Responsible Pillar #4- Don’t Just Go to Bat For Your Team, Hit Some Home Runs

It is your responsibility as the leader to listen to and speak for your team. Most teams want to believe that “if push comes to shove”; you will speak up and defend them. You have to represent the team and their concerns. Now more than ever teams must establish a sense of trust with you, their leader, quickly. They will go the extra mile and push through many obstacles if and when they see you are willing to do the same.

A responsible leader is simply a liaison. Your role is to listen to your team and voice any concerns up the chain as appropriate and vice versa.

Today, most teams are trying to stay focused on work instead of the many rumors of downsizing and layoffs. It is critical that you do all that you can to keep your team from getting distracted. How do you do that? You should be truthful with your team and do what you can to ensure them you are working on their behalf to keep the team in tact. Be truthful with your management as well. Explain that your team is struggling to concentrate when the company is going through so many changes. Who knows, maybe you can suggest a fireside chat with upper management. Giving your team the opportunity to voice their concerns.

Sometimes that’s all it takes to gain the trust of your team. Sometimes that’s all it takes to hit a home run. Simply listen and create opportunities to alleviate stress. That is the job of a responsible leader.

Responsible Leadership Pillar #3-Know Your Team Inside and Out

You, as the leader, have the responsibility to get to know your team. I am not talking about in a social setting, but professionally. What are their career goals? What motivates him/her to excel? Without knowing these things, how are you going to effectively lead your team? Getting to know your team can pay huge dividends. If your team trusts that you are interested in who they really are, they will want to work harder for you. Also, getting to know who aspires to be in your position someday will tell you who you may be able to rely on during these tough times.

In this time of distress you must work with each team member to emphasize the critical need for stellar performance and ensure each is equipped to maintain composure under incredible amounts of pressure. Who are we kidding folks? Times are hard and we as responsible leaders have to be real with our staffs. Pressure is being placed on all leaders to increase productivity. We are being asked to do more with less.

It is your responsibility to work with your team and determine who will be able to step up to the plate and deliver your team’s next home run when the game is on the line.

Responsible Leadership Pillar #2-Developing Your Team For Today

It is the responsibility of the leader to develop his/her team for right now, not for someday. The leader must be able to provide a skill analysis of each member of the team to determine strengths as well as areas of development. The leader must instill a sense of accountability within his/her team emphasizing constant performance measurement and analysis to show increased productivity. The team should always assume their leadership opportunity will come today. Therefore, the emphasis has to be on preparedness. The leader is responsible for preparing their team for increased responsibility and accountability.

Think of it as a football game. The starting quarterback has just been injured in the big game. You, the coach, are now looking at the bench at the 2nd string quarterback. You ask yourself, “Is he ready? Did I prepare him for this?” If you have done your job as a coach/leader, the answer is a resounding YES. So with confidence you have no problem sending him in and expecting the very best outcome possible.

It is the same with responsible leadership. You are constantly preparing for the big game and these days that game happens everyday. We are in a time when everyone must bring his or her “A” game in order to survive. The example you set and the skills you cultivate in your team will determine the outcome of the game. If you are a responsible leader, you will always be victorious.

Responsible Leadership Pillar #1-Build Your Team

It is the responsibility of the leader to build his/her “Dream Team”. What skills are needed and how will you interview in order to determine if the candidate has the skills to succeed during these tough times? Can they make the tough decisions? Will they be able to lead during adversity and still report progress and productivity?

Honestly, these days it’s not so much about the skill set that one possesses as it is about what they do with that skill set and the composure one has under stress. Leaders have to figure out a way to articulate what is really needed to successfully work on a team. For instance, as the leader of the team you must drive home the fact that it is all about increasing productivity and decreasing costs. That’s the bottom line. How well a person is able to network and create winning relationships within a team setting is not at the top of the list. Let’s face it, we are in dire straights and need to act as such.

Planning a team these days has taken on a new dimension. If a company is willing to spend the money to hire new staff, they will most definitely expect a high return on their investment fairly quickly. As someone who has the power/authority to build this “Dream Team”, think long and hard before entering the interview process about the types of people you will need to get the job done. My guess is you will need people that are strong leaders themselves and that know how to deliver results. As a leader you will want this type of person on your team. As a responsible leader you will already have several of these people on your team. How do I know? Well, it’s simple. Responsible leaders know what they need to be successful and they work hard at grooming others in order to get it.

Having said that, I only have one question: Are YOU a responsible leader?