People are people…
If I can be obnoxious for a second, one thing I have been very good at over the course of my career is leading people. The thing to remember about people is that; they are people! People with different backgrounds, experiences, feelings and emotions, so to be sure you’re successful leading your people you have to remember it. Here are five habits I’ve added to my people leading tool kit over the years:
- Walk the talk
You want your people to follow you? Well get out in front of them and lead! One of my favorite movies Gladiator is such a great example of this. Russell Crowe’s character, general Maximus is the leader of his troops. Yet when it’s time for the great battle, Maximus and horse are out in front of the troops as they meet the enemy. The behaviors that you want your team to exhibit have to be behaviors that you demonstrate – consistently.
- People are different, treat them that way
There is no one size fits all way to lead people. The people that report directly to you or those you have to lead in various forums are all different. Their personalities are different, priorities are different and in many cases their motivators are different. The only way to treat people differently is to get to know them on a personal level. What works for some people in terms of motivation, may not work for all. The best leaders I’ve known are the ones who know their people well, strengths, weaknesses, and motivating factors and they use these insights to drive success.
- Provide critical feedback
Too often, you find leaders who mince words rather than giving candid, critical feedback. Frankly, you not only do your organization a disservice but also the colleague a disservice when you aren’t candid with feedback. Everyone, no matter how good you are has room to grow. You certainly want to praise your high performers but let’s not forget to talk to those high performers about development opportunities. The best performers in the world whether they are athletes, entertainers, business persons, etc. focus on ways to improve in the areas they are not as strong at or skills they are missing. This is what makes them better performers, understanding growth opportunities and always striving to get better. Help your people to always get better by providing critical feedback.
- Praise is good
Everyone wants to be recognized for his or her work. A little recognition goes a very long way. Often, you’ll find leaders who recognize their teams for major accomplishments or projects and programs that are highly visible. However, leaders can’t forget about those everyday heroes on their teams that help keep the lights on or keep the ball rolling. Recognition can come in a variety of ways, whether its a quick “that a boy or girl” email, a handwritten note, a lunch, some snacks, whatever you can do to let your team know you appreciate their work no matter how big or small.
- Show genuine concern
The people that you lead, will feel better about you as a leader if they feel you genuinely have their back. Show genuine concern for your people, their well being and the well being of their families. Talk often about their career aspirations and help them get to where they want to go. Provide them with the tools and training necessary to give them both the ability and opportunity to leave your team, but treat them well enough so that they don’t want to.
Your concern as a leader should actually be about your people first and the business second. While controversial in some respects I believe if you treat your team well, they will treat your customers well, your customers will continue to be a patron of your business and your bottom line will grow. Here is that same line in a math formula
Share your thoughts or push back if you disagree – lamont@digitalsince99.com , @digitalSince99