10 Things Leaders Do

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." Peter F. Drucker

1. Know where you are going

Where is your business or department heading? What results do you want for the business in 5 years time? And I don’t just mean financial results. Having a vision is not about fancy phrases that no one remembers - it is a compelling picture of what is possible in the future. All great leaders from the world of politics and business are skilled at crafting a compelling future that inspires those around them. ‘I have a dream’ as Martin Luther King said.

2. Communicate

Leadership is the ability to motivate others in the pursuit of a shared vision. The key word is ‘shared’. Without sharing your vision, you are just someone walking around! The higher you go in an organisation, the more you achieve through others. You can use weekly team meetings and one-to-one’s with staff to reinforce the vision and goals of the business and to seek feedback and solutions to challenges.

3. Clarity of Purpose

To bring the vision into reality you have to translate it into short, medium and long-term goals that mean something to staff. Goals should be written, have a deadline, and be measurable. Goal setting keeps everyone focused on the same objectives.

4. Processes and Guidelines

All staff require certainty, certainty that they are doing the right thing. As far as possible, document standard business processes, creating step-by-step guidelines for every operation critical to business success. It promotes consistency and allows employees to bring new team members into the business and train them faster and more effectively.

5. Motivation

There are many different styles of leadership - driven, supportive, energetic, democratic etc. Whatever your management style, good leaders find creative ways to motivate their team. The easiest way to motivate others is to let them know you value them and the simplest way of doing this is to make sure you say ‘thank you’ frequently. Also, if staff can see how there performance at work, directly effects their remuneration, they will be more motivated in the pursuit of company goals.

6. Promote excellence

You should have high expectations and challenge your team to reach their potential. Think about your own experience. How do you know when you are motivated? Have you ever been to a course or seminar when the speaker really motivated you? You knew that when you left the workshop that you were going to be a little bit better in some way. A spark had been ignited, and you were ready to raise the bar on your performance. As a leader, you have to provide that spark.

7. Coach your team

Effective and responsible leadership focuses on positive, specific and practical feedback that helps team members learn, grow and excel in their roles. Coaching encompasses a variety of techniques including informal feedback during the workday, formal performance reviews, one-to-one meetings with team members, and regular staff meetings. A leader who does not encourage leadership in others, is not a great leader. Coaching is an ongoing process for every leader.

8. Delegate

The role of a leader is to make decisions that cannot be delegated. To delegate effectively you have to trust your staff and also clearly know your own priorities, so you can determine what you should be focused on and what can be delegated to others. Effective delegation provides one of the best opportunities for job enrichment, thereby boosting staff motivation and productivity.

9. Treat your team incredibly well

Recognition, respect, flexibility and constant appreciation of your team are the hallmarks of an excellent leader. The longer you can retain a quality team, the less time and money that you will have to spend searching for new employees. This costly turnover can be avoided by training, an inclusive work environment and strong leadership.

10. Lead by example

The best way to earn the respect of employees is to ‘walk the talk.’ The way you behave will have a significant effect on how the team acts. If you come in late two or three times a week, you can't expect your staff to arrive on time. Your team is looking to you for leadership guidance, and the only strategy is to lead by example.

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