What do we need to do as a leader? Through the eyes of our people, a Blanchard/Training Mag study gives us some insight into what people think are the roles of their leaders and what is their responsibility. It is about leadership and followership, and how awareness of self is critical to assuming our new roles.
Listening is not always THEIR problem. Leaders need to be clear and people need to have time to digest either positive or negative news. Too often there is confusion and surprise. Here are 3 steps for leaders to make sure the news is heard and it makes a difference.
It is hard to invest in training when the market is way down. But investing in your best people goes way beyond a line item in the budget. Compensation is not a driver for your best people, it is time, opportunity, and the feeling they are part of something special. Here is a talent scorecard that helps a leader step back and understand what they should be doing.
Performance evaluations are a tool for leaders and followers. The outcome should be a great discussion with a plan for the coming year. Here is a template for how to do that in your organization.
Organizations are run much like our culture – at high speed. Might be fine for getting work done, but what is the impact on how we manage our greatest resource – our people? Look no farther than comparing the breathing rate in Africa vs the United States.
Is ignorant a bad word? Should we hire the ignorant? The answers are No and Maybe. It takes a special leader to hire the ignorant and sometimes hiring them is a bad idea. It can also be a powerful word for pushing us to grow.
Do you write thank you notes? It is a powerful way to build trust with others and to monitor how well you are recognizing great things that people are doing around you.
Here is a fun idea for announcing a job change or an addition to your team. Do not miss a change to onboard well or announce a change in responsibilities.
Great leadership and great followership starts and ends with conversations that create understanding and actions. Here is one conversation around Building Trust that makes a difference.
Followers need leaders that tell them the truth AND help them find the path out if they choose to work through a challenge. Here is a story about telling the truth, leadership, followership, and how it can make a big difference in a life.
Leaders need to know others and be known by others. Here is a tool to help start those conversations – it is great leadership and great followership.
What to do with people that are not performing on a team? This is a question asked in my leadership / followership class and I committed to blog on the answer.