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March 11 - March 25, 2022
Ask, “Why do we do it that way?” more often.
Great leaders are always in a learning mode.
1. Get out and about routinely.
2. Get a ground-level view.
3. Meet regularly with direct reports.
4. Assemble small groups.
Make them feel safe.
If you make someone regret telling you the truth, you’re not likely to hear from him or her again.
Probe for the whole story.
If you want to know the rest of the story, pay close attention to what’s being said and what’s not being said when talking to your employees.
Answer the tough questions.
Get formal feedback about yourself.
Constantly evaluate your spending.
Walk through employee and customer areas several times a day, especially at the beginning of the day.
Be visible in the workplace to employees and customers.
Make yourself accessible by being available 24/7 and by getting out and about.
Learn to read between the lines of what people tell you.
Appreciation, recognition, encouragement: ARE.
If you don’t appreciate, respect, and encourage those you lead, they’ll give you only halfhearted effort or, worse, sabotage you or leave you high and dry.
Spend meaningful time with employees.
The message I was sending was simple but profound: “You matter, and I know it. We couldn’t do it without you.”
Showing up says that they matter to you, and if that inspires even one person to do a better job, isn’t it worth the time?
When you’re a leader, you’re well served by being visible.
Recognize employees by name.
Catch them doing something right.
Unfortunately, too many managers are terrific at singling out shortcomings or areas that need improvement but not so good at acknowledging behavior that ought to be encouraged.
Like good parents, the best leaders accentuate the positive and reinforce it constantly.
Never criticize someone in front of others.
Make it public.
Deserving employees should be recognized in front of their peers whenever it’s appropriate.
From then on I always remembered to speak well of people in their absence.
Include their families.
Recognize and encourage good ideas.
So make sure to treat frontline employees as respectfully as you treat those in higher positions, if not more so, even when you have to discipline or fire them.
Make ARE a natural part of your routine.
Just keep in mind the Four Expectations of All Employees as you interact with your people. Make them feel special. Treat them as individuals. Respect them. Make them knowledgeable.
Watch your language.
Spend meaningful time with your employees and direct reports.
Don’t tolerate poor performance or ignore performance issues.
Publicly and privately recognize improvement or great performance.
“In times of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.”
The point is, if you want to be a great leader, you need to stay on top of progress, not become a dinosaur that is hopelessly out of step with the times.
Be a knowledge sponge.
Fill in your gaps.
Remember, the most important skills are hard before they become easy, so don’t shy away from a challenge.
(1) don’t give speeches, tell stories; (2) use personal examples, whether they’re about your family, your dog, or losing your bicycle; (3) never let anyone write a speech for you; and (4) never give a speech about anything you are not passionate about.
Don’t just learn things that relate to your current position.
Master business fundamentals.
Learn from the best.
Learn from your competitors.
