate a lack of it.

Lead from Within: Whether you’re a leader now or may become one in the future, cultivating emotional intelligence will not only serve you but also help you outlast and outperform.

 

 

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post How to Work with a Leader Who Lacks Emotional Intelligence appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How Can You Tell If Your Leader Is Afraid Of You

We tend to think of leaders as people who are focused on serving others, dedicated to the mission of the work they do, and committed to their people. Unfortunately—as in every field—some people in leadership positions are threatened by those they lead, especially those who embody the qualities they lack as a leader.

How can you tell if your leader is freaked out by your competence or confidence? Here are some signs to look for:

Constantly shutting you down. Your boss shuts down every great idea you bring up and disagrees with your creative solutions without any reason.

Stealing your ideas. When you have a great idea at work and your boss doesn’t stomp on it, they find a way to stall you long enough to steal it and claim it as their own.

Restricts your access to high-level people in other departments. Your boss tells you to funnel all communications through him or her rather than going directly to anyone outside your department. Fearful bosses tend to be very controlling.

Finding fault in everything you do. You get positive feedback from everyone else, but you’re constantly under your boss’s skin.

Failing to respond. Your boss regularly cancels your meetings, forgets to return your calls and emails, and generally doesn’t seem to have you anywhere on their priority list.

Micromanaging you. Your boss keeps dictating process details and checking up on your work.

Ignoring you. You’re shut out of decision making and don’t have access to strategy sessions.

Giving you low-level assignments. Your manager takes away your highest-impact and highest-visibility projects and leaves you with low-priority busy work.

Leaders are only human and they, too, can be afraid and feel threatened by others. It’s not a good thing but it is sometimes an unfortunate reality. Don’t make it into anything bigger than it is—do your job and do it well, and let your talent speak for itself. At the same time, keep good documentation in case you ever have to report mismanagement or defend yourself, and consider moving to a different workplace where your talents and skills will be appreciated.

Lead from within: Insecure leaders show their fears in the way they treat others.

 

 

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photos

The post How Can You Tell If Your Leader Is Afraid Of You appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

This is the Best Way to Manage Your Team

In business, today we seem to focus more on the exciting parts of our work—innovation and creativity—and less on the day-to-day requirements of leadership. It’s great when you have an organization that’s all about speed, agility, innovation, and creative thought, but it’s your job as the leader to make sure that people understand the vision, that the work’s getting done, that the necessary results are being achieved. Without leadership, you won’t have coherence or consistency—or success.

A great leader needs an extensive set of skills, from planning and delegation to communication and motivation. It’s tempting to focus your growth and development on the areas where you’re already comfortable or those that offer the most excitement. But for long-term success, it’s wise to analyze your skills across the board and challenge yourself to improve in every area.

Here are some of the most important everyday things you can do to lead your team well:

Maintain good communication. As a leader, you have to keep everyone informed about projects, goals, and deadlines, so it’s essential that you communicate well. When you are open with your team they’ll be open with you, creating opportunity for dialogues, feedback, and any questions or issues they want to address (and shutting down gossip and rumor mills in the process).

Build meaningful relationships. Get to know members of your team individually—personally as well as professionally. When you put the effort in to get to know a bit more about the people you work with, and you better understand who they are and what they do, everyone works more productively and effectively.

Delegate effectively. Delegation is key to great leadership. People perform better and are more engaged in their roles and responsibilities when they feel their skills and talents are recognized and put to use, and when you know the strengths and goals of each person it becomes easier to delegate strategically. The benefits are twofold: Your team members grow and learn under your supervision, and you can achieve much more.

Manage conflict. When there is conflict—and there is always conflict—make sure not to ignore it but to address it and manage it. Turning a blind eye or hoping it goes away on its own can lead to a negative atmosphere, which in turn can affect the whole team and ripple out into the organization. It is crucial to address and manage conflicts in way that people feel understood and know that a solution can be reached.

Be decisive. To lead a team well you have to be decisive, willing to hold strong opinions along with an open mind. Decisiveness doesn’t mean you aren’t open to learning but that you have a clear vision and can translate it into bottom-line decisions. Strong decision making that aligns with your organization’s values and the needs of your team brings great results.

Appreciate hard work. Don’t be one of these leaders who doesn’t respect effort or who thinks hard work is just the minimum that people should do. Express appreciation for effort and hard work and do it often, because those who feel recognized and valued will continue to work harder than those who don’t. Appreciation builds confidence and engagement.

Lead by example. People look up to leaders. They are constantly watching you and seeking your guidance, support and coaching, so it’s imperative that you set a good example, Whatever expectations you have of others, set the example yourself. Act in the ways you want others to emulate.

Lead from within: There are many ways to manage a team, but to lead a team takes range of specific skills that are practiced and repeated daily.

 

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
How to Increase Your Influence Using 5 Simple Words
How to Succeed as A New Leader
How to Deal with an Unprofessional Leader
6 Powerful Habits of The Most Productive Teams
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
My Best Advice for Leaders When Things Are Going Wrong

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The post This is the Best Way to Manage Your Team appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

A Big Leadership Lesson from a Small Spider

 

There’s a story about Robert the Bruce (Robert I), a 14th-century king of Scotland. As he was struggling to protect his kingdom against the English, he found himself driven from his castle and forced to flee to keep from being taken prisoner. Feeling completely defeated and at a loss about what to do next, he took refuge in a cave.

Soon he spotted a small spider spinning its web. He watched as the spider would spin and then stop, spin and stop. Each time it didn’t make a move for a long while, he thought it had given up and failed in its task. But each time it eventually started again, moving with slow determination. And in time, after many stops and starts, it completed its web.

The king reflected on the three characteristics that made the spider successful—patience, awareness, and determination—and set out to apply them to his own situation.

To gain patience, he cleared and sat quietly until he found himself calming down and collecting his composure.

To cultivate awareness, he thought about the situation he was in and what it would take for him to survive in the short term and continue ruling his country. This awareness not only calmed him down but also allowed him to see things in a new way, removing some of the darkness he’d been under.

To embody determination, he thought about coming out of the cave ready to fight and do whatever it would take to regain his kingdom.

The king left the cave with patience, awareness and determination. The fight was long and difficult, with its own starts and stops, but within a few years Scotland prevailed and gained its independence.

That little spider, gone for centuries, changed the course of history. And we can still apply its lessons today.

When you find yourself in a challenging situation, ask yourself how you can attain patience. It is patience—with yourself, with your circumstances, and with your thinking—that will give you the wisdom to find new solutions to old problems.

When you feel everything is conspiring against you, ask yourself what awareness you need to cultivate. Awareness can help you understand that even when you cannot change a situation, you can always change yourself. Developing the ability to tolerate negative circumstances will make you rethink who you are as a leader.

When you want to give up, ask yourself how you can dig a little bit deeper to find your determination. Great leadership comes from embodying grit, using your inner strength to persist, not allowing any setbacks to stop you from moving toward your mission.

Leadership lessons are all around us. If a king can learn the most important lesson of his life from a spider, how much can we learn from the people, the things and the opportunities we experience every day if we stay open and pay attention?

Lead from within: Some of your most valuable leadership lessons will come from unexpected sources. What will you take away?

 

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

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Additional Reading you might enjoy:

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A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
11 Things Employees Complain Most About Their Leaders
How to Increase Your Influence Using 5 Simple Words
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
How to Recover After a Deadly Leadership Mistake

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