No organisation – large or small – can operate productively when the boss is doing all the doing and they are surrounded by people who cannot deliver the highest quality performance themselves.

So it’s imperative to ensure that any team has members that deliver the very best results as individuals, as well as contributing to team outputs overall too.

Whilst having a whole range of leadership skills are important, one of the most productive is to be able to ensure that there is a constant pipeline of capable people in your team. In a bigger picture, leaders of the very biggest businesses need to have talent research and acquisition high on their agendas.

At local level, team leaders can have even more vital impact on those they can influence to become dynamic and useful members of their team. Sometimes  development of individuals already in place is where the value gets added; in other situations, finding and recruiting potential is where the biggest rewards come from.

As leader, the role is to create the best environment for talent to flourish and this really requires good leadership to set the scene for such opportunities to be found and utilised, for the benefit of all.

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The dynamic of working closely with a bunch of like-minded individuals, bouncing thoughts and ideas off each other, isn’t the way we’ve typically developed this useful opportunity in many cases.

To ensure that the best comes from those times that meetings are used, there are a few guidelines that will help to make them work efficiently as well as effectively.

1) Use and Circulate an Agenda – this enables attendees to appreciate what will happen and prepare all they can in advance.

2) Invite only the People Necessary – to ensure that value is added and individuals feel that they are necessary, be focused in getting who you want at the meeting; and those who you don’t need don’t show up unless they can add value with their presence.

3) Use a Facilitator – this will allow the meeting leader to focus on leading the team and ensure that processes get followed and timescales achieved. They can be formal and external, or a member of the team who is able to dissociate themselves from the content.

4) Keep on Track – will make sure that the meeting sticks to it’s agreed purpose, that a place is found to park off-topic items and agreed meeting length will be achieved.

5) Collate Action Points – to ensure that accountabilities agreed by particpants actually happens, identify actions and timetables for completion.

Pull these five tactics off and you are much more likely to make effective progress in the least time – and have your people agreeing that the meetings you are responsible for are worth the time taken.

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For many teams, the biggest contributors are those outgoing characters who think out loud, introduce ideas and are seen to be active and lively.

There will also be quiet people who are able to contribute fully and yet often are overshadowed by their more boisterous colleagues.

This is something of a shame because the seemingly more reluctant ones can often be the deepest thinkers, who so often have solutions to problems well thought out and considered.

For a leader, this can create a challenge. The liveliness of some of the team is a valuable quality, because it usually engenders a positivity that is enjoyed by many and helps create a sense of team achievement too.

Smart leaders need to find ways to engage with those who take the quieter line, whilst also keeping the value that those less reluctant to be visible provide to the team.

Certainly there are tactics that will bring out the best from those less keen to be in the limelight. For example, using different styles of communication, using all the senses, rather than just auditory might be one way. Facilitating ways that the more introverted can contribute – perhaps simply by asking them what suits them best could be another.

Ignoring the contribution potential of those less extroverted is a big risk, in a world where the smallest egde can have the highest value.

For a leader who is able to harness all the individual styles in their team, much reward above and beyond that expected might well be the valued outcome achieved.

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Partly because the goals that leaders set can be of a bigger nature than those expected from managers and partly because leaders goals tend to be a more planning and strategic, it can be difficult to get the balance right.

The need for any leader to deliver results is inherent in the role they hold. It’s no good a leader in an organisation having the most brilliant ‘blue-sky’ thinking, if the business cannot be sustained and be financially healthy.

Leadership goals have to be a function of what’s vital for a range of stakeholders, from those wanting a relatively simple financial return, to those who have the security of employees top of mind. And there are a whole host of stakeholders sitting between those as well.

The best leaders are able to balance the returns that investors want in the short-term, with the capacity to ensure that the strategic goals for future growth and stability are acheived as well.

Often, key deliverables that meet shareholder expectations can be delegated down the line to managers whose role it is to achieve financial goals, which are typically driven by sales growth as well as operational efficiency and effectiveness. Whilst leaders are accountable for this, the responsibility can feed down the line.

What can be more challenging is trying to ensure that resources for short-term deliveables are balanced with investment needed for the future, when there may initially be little or no return. Indeed, operational losses from startup will need to be held up by the rest of the business delivering healthy – or even healthier – returns.

So, the key roles for leaders are ensuring that the goals they accept from those who measure their performance are both long and short-term, whilst ensuring that they as leader, focus on what they themselves are good at, whilst delivering the best returns from their people at the sharp end too.

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I explained that one of my favorite anecdotes from the book was when Covey misinterprets the actions of unruly children on the New York subway (I’ll not spoil it for you!).

As I approached one of the Costa Coffee hatches (there seem to be three or four at most of the service stations these days – hence the potential for Whitbread to float them off eventually, they’re everywhere!), I was anxious to get my coffee (medium skinny, extra hot to go) and be on my way – it’s a 5 hour journey for me, so I wasn’t keen to hang around.

Grumpily, I pondered on why there were 5 people ahead of me and only one person serving – and that was some complicated frappuchino thing that required as much crushed ice as the iceberg that sunk the Titanic might have provided.

In a huff I wandered off moaning (and considering Tweeting) that they could do with a bit of better staff planning.

To seemingly cut my nose off to spite my face, I had to cross the motorway via a bridge to get to the only other drinks provider at this services, to see two Costa employees returning with a portable wheelchair. It seems that someone had collapsed and they had been required to take them to the other side of the motorway to get expert assistance.

And there was me being grumpy. The irony and parallel with the Covey story were not lost on me and my wry smile.

Perceptions come up to bite you even when you least expect it, I reflected.

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Leadership: 5 Tips for Emerging Leaders

If you are currently in a management role, chances are that your next career move will be in to a leadership role.  For most this is probably the most significant step that they will make.

At first it can feel like you go from being the person who was totally in control to the person who is struggling.  So what, based on experience would be my 5 top tips for emerging leaders?

Tip 1: Recognise it is a different role

It might seem like stating the obvious but often many people fail to recognise that doing the job of a leader is very different to the role of the manager.

Management is primarily about ensuring that things run smoothly, people do what they are expected to do and resources are used effectively.

Leadership on the other hand is more about creating and driving things forward.  That said there are areas of overlap but don’t let this stop you from recognising that the roles are fundamentally different.

Tip 2: Be ready for the feeling of insecurity

Stepping into a leadership role can sometimes be unsettling.  You go from a peer group where you were probably one of the top rated people in that group to feeling a bit like a novice again.

Don’t let this de-stabilise you.  Remember you got selected for a leadership role because you demonstrated that you had what it took to achieve success.

Tip 3: Get support

Being a leader can sometimes be a lonely existence and there are not always people that you can easily turn to for support and guidance.  You need to have someone either a coach or mentor who can act as a sounding board and create the space for you to reflect.

Tip 4: Get the best deputy that you can

The person who is your number two is probably the most important person in your team.  If that person cannot deliver and take care of things day to day, your ability to achieve success is greatly diminished.  Make finding a great number two one of your top priorities.

Tip 5: Continually develop yourself

It is really easy to think that you have made it when you become a leader and become complacent.  Avoid this at all costs and make the time to put in place a plan for continued development that sets you up for success.

Duncan Brodie is a leadership and management expert who can help you and your people achieve extraordinary success. Check his website out at www.goalsandachievements.co.uk

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But what engages sufficiently in a leader to have them followed? Many will have asked that question before. There are probably seven key capabilities that the best leaders employ to be followed…

1) Charisma – great leaders have a sort of style that engages their people. This charisma can be very difficult to define, because it ranges from a very directive and disciplinary style to one which is laid back, informal and simply friendly, yet the key is that it engages.

2) Honesty – the best leaders realise that to try to fool their people in any way is unlikely to prove successful, so they go out of their way to be open and truthful in all they do.

3) Fairness – good leaders are diligent in how they treat all of their people in the same way – without favoritism – nor without mistreatment of individuals they think less of either.

4) Consistency – where leaders vary in their expectations, activities or plans, so that their people are not sure what to expect, it creates a sense of unease which makes commitment much more difficult.

5) Developmental – for many individuals in a team, stretching their potential is a big motivator, so leaders who see potential in their people and offer them development opportunities are usually very well thought of.

6) Safety – workplaces need to be challenging for employees, yet they also need to feel that risk-taking is acceptable and that when things don’t go to plan they will not be made to suffer.

7) Respect – wherever leaders use their position to show that they respect their people, they will find followers. Respect for the individual is as good as it gets for them, so yes, they will follow.

When leaders are finding their followers, these are seemingly simple rules to follow. Some will find them easy, others less so. Some will not know unless they ask their potential followers how they are seen.

Leaders may be born, up to a point, and there is still much that can be done to be even better.

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To help leaders build the trust that is needed to create the most value-creating relationships with employees, one step is not just to offer and provide good, developmental and constructive feedback, but also to receive it too.

For many leaders, being on the receiving end of feedback can be one of the most difficult things to accept. It’s as though a leader feels the onus is on them to be perfect.

The truth is, appearing on a pedestal of perfection is never really true and merely a figment of a leader’s disillusioned perception. And their people don’t even expect it either.

Far better to be real and accept feedback well.

You’re a Leader – So, How to Accept Feedback?

Many employees, even when given a free run at giving their boss feedback, will find it quite hard to do.

Some of the basics need to be in place to have the very best of relationships with your people, so there is an upfront investment in generating good relationships ahead of time.

Even with the most wonderful of relationships with your team, many will be intimidated by you, just because you are their boss.

To help them along the way to your development, there are a few tactics to adopt to make sure that you receive that generous gift of feedback that you can richly benefit from.

5 Feedback Accepting Tactics

1 Accept it Well – When others offer you feedback, it’s vital that you accept it as that gift it is. Encouragement will come when they feel that you appreciate it without any risk to themselves that you might ‘take it the wrong way’ – with consequences to come back to bite them.

2 Never Debate It – The feedback you are provided with is best absorbed without debate. When you are given feedback, their perception of you is very real, so to argue and reason about what you are told will always be counter-productive.

3 If Necessary Seek Clarification – Do ask for detail if you need it. It shows that you are listening; that you value their input and that you are keen to do more to improve.

4 Thank Them -  Accepting feedback with good grace and thanks will encourage them to do it more. And you can only benefit from the input about you that you receive.

5 Act on the Information – This doesn’t mean that you jump to everything you hear. A skill is to interpret what you have heard in your feedback and adjust your actions accordingly, where you feel that change will be valuable. You don’t have to dance to the whole tune!

Good, constructive feedback adds value. The least likely to receive feedback are the very leaders who need to model that they too can respond to the changes they need to make, to be even better than they already are.

And being able to respond to the feedback they receive really is a sign of a truly great leader.

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Leadership: 4 Reasons to Face Realities

In these challenging economic times, the chances are you might be facing some difficult choices and struggles.  Even if you are in a sector or industry that has not been impacted so far, it does not mean that there will be no impact in the future.

When faced with tough or challenging times, it is easy to fall into the trap of playing the victim.  So what are 4 key reasons why you should avoid victim mode and face up to realities?

Reason 1: You take control

As soon as you make a decision to face up to the realities of a situation, no matter how difficult it might be, you consciously decide to take control of the situation.

Once you decide to take control, you stop looking for the magic bullet or solution to appear from outside the organisation and face up to your responsibility as a leader.

Reason 2: You cannot change the past

The past is history.  Hindsight is a great thing in terms of learning but it does not change the past.  Other than using the lessons from the past to help learn for the future, time spent looking backwards at what might have been is wasted energy.  Focus your energy on the way forward.

Reason 3: You can influence the future

While you cannot change the past you can significantly influence the future.  Think about it.  The strategies you consider, the decisions you make and actions that you take all have a significant influence on what happens in the future.

At the same time there are no guarantees.  Always remember that doing the same things and expecting different results in the fast lane to failure.

Reason 4: You get new experience and challenge

Leaders rarely thrive in the ‘status quo’.  You know those times when things just bobble along.  Look back at your career to date.

Chances are that some of the things that got you into or close to a leadership role in the first place was your drive, desire to take on new and different challenges and to be continually stretched to name just a few.

A tough or challenging time or situation can be the ideal opportunity to do what you do best.  Thrive and succeed despite the circumstances.

Bottom Line

Challenge and leadership go hand in hand.  The question is are you ready to step up to the plate and face up to the realities of the challenges you face?

Duncan Brodie is a leadership and management expert who can help you and your people achieve extraordinary success. Check his website out at www.goalsandachievements.co.uk

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5 Leadership Myths

We all probably have our own views about leadership.

While it is true that we might all have slightly different views, I wonder if you are falling into the trap of believing 5 of the most common leadership myths.

Leadership Myth 1: Leaders are born

Now I don’t know about you but I have yet to hear about a newborn that was blessed with the leadership gene.  Sure certain qualities help when it comes to leadership but these are developed rather than being acquired at birth.

Leadership Myth 2: You need to be mean

You might have a perception that being a success in a leadership relies on you being the tough guy or gal.  Yes you need to be resilient and be able to stand your ground from time to time.

You might even need to quite tough at times.  However, being mean is a sure-fire way to leadership failure rather than success.

Leadership Myth 3: Success is all about having the opportunity

While having a great academic record might give you a head start, don’t fall into the trap that if you didn’t have the opportunity to go to college or university you cannot get into leadership.

For example, I left school at 16 with minimal qualifications.  I started going to college while working and was able to climb the career ladder from Accounts Clerk to Finance Director.

Leadership Myth 4: You can take your foot off the gas

Moving into leadership for the first time is the biggest career step you will take.  If you think that when you reach this level you have made it and can take your foot off the gas, you are in for a shock.

Truth is when you move into leadership you need to invest even more in your continuing development as you are having to deal with many new and different challenges.

Leadership Myth 5: You need to keep collecting qualifications

Research suggests that your level of intelligence (IQ) will take you so far in your career but it is your interpersonal and social skills (EQ) that really determines your success.

If you are considering taking additional qualifications, ask yourself what difference they will make.  It may be that investing in developing you skills and qualities through coaching or short courses will provide better results.

Bottom Line

Moving into leadership is a major step.  So what myths are you buying into that are getting in the way of achieving leadership success?

Duncan Brodie is a leadership and management expert who can help you and your people achieve extraordinary success. Check his website out at www.goalsandachievements.co.uk

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