Lessons in Leadership

Lesson #12:  Be aware

The world around us is constantly changing.  As a leader, you will need to be aware of changes that are happening with technologies, competitors, regulations, markets, etc…  Acting quickly to understand evolutionary and revolutionary change is critical.  You will also need to know how these changes will affect your organization. And finally, you will need to act.  

Lesson #11:  What makes a bad leader?

On this page of my web site I talk about Lessons in Leadership.  I share ideas, philosophies, traits and behaviors associated with being a good leader.  Having experienced both good and bad leaders in my career, I thought it would be beneficial to share some insights regarding poor leadership.  Again, these are things you SHOULD NOT DO as a leader. 

1. Fail to listen – Good leaders are great communicators and that includes the skill of listening.   Listening to and acting on suggestions from your team helps create a culture of inclusion/teamwork. 
2. Lack of Vision – Poor leaders are not prepared for today’s challenges or tomorrow’s opportunities.
3. Be Arrogant - Leaders who put themselves first – ahead of the team – are cancer.  When leaders create an “Us vs. Them” work environment, you’re screwed.
4. Dampen team spirit – I’ve seen too many leaders who toss the wet blanket on all ideas unless they thought it themselves.  Over time this behavior demoralizes the troops and is a slow killer. 
5. Don’t share information – I understand the need to be confidential and selective at times.  But leaders who constantly keep secrets and have hidden agendas often have self-confidence issues.  Their “I know more than you and I’m not going to share” behavior is typically associated with an attempt to protect their knowledge or power.  Transparency is a good thing for leaders -- it builds trust and allows people to understand the path that the organization is headed. 
6. Build barriers – Bosses who create barriers between themselves and the team are either scared, arrogant, out of touch or just assholes.  These leaders prevent people from adding value by participating in problem solving.  These weak leaders are also known for laying the blame on the team.  My advice, be open, be accessible and be a team player.  If you do, you can and should hold the team (and yourself) accountable.
7. Refuse to delegate or give clear direction.  Don’t leave people guessing.  Good leaders take time to explain assignments, give examples of what they are looking for and make sure they are available to give feedback as the project moves forward.  Importantly, be open to new ideas and thoughts which the team may develop.
8. Be Detached – This is similar to “building barriers.”  Remember to think of leadership as being a coach.  We know that coaching people and developing winning teams takes time and talent.  You need to know the individual players on your team – their strengths, weaknesses, capabilities and capacity.  Good coaches and good leaders understand their teams and care about the individuals who are on the team.  Teams with crappy coaches are destind for failure.  Too bad because even if the team has great talent, a poor leader can be extremely defeating.

 Leaders will sometime need to set a course which is difficult and requires change.  Changing a process can be hard.  Changing a culture is exceptionally difficult.  Good leaders understand that change does not happen overnight.  Change requires vision and the courage and discipline (guts) to stick with a program.  Constantly changing course or “yo-yo” management will confuse and frustrate the people you are trying to lead.  Set the RIGHT course and stick with it.

Lesson #9:  Be Accessible

Mike Cordesman served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Republic Services in the mid-2000's.  He was a great leader and always stressed the important of an "open door" management policy.  Mike would stress that an office door had to be open so that you (the leader) could walk through it and get out of your office to meet and greet workers, supervisors, vendors and customers who were making you a success.  Mike's message was clear...don't wait for people to come to you. Instead, as a leader, your job was to get out there to visit with and listen to people.  I loved going to divisions with Mike.  He was a natural leader.  He put people at ease.  He listened.  He cared.  He acted.  If your office door is always closed, think about the non-verbal messages you are sending to your team.  Accessibility enhances communication, makes people feel included, puts an end to rumors that hamper productivity, and allows the leader to hear directly from his or her team.  Open the door and get out of your office!  It will be the best part of your day. 

Lesson #8:  Avoid fear-based leadership

I will be the first to admit that leadership is not easy (especially in this tough economic time).  Many of the old standards of leadership don’t work.  As a result far too many leaders resort to fear-based leadership.  They believe in command and control…my way or the highway…like it or leave it.  These poor, fear-based leaders are scared…they don’t know what to do and they panic.  Unfortunately, when people work from fear and panic, they lose their reasoning, capacities and direction.  A team working in fear will look to blame someone.  Frequently, you will see CEOs blaming their staff while the staff blames leadership.  It becomes a wicked and destructive cycle.  In a climate of blame, the organization bogs down as everyone adopts self-protective behaviors.  People take fewer risks.  Creativity is shelved.  No one wants to participate. 

When you hear people on the team uttering phrases like “I just keep my head down”, “I try to stay off the radar” and “I just do what I am told” the situation is BAD. 

Remember, the #1 characteristic of a great leader is to create a workplace where people are encouraged, challenged and supported (Review Lesson #7).  Great leaders trust their teams and conversely, people trust their leader.   

Lesson #7:  What makes a great leader? 

When I see a successful team, I am always interested in learning more about its leadership.  Universally, people know the type of leadership that works best and they feel fortunate when they are led by a great and memorable leader.  

When I ask about the attributes of a winning team’s leader, I often hear terms like “integrity”, “trust”, “communication skills”, “sense of humor”, “clear direction” and “vision”.  But the most common characteristic I hear is that a great leader creates an environment in which people are encouraged, challenged and supported to be become stronger and more capable of doing their work.  That’s beautiful!

As leaders we want and we need our teams to smarter, stronger, more resourceful and absolutely successful.  To achieve this goal, we need to trust our people and allow them to develop.  As they solve problems, work through crisis situations, and carry out routine tasks, the teams will get stronger.  The leader’s job is the set the course, communicate the vision, and coach the team while being encouraging, supportive and caring.  Time and time again, I see amazing results as people step up to a challenge when they are encouraged and supported.