Leaders are as we all know ultimately judged on their results. The trouble is that delivering once is not enough. You need to do it consistently over time.
Look at the business section of newspapers and you will see examples of leaders who were once the golden girl or boy who are now seen as the source of all the problems.
We all know that in reality being a leader is a risk and reward business. You get the rewards for stepping up but you have to be willing to accept the risks too.
In my experience it is often the small things that yield big results for leaders. So what are 6 things that you could do right now to improve your leadership?
Get clear on priorities
A shortage of things to do is not a problem facing more leaders. On the other hand a shortage of time to do things is a major challenge. To have any chance of cracking this challenge you need to be crystal clear on your priorities.
Work on employee engagement
Engaged employees are 4 times more productive, deliver better customer service and improve bottom line profits than those who are disengaged or passive. Think about one or two things you could do to build more engagement.
Listen to and act on suggestions
Some leaders do a great job at listening. Others do a great job at listening and also act on the ideas of others. The reality is that if you fail to listen or listen but never act on suggestions, people will simply stop bothering to contribute.
Praise more
In tough economic times it can be more difficult to offer financial rewards. At the same time, praising more for work that people have done costs nothing and goes a long way to keeping others motivated.
Proactively seek feedback
You might think you are doing a great job and chances are your assessment might be pretty accurate. By the same token there are probably changes that you could make that will make a real difference to your performance. The way to discover the changes that will make a difference is to routinely proactively seek feedback.
Unlock the potential of others
In your teams is a ton of potential. Your challenge is to unlock it. Look out for the great talents and then put them to work to your personal and the organisation’s benefit.
The Bottom Line
Being and staying an effective leader is continual work in progress. So what actions do you need to take or behaviours do you need to modify to get even better results?