G U E S T A R T I C L E
Check to see how many of these best practices you are willing to adopt:
1
Always give credit to other people: The single best thing a leader can do to encourage his or her employees is to always give them the credit for major achievements. By doing this, you become a valued coach instead of someone who is competing with them for glory.
2
Encourage collaboration rather than competition: If you want to build a true team, reward members for working together. This is not what most leaders do. Instead, they compare one person against another, which breeds distrust and prevents any sort of true collaboration.
3
Praise effort, not talent: Only a lucky few people possess immense talent, which means only a few small portion of your team can shine when compared on the basis of talent. But effort is something everyone has the potential to offer your team, which means this metric is inclusive.
4
Be clear about what you reward: Don’t ask people to do one thing, but pay them to do something else. Too often, management gives lip service to certain things (i.e. “great customer service”) but rewards the opposite (“sell, sell, sell!”).
5
Combine honest feedback with compassion: Don’t sugarcoat employee feedback. Give employees the straight scoop, but do it in the spirit of helping them. If someone falls short, offer them a second and even third chance to use your feedback to improve their results.
6
Offer many paths to success: The weakest organizations recruit people who think and act like the leadership team. The strongest ones know that there is strength in both diversity and constructive dissent. It is far better for a member of your team to spot a flaw in your strategy — before it rolls out — than for the market to annihilate your business when you fall victim to groupthink.
7
Be open-minded: Yes, you need a vision, and you need clarity. But neither requires you to insist that everything happens your way. The smartest leaders I know recognize how few answers they personally possess, and they delight in gaining new insights from their team members.
The more you seek to serve others, the better your results will be.
Here’s the bottom line: the more you seek to serve others, the better your results will be. Serve your customers, employees, and investors. Do it with all your heart and soul. Do well by doing good.
About the author:
Bruce ghostwrites articles for innovators, investors, and idea people.
You can reach Bruce Kasanoff, at 203 .341.9448 or visit his website at http://kasanoff.com/.
