Proactive Leadership
Leadership tends to be a very reactive endeavor, even with the best of intentions,. Leaders are tasked with not only leading their teams, but accomplishing their own objectives. In many companies, much of a leader’s time is spent managing multiple relationships within their organizations.
With their plates very full, managers need to make sure they keep their team on the right track and make sure people feel valued. Below are tips to help put you on the right track.
Tips for Proactive Leadership:
- Calendar 1:1s. Be sure to keep the meetings. I cannot say enough on how important this is.
- Delegate. This can help your own work load and demonstrate that you trust your team. Nothing squelches innovation and enthusiasm more quickly than micromanagement.
- Make notes. What is your team doing well? What areas are improving daily? Give feedback early and often.
- Understand your team. Do you know what’s important to each person on your team? Not everyone wants to be managed in the same way.
- Support your team. Use other leaders and people in the company to help mentor and support your team. It takes a village to build a great leader.
- Pro-actively reward people. A reward does not have to be in the form of compensation. Money is sometimes warranted, but hand written notes, team thank you lunches, and other simple rewards can make a very big difference. If you wait too long to recognize people’s accomplishments people may lose trust and begin to disengaged.
I understand that being proactive can be hard, especially at first. Once you develop a cadence and discipline, it will become a natural part of your daily work. Just like any activity, the more you put in to it, the more you will get out of it. As a leader, nothing is more rewarding than watching people on your team learn, grow and succeed.
