Leadership: A Leader Leads by Exmaple
~ January 25th, 2010Recently we’ve shared some tips on how to become an effective leader. An important aspect of leadership is knowing how not to act. Here are some great tips from Are You Committing Leadership Malpractice?:
Overloading the star performer. Stars make it look easy. So easy, that it’s tempting to keep on throwing balls in their direction, assuming that they will push back when they have too many in the air. Problem is, many times, overachievers don’t know their limits.
It’s natural to want your best people on your most important projects. But you have to remember that everyone has their limits. Overload your stars and they’ll burn out. Being an effective manager is knowing which projects are crucial. Prioritizing your projects will help you assign you star performers and ensure you don’t overload them.
Refusing to address performance issues. It’s a fact that some people are better at their jobs than others. If one of your people is struggling, something is wrong. And, if you know it, so do they.
Talk to your people! Sit down with them for fifteen minutes and ask them how they’re doing. “How are you as an individual (not an employee) doing?” Then highlight some projects where they did a great job, and some areas they can improve.
As we saw in Beth Steinberg’s recent series, Greatness Through Culture, this will help develop stronger relationships between managers and direct reports, an important step in creating a culture of accountability and responsibility.
It’s business, it always comes down to the bottom line. But remember, firing and then hiring someone new is expensive. Helping your people succeed, helps your business.
Always remember:
A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not.” – John Q Adams
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