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Effective Leadership Skills

by Lorna Riley CSP    

IT'S MORE THAN MONEY

Leadership techniques are a means to an end. Some of the criteria for effective leaders are that they believe in a vision and encourage employees towards that vision, while providing interesting and challenging work. Expectations are clearly spelled out and agreed upon. People work harder when they set the goals themselves. "If you can't see the finish line, why run the race?" Being able to envision the future gives employees the motivation to work for something larger than themselves.

Another important criteria for leaders is to provide feedback on how employees are performing against the goals they've set. People work to increase their feelings of personal significance. Studies show that generally more than anything else, people prefer a sense of contribution doing worthwhile work over earning money. Money is an important reward, but it's a by-product for a job well done. If superior efforts go unnoticed, the employee's sense of contribution is diminished along with their quality of work.

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?

Leaders exemplify specific qualities, attitudes, and attributes that set them apart from others. A leader earns the right to lead, because they have followers. In order to enlist people to follow, assess how well you:

1. SEARCH

Search for challenging opportunities to change, grow, innovate, and improve.

2. EXPERIMENT

Experiment and take risks, learning from mistakes.

3. ENVISION

Envision an up-lifting and ennobling future.

4. ENLIST

Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to their values, interests, hopes and dreams.

5. FOSTER

Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust.

6. STRENGTHEN

Strengthen others by sharing information and power while increasing their discretion and visibility.

7. SET

Set an example for others by behaving in ways that are consistent with your stated values. Be a role model of excellence for others to follow.

8. PLAN

Plan small wins that promote consistent progress and build commitment.

9. RECOGNIZE

Recognize individual contributions to the success of every project.

10. CELEBRATE

Celebrate team and individual accomplishments regularly.

11. SHOW LOYALTY

Above all, a leader must be loyal. Disagreement is not disloyalty. If a leader, in the best interests of the team, disagrees, he should be listened to. A leader who actively encourages actions that are counter to the good of the team, however, is disloyal.

12. SHOW COURAGE

Leaders must have the fortitude to carry out assignments and the gallantry to accept the risks of leadership. They must not balk at the sight of obstacles. The role of the leader has inherent loneliness, despair, ridicule and rejection. Leaders must sometimes be long-suffering in their duties.

13. SHOW DESIRE

Few leaders will sustain themselves as without strong personal desire — an inherent commitment to influencing people, processes and outcomes.

14. ENDURE

Each succeeding higher level of leadership places increasing demands on physical and emotional levels. We must have the stamina to recover from disappointment and to nurture bodies with basic, healthful staples. Leaders cannot lead from their bedside.

15. ARE DECISIVE

Knowing when to act and when not to act, taking into account all facts bearing on the situation and then responsibly carrying out their role.

16. SHOW SELF-CONFIDENCE

Proper training and experience develops a personal feeling of assurance. Lack of confidence says these duties are beyond you.

THINK OF A LEADER AS ONE WHO SERVES

Listen to your customers.

Nobody ever sees your company errors more than your customers. Be an undercover detective to determine if you're on the right track. Will Rogers once said, "Even if you're on the right track, if you sit there too long, you'll get run over!"

Listen to your employees.

Employees are your internal customer - treat them as you would treat your blue chip customers and watch their performance grow!


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Lorna Riley, CSP, is the president of the American Training Association. She can be reached at lorna@lornariley.com or 760-639-4020.