Attention You Good People out there in a Managers’ Role!!!
May I suggest the following points worth considering if you want to know what your people want you to provide them as their leader.
1. A leader that they can be PROUD of. Proud of? You know what I’m talking about. They don’t want to make excuses to protect you. They want you to be reliable, consistent and predictable.
2. A leader who exhibits POSITIVE and PRODUCTIVE behaviors. Example: Not being rude to waiters, clerks or manual laborers. Behaviors like showing up on time & having as few meetings as possible. Or better yet, have meetings with agendas that are adhered to – that start on time and more importantly – END ON TIME! After all, don’t you want your Team Members to PERFORM? Well, they can’t perform for your customers if their eyeballs have to be pealed on you while you grandstand in your own boring meetings of self-importance.
3. Team Members watch everything you say & do. Or DON’T DO! If you’re a leader, don’t stop for one second and ever think you & your behavior are not constantly being observed. Work toward transparency. You might think you look good and smell good, but you are not smart enough to maintain two images. The image you think you should be and the image you are. Being transparent scares weak managers because they fear that their vulnerabilities will be exposed. They’re right! So embrace it and decide to recommit to constant personal growth. It’s the only way you’ll be able to save yourself from yourself.
4. Team Members want DIRECTION and Structure. Every step of the way. PSST! They actually need it more when they try to convince you that they don’t need direction & structure. This is how you’ll know you need to provide more of it. Oh by the way, did you know most leaders can mutually benefit from the same direction and structure they provide others. Example: Think hard before you send a stinking, interrupting email to your Team Member during work hours. Haven’t you discovered the “DELAY” feature in OUTLOOK email software? If not, stop reading now and go find out. But, don’t interrupt anyone. This idea alone will make you send this blogpost to every person in your organization. HINT! (marvinleblanc.com)
5. A leader that is REAL. Yep, that’s right. I said it. REAL. But Marvin, I am real. Really, well if I privately asked all your Team Members and/or all your Direct Reports, “Are you REAL or are you a COPY?”, would you be confident that 100% would say you are REAL? Because, if it’s not 100% then you’ve got problems. You see, the answer is simple. Either you have to improve to earn “REAL” with them or you have someone that’s not aligned with you & the company values and does not believe in you as a leader. So, they need to go. Respect them and their opinion and allow them to go find something or someone they can believe in.
By the way, did you know that real leaders don’t have to look perfect, be perfect or even pursue perfection. Perfection is a crock. Real leaders know that it’s far more practical to pursue EXCELLENCE, knowing that the pursuit of perfection only stalls progress because the projects never get initiated fast enough. (You’ll see me revisit this notion in a future blog. So stay subscribed and share it with 100 of your best friends. They’d like to become better leaders too. Besides, aren’t you tired of those friends calling you to bitch about Team Members that aren’t following their lead? Now you know why.)
6. Team Members want to WIN! They better darn well want to win. Otherwise, why do you have them on the TEAM? Not because you want them to help you LOSE MORE. I’m not joking. Think about this. The business climate is difficult enough when all TEAM MEMBERS are pulling on the same rope in the same direction. To have someone pulling against you is suicide. It’s far better to run with a LEAN TEAM that is pulling together than a LARGE TEAM with people that are just collecting checks. It’s too hard to maintain the driftwood. Let them float. How do you find the winners? Well, here’s a hint. You’re not going to find them when they show up at your door with a resume’ in their hand. You have to go find them happy & engaged & gainfully employed somewhere else. So go find the winners and help them to win. WITH YOU!
If you enjoyed this content, go to your group emails and share it with people so that the material will have a chance to move their organizations toward Marvelous Performance.
