|
|
| Leadership Information |
|
|
A Leader?s Ultimate Goal Connect to Engage!
Connect and Engage! Your People Are Your Power. It's been said many times that true leadership is measured by ones ability to motivate and influence others. Leaders must work hard at motivating people to take action necessary to drive change and to ultimately increase results. Even though most people would agree with the definition of leadership as the ability to motivate and influence others, most people still have trouble translating the definition of leadership into actionable and measurable steps. The biggest obstacle faced by many leaders is simply figuring out how to effectively motivate and influence an entire team comprised of unique individuals. Not everyone is motivated by the same thing, nor is everyone influenced to take action or change behavior based on the same factors. So, what can leaders do to motivate and influence the ENTIRE team? The elusive one-word answer is simply to - CONNECT! Leaders must invest the time in each and every one of their team members to get to know a bit more about them - to build a connection based on trust, honesty and respect. (Keep in mind, this personal connection must always remain professional and appropriate. Enough said on that.) Taking this one step further, leaders must create opportunities for team members to connect as well. This personal and professional connection will draw you and your team together, to work more effectively to improve efficiencies and increase production and profitability. To help you envision the ultimate in a leader that successfully connects with his/her team members, let's look at a fictional example. Any "Trekies" out there? Don't flip the channel, this will be quick. Even if "Star Trek" is not a TV favorite of yours, odds are you probably know enough about the long running series to appreciate this example. Regardless of which Star Trek captain you visualize, all are terrific examples of leaders (albeit fictional) who have a unique connection to each and every member of their crew. It's also obvious to the viewer that each team member has an unwavering allegiance to the team, the mission, and to his or her leader. (Envision the Captain - now picture yourself in the captain's chair!) Just imagine your own team having such a solid connection, both with you and with each other. Picture you and your team facing exciting and challenging situations together, "Exploring strange new worlds!" and "Boldly going where no one has gone before!" Maybe this means taking your team to the #1 position in your company, and/or reaching new levels of efficiency and/or production! The prospect of leading a team that is so well connected is truly exciting. We've discussed the importance of connection and building a connected team. Next we see that connection is the key ingredient leaders must leverage in order to raise the level of employee engagement. An employee that is highly engaged in their work will typically run circles around employees who are working simply by showing up and "going through the motions". If an employee is engaged, it means that he feels he has a personal stake in the outcome - an honest desire to contribute to something greater than himself, something even more important than monetary gain. The engaged employee has emotion tied to her work. Perhaps that emotion comes out of a sense of loyalty and connection to her leader or other team members. Top leaders understand that in order to connect with their workforce, they need to leverage the power of emotion. Only by connecting with the individual, can a leader create a powerful team consisting of employees who are personally committed, and emotionally/physically engaged. KEY MESSAGE: CONNECT TO ENGAGE. Now that we understand the concepts of connection and engagement, let's get specific and share some examples of how a leader can achieve the connection that will inspire employee engagement: Leaders must know up front where they are taking their team. They must "believe in" and "see a clear vision of the future". In order for you to know when you have achieved your vision, the vision must be measurable. Here are some examples of a vision with measurable results:
Leaders must communicate their vision in a way that inspires others to "believe". Communicating change can be difficult. Communicating a clear action plan that everyone can understand will lessen anxiety. Change always creates opportunity. Turning the anxiety of change into excitement for opportunity should be the goal of the leader when communicating the new vision. Here are some examples:
Leaders must support, promote, inspire and motivate team members to realize the vision. Motivate team members by giving everyone an opportunity for personal gain, above and beyond their regular pay. For example:
A team is only as strong as its weakest link. Leaders must hold team members accountable for their duties and responsibilities. This is only fair to those employees doing a great job. Hold accountable any team member who is not doing his/her fair share. In order to achieve great things, you must expect great things from your people. Consider these examples: BE CONSISTENT in your counsel. Hold yourself accountable! Did you TEACH? Did you COACH? Only then can you EXPECT! BE CONSISTENT in your counsel. 1st offense = verbal warning (ensure clarity of roles and responsibilities) 2nd offense = written warning (get signature for documentation) 3rd offense = final notice (employee must understand that you will support their choice to either improve immediately or to move on to a more rewarding opportunity.) 4th offense = termination and finally, BE CONSISTENT in your counsel. In wrapping up this conversation may we reiterate one last time - when you have succeeded in creating a team that is connected, you can count on each of them having a higher degree of personal engagement toward meeting the goals before them. Still wondering if this connection thing is really that powerful of a concept? Think about the following examples of leaders who have connected with people on a broad scale and the kinds of results that came from achieving such a powerful connection.
The final point here is that you do NOT need to be a world leader in order to be a great leader. Through the power of connection you can inspire a higher degree of employee engagement which will enable you and your team to achieve new levels of efficiency and production. Enjoy the journey! About The Author Richard Gorham is the founder and President of Leadership-Tools.com. His web site is dedicated to providing free tools and resources for today's aspiring leaders. Leadership-Tools.com offers tools in the areas of Business Planning, Leadership Development, Customer Service, Sales Management and Team Building.
Leadership - Google News |
|
|
|
Coaching Real Charisma, Clinton Style What exactly is Charisma? Most would agree that it is a magical, illusive, personal quality, divinely endowed on some people more than others. One thing is for certain, it is more easily identified than defined. It is the secret to being liked and agreed with by others. It is the much sought-after quality that causes people to envy others because of their congeniality and ease at which they interact with people. Charisma, like many other character traits, may be gifted more to some, but regardless of your given level, charisma, like any other skill, can be further developed. 5 Leadership Power Principles! 95% of Workers Fail Because of This...But They Can Fix It Leadership Is Action?Not Position! People respond to good leadership! Period! It is in all aspects of our lives, not just business. A mother is a leader in her home; a son may be leader of a team sport or a daughter the leader of the debate team. A group relies on the person in charge to actually lead them to success. A true leader is highly ethical, honest and respected. What Kind of Leader Are You? You are a leader if someone is following you. This could be as simple as one person watching you and following your example and encouragement, to being a leader in your home, your community, your workplace or even your nation. Leadership can take many forms, but typically it often involves managing people- one of the most difficult of all tasks. It means coordinating and motivating the actions of others to achieve a common goal. A leader has to establish that goal, and gain the willing agreement of others to be governed by and work together towards that goal. A Whack Up Long Side The Head Of Human Resources: The Leadership Imperative When we perceive the simple center in the seemingly complex, we can change our world in powerful new ways. Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 1, General Strategies for Unproductive Behavior It happens easily. You're conducting a meeting and suddenly a small side meeting starts. Then someone introduces an unrelated issue. Someone else ridicules the new issue. Everyone laughs, except the person who mentioned the idea. Then someone insults the person who told the joke. Two people stand up and walk out. Others complain that the meeting is a waste of time. It's Not All About Cheese: The Missing Component in Employee Development (Part 1) Spencer Johnson really hit a nerve when he wrote Who Moved My Cheese? The book, a best seller still, is a wonderful allegory of the things that drive and motivate us. I personally loved the book, perhaps because I read it in one night. But, I was left wondering if the most important part of the cheese story was ever addressed profoundly enough. I am talking about the idea that it is not all about the cheese! Take the Road Less Traveled "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost The Greatest Leaders Are Often The Worst Leaders It's a common occurrence, a CEO leads a company to record earnings, retires and in months, those once high-flying earnings are dropping like shot ducks. Effective Leaders are (#1) Conceptual SEE INTO THE FUTURE CREATIVELY AND PRACTICALITY: Planning day-to-day is obviously important, but a good leader must be able to see the long-range picture, to know the history of the organization and have a sense of the direction in which it is traveling. Effective leaders always have the long-range picture in mind as they plan laterally. The Goals of Leadership Coaching and Partnerships Webster's Dictionary describes a "partner" as an ally or an association built around common interests and goals. Women in Leadership - How to Get Promoted It is often much harder for women to get promoted than men. The most common characteristic of successful women is that they know how to express their excellence in a male dominated environment. How do they do it? Top 25 Leadership Quotations Ponder what it takes to be a true leader with these practical quotes that will lead you to a more precise understanding of the secrets to successful leadership... Hidden Self Confidence Peer independence is arguably the least understood aspect of self confidence. Many people who are shy, or suffer from social anxiety, tell me that they lack confidence. However, their shyness or social anxiety is only one aspect of a constellation of qualities which combine to determine our confidence profile. Understanding peer independence helps many people to appreciate and build on their personal strengths. Choose Your Best Life: Where Are Your Choices Leading You? According to the dictionary choice means "to select freely after consideration, to have a preference for, to take an alternative and of high caliber." Based on this definition, I believe choice is the act of careful selection, identifying preferences and exploring quality alternatives that lead to freedom. How often do we approach our choices in such a deliberately thoughtful way? The Three Faces of Leadership This article was published in the Nov. 2003 edition of Hamilton, Ontario's BIZ Magazine under the title "Leadership's Triple Crown" LM Leadership Challenges: The Walls In Our Lives We have all experienced walls or challenges in our work lives. How you handle the walls may be a defining point in your leadership and your career. There are a variety of ways to attach these walls some more effective than others. Steps to Becoming a Good Leader STEPS TO BECOMING A GOOD LEADER: 1. Develop a master plan. What are your goals? What are the organization's goals? How are you going to reach them? 2. Develop a leadership style. To manage people, you need to know how you are going to do it. Be comfortable with the leadership style you choose, and it will lead to future success. 3. Know the risks. Making any decision has its risks. Know the risks involved and whether the organization can afford to take them. 4. Get the authority you need. You need authority to achieve goals. If you don't have enough, get assertive. Tell your superiors you need more authority to make decisions. 5. Be decisive. Don't get caught saying, "Let me get back to you." Consult staff, but you make the decisions. 6. Be firm. If you believe in your decisions, then stick to them. However, be open to suggestions and be flexible. None of Us Arrived with an Owners Manual: A Fresh Perspective on the Drive to Lead (part 2) Why did not I get an Owner's Manual The Defining Moment: The Straw That Stirs The Drink Of Motivational Leadership (Part One) Decades ago, as a rifle platoon commander in the Marines, I saw leaders who could motivate troops to do extraordinary things -- and leaders who could not get the troops to do much at all. I wondered what was the difference between the successful and unsuccessful leaders; and if that difference be taught.
|
| home | site map | 
|
© 2006 www.elearn-university.org |
