Wednesday 21 May 2014

Great Leaders Get Great Results

The word “leader” means different things to different people.  Here are some of the things that I’ve noticed over the years (in no particular order) that great leaders do.

They know where they’re going (they have a vision) and communicate this clearly to the team.

They always display a positive outlook, even during the darkest of times.  People rally around this kind of outlook.

They’re know that those whom they lead have feelings.  If you don’t respect your team, don’t expect them to respect you.

They have their team’s back; they support them as individuals and as a team.  If an individual needs help, the leader sees that they get it.  If the team is in trouble, they defend it.

They know that they don’t know everything, but do have a way of thinking through problems and aren’t afraid to ask for advice.

They lead by example or “walk the talk”.

They know that as leaders they both lead and serve.  This means being available when their team members need them.  They’re approachable.  No team member ever feels that the boss is “too busy” or “too important” to talk to them.

They engage others through demonstrating a genuine interest in them and their opinions.  

They communicate and share information (and encourage the team to do the same).  For them, information isn’t power, information empowers.  

They anticipate and plan in advance.  They involve the team to get the best solution they can.

They constantly challenge the "status quo". 

As a result, they don't mind people challenging them or disagreeing with them. If there's a better, faster, cheaper, safer, more profitable way to do something, they want to know. 

They realise allow for people making mistakes as they understand this will happen and is the way they learn.

They take time to coach and mentor their team members, especially to bring on the next generation of leaders.

They ensure the "rumour mill" is kept in check by announcing news and change as soon as possible, not letting people guess. 

They believe in accountability. 

They give credit where it's due. 

They don't play favourites. 

They’re honest, even when delivering bad news. 


What all the above have in common is that they all involve people.  Leadership is about getting results through the efforts of others.  Alienate them (or fail to meet their needs) and you lose their trust.


I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in the world financial services industry running different service, operations and lending businesses, I started my own Performance Management Consultancy to offer solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

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2 Comments:

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At 30 May 2014 at 16:36 , Blogger William Martin said...

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