A friend and colleague of mine - Andy DiOrio - recently reached out and told me that he was using some of this work-at-home time to sharpen his professional development skills. His question to me was "What would be the three best practices or learnings you've found in leading your teams?"
He went on to say that his three are:
Be insightful. "Find out what motivates each team member as it will offer insight into what levers to pull or be sensitive to."
Be flexible. He said that early in his career, he thought all had to be managed a certain way. Over time, he's learned flexibility to accommodate life and work conditions, which positively impact engagement.
Be clear. "If the assignment isn't getting done, plainly lay out/re-emphasize the importance of he project and the consequences of not being done."
I believe that all three of those are very important in order to be an effective leader.
- I'm a big believer in 360 evaluations or similar tools to help mine insights into what motivates each team member.
- So too do I work with each team member to understand their needs in order to find flexible solutions that will boost efficiency, productivity and a positive culture.
- Finally, clarity goes directly to communications. The best leaders I know are the ones who are always crystal clear with their setting of a vision, defining an assignment, and outlining expectations.
How did I reply with my three? Here you go:
Be genuine. If you try to become someone or something that you are not, you'll be figured out immediately. Be yourself, which means knowing yourself - how you're wired, your strengths - and, yes, your tendencies, which can work against you.
Trust is an absolute. I need to trust my teammates and they need to trust me. Without that, greatness cannot and will not be achieved.
Simplify the challenge. It's hard to simplify - sometimes, really hard. It's the role of a leader to simplify the problem and prioritize the needed actions. It's why I love the following Steve Jobs quote: "Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."
Let's go move some mountains. Be well. Be safe.
(Check out Andy at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adiorio/)
