As a woman working with leadership and growth, I often find myself in situations that challenge me, challenge what I thought I knew, challenge how I thought things were, and I’ve learned to accept that this is my place to learn and grow.
And even though situations change and our expectations shift, I believe that if we have the fundamentals for our work in place, we can navigate through any challenge or crisis.
The best leaders have solid foundations which keeps them grounded. Here are my top five that I have used and benefited from over the years and these fundamentals are still at the heart of my work, underpinning all that I do:
1. Share the Vision
My first question when I work with clients is, “What do you want from your business” and I ask them to conjure up a simple picture to represent the target we are aiming for, something they can easily share with their people. You may not be surprised to hear that many look at me and say, “I don’t really know” so it commonly follows on that the team as a whole do not understand or even know where they are headed. Having a clear company vision (a vision is simply a clear picture of what you want) which is shared with the people is a basis for planning the future and can motivate people by giving meaning to their work.
2. Lead by Example
“Do as I say, not as I do” is no way to lead. Great companies don’t need to train customer service because their culture encourages them to treat everyone with respect. People will watch their leaders and follow their example, guided by their behaviour and what they do, rather than what they say. Great leaders offer guidance and support by understanding their employees’ challenges however the biggest thing they can do to inspire and increase job satisfaction and productivity is to show them a clear direction to work towards, with clear details on what they needs to be done. Without criticism and with empathy, great company leaders shine a light to illuminate their employees work.
3. Seek Improvement
“That’s the way it’s always been done here” is never a good reason for it to remain that way. Getting people to think about why they do what they do with the intention of improving and simplifying the process adds a depth and personal involvement to their work. With the fast changing pace at which we work, ‘continual improvement’ of what is working well is a good way to avoid the ’resistance to change’ that often holds us back.
4. Inspire and Clear
This really surprised me when I read about how many leaders get ‘in the way’ rather than ‘clear the way’ for their people. Drawing on my own experience, my initial time as a manager was wondering how to transition from doing the work, which I was very comfortable with, to getting the work done, which I was not! Typically in organisations people are promoted from a position where they are doing well into a new one which requires different skills and abilities. The best leaders listen to the needs of the people and deal with the blockages, clearing the path for them to develop their skills.
5. Seek Opportunities to Praise
Without trust or confidence, leaders can tend to ‘police’ their people, leading them to feel pressured and undervalued. Research shows that most of us make more effort at work when we feel respected and feel our contribution is valued. This can be endorsed by rewarding or praising performances. Great leaders don’t wait until appraisal time; they seek incidents out to regularly praise their people. When we talk about rewards, often what comes to mind is financial however research has also shown that recognition for a job well done is the highest value reward people want to receive. A kind word and recognition of their work and the value they add confirms that they are considered a valuable employee and with this you are building a strong team of committed, creative hardworking happy people.
These fundamentals have been at the core of my work over the years; I couldn’t do what I do without them.
What underpins the work that you do and makes it possible for you to excel? I look forward to reading your comments and contributions from your experiences.
Jane Quinn
Director, miworld
0783 454 2686
Ps If you are interested in finding out more about miworld, why not have a look at our next Visionworks event on 16.03.16
5 Things the Best Leaders Do
As a woman working with leadership and growth, I often find myself in situations that challenge me, challenge what I thought I knew, challenge how I thought things were, and I’ve learned to accept that this is my place to learn and grow.
And even though situations change and our expectations shift, I believe that if we have the fundamentals for our work in place, we can navigate through any challenge or crisis.
The best leaders have solid foundations which keeps them grounded. Here are my top five that I have used and benefited from over the years and these fundamentals are still at the heart of my work, underpinning all that I do:
1. Share the Vision
My first question when I work with clients is, “What do you want from your business” and I ask them to conjure up a simple picture to represent the target we are aiming for, something they can easily share with their people. You may not be surprised to hear that many look at me and say, “I don’t really know” so it commonly follows on that the team as a whole do not understand or even know where they are headed. Having a clear company vision (a vision is simply a clear picture of what you want) which is shared with the people is a basis for planning the future and can motivate people by giving meaning to their work.
2. Lead by Example
“Do as I say, not as I do” is no way to lead. Great companies don’t need to train customer service because their culture encourages them to treat everyone with respect. People will watch their leaders and follow their example, guided by their behaviour and what they do, rather than what they say. Great leaders offer guidance and support by understanding their employees’ challenges however the biggest thing they can do to inspire and increase job satisfaction and productivity is to show them a clear direction to work towards, with clear details on what they needs to be done. Without criticism and with empathy, great company leaders shine a light to illuminate their employees work.
3. Seek Improvement
“That’s the way it’s always been done here” is never a good reason for it to remain that way. Getting people to think about why they do what they do with the intention of improving and simplifying the process adds a depth and personal involvement to their work. With the fast changing pace at which we work, ‘continual improvement’ of what is working well is a good way to avoid the ’resistance to change’ that often holds us back.
4. Inspire and Clear
This really surprised me when I read about how many leaders get ‘in the way’ rather than ‘clear the way’ for their people. Drawing on my own experience, my initial time as a manager was wondering how to transition from doing the work, which I was very comfortable with, to getting the work done, which I was not! Typically in organisations people are promoted from a position where they are doing well into a new one which requires different skills and abilities. The best leaders listen to the needs of the people and deal with the blockages, clearing the path for them to develop their skills.
5. Seek Opportunities to Praise
Without trust or confidence, leaders can tend to ‘police’ their people, leading them to feel pressured and undervalued. Research shows that most of us make more effort at work when we feel respected and feel our contribution is valued. This can be endorsed by rewarding or praising performances. Great leaders don’t wait until appraisal time; they seek incidents out to regularly praise their people. When we talk about rewards, often what comes to mind is financial however research has also shown that recognition for a job well done is the highest value reward people want to receive. A kind word and recognition of their work and the value they add confirms that they are considered a valuable employee and with this you are building a strong team of committed, creative hardworking happy people.
These fundamentals have been at the core of my work over the years; I couldn’t do what I do without them.
What underpins the work that you do and makes it possible for you to excel? I look forward to reading your comments and contributions from your experiences.
Jane Quinn
Director, miworld
0783 454 2686
Ps If you are interested in finding out more about miworld, why not have a look at our next Visionworks event on 16.03.16
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