The Little Things to Leadership
By: Frank Kitchen
www.frankkitchen.com
www.badbadapples.com
What is leadership? We know leadership isn’t easy! We know that leadership requires time and energy. We know that leadership requires both physical and fiscal investments. We know a lot about leadership, but we don’t know the exact definition of leadership. Author Joe Roest found at least 221 different definitions of leadership while writing his book “Leadership in the 21st Century.”
Over $15 billion a year is spent teaching executives about leadership! That’s over 14.5 tons in twenty-dollar bills spent every year just to train the hierarchy of organizations. That doesn’t even cover students, employees and supervisors. We may not know what leadership is, but we know it’s important.
I believe LEADERSHIP is the ability to inspire, motivate or lead an individual or group to accomplish a goal or idea. We all want to be successful leaders and we want to work with successful leaders. The dilemma with Leadership is we focus so much on the goal or outcome, we forget about the little things!
“Take care of the little things and the big things take care of themselves.” – Joe Paterno, Penn State Football Coach and All-Time Victories Leader for NCAA College Football
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Being a successful leader requires luck. The ultimate lucky number is SEVEN. Here are Seven Little Things you can do to become a highly effective leader.
#1 Show Genuine Interest
Study the people you lead. Know their strengths and their opportunities for growth; know their likes and dislikes, know their motivations. Don’t treat the people you lead like a number! Know them as an individual.
#2 Be Visible!
Be a Role Model. Set the example. Show up to meetings and programs you ask others to attend. Let people see you working. Display the behaviors you want people to exhibit.
#3 Be a Teacher!
Provide people with a vision and teach people how to make that vision come true. Invest the time and resources to train people thoroughly and constantly. Develop a training program that helps people grow.
#4 Delegate
You can’t do everything yourself! Discover the talents of the people you lead. Use their talents to accomplish the goal or vision. Put people in positions to excel and grow.
#5 Do the Sugar Honey Ice Tea Jobs!
Don’t delegate only dirty jobs. Show everyone that you are willing to get dirty too. When people see you doing the tough jobs, you will earn their respect.
#6 Be Honest
Truthfully explain why decisions are made. A lack of integrity and communication can lead to rumors, uncertainty and distrust. Be fair and keep things professional versus personal.
#7 Reward People!
All Feedback must be given at the proper time. This is especially true for positive feedback or rewards. Some people require a simple, “Thank You!” Other people require more. Find ways to celebrate every accomplishment or item of growth. If you truly know (Rule #1) the people you lead; finding unique ways to reward them won’t be a problem!
