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?

March Madness

March Madness is almost over and we are about to embark on the Final Four in NCAA Basketball. As I watch the games and see the young men and women play their hearts out in hopes of being the national champion, I am reminded of leadership.

“What?” you may be thinking. “How is leadership similar to basketball?”

Well I’ll tell you…

I am not thinking about the game itself but what comes afterwards. The NBA Draft is really where the similarities lie. As I think of how scouts are watching the talents of the young athletes, I think of the way leaders should analyze their prospects.

One of the primary responsibilities of a leader is to develop those around you into great leaders. How are you going to do that if you have not selected the right candidates?

If we think of it in terms of basketball, it is essential that we select the right players for our team. If we pick the right people, the possibilities are endless, but if we choose poorly we may live to regret it.

As a leader, you must have the forethought and insight to identify candidates that are not only intelligent but also have a sense of character and integrity. Remember, this person will have to be a team player first and must be seen as a leader by the other players.

If they have the natural talent to lead and sincere concern for the development of their teammates, you may have found a winner. But if the player you selected is a “ball hog” and likes to take credit for the team’s work, you may be in for trouble.

So the next time you are looking for candidates for your team, remember March Madness and select wisely. You just may be selecting the next champion of your company. Whether it turns out to be the case or not, it’s YOUR responsibility to organize the draft and make the pick(s) you can coach for the next few seasons.

Fear of Change

Most people who have been through difficult and very bad change efforts tend to draw bad conclusions when the first thought of change comes to mind. They become really suspicious of the motives of those calling for the change and worry about the repercussions (i.e., jobs loss and new management). Of course, this is not always the case but it is normal to feel that way. Actually all change is not bad and will not turn an organization upside down. Honestly, it could help significantly. Some people would like to believe that their company couldn’t be changed. Wrong! John P. Kotter of Leading Change states that change usually is associated with a multi-step process that creates power and motivation sufficient enough to take over all sources of inertia. This process is not executed effectively unless “high-quality leadership, not just excellent management”, drives it. Leadership is about motivation and communication with others, which is exactly what is needed to drive a major change within an organization. Today things are changing with the economy so rapidly that companies seem to not have the time to catch up. The secret to staying ahead of the learning curve is to prepare your team for the change and give them as much information as possible. Do not allow many surprises. Nothing can kill the morale of a team more than them coming to work to find lay-offs taking effect and they did not hear it from you-the leader first. It is natural to be a little fearful of change, but as a leader you must embrace the change and see it as an opportunity to grow. Not just grow individually, but as a team.

Leadership Assault

Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership”. Many managers like to use assault tactics in their office to get people to do what they want. This technique could not be farther away from true leadership. In actuality people want to trust their managers, they want to be part of something special and they want to be led by someone with great, fresh and bright ideas. The problem is most managers are so busy stroking their own egos that they have forgotten the true reason why they are in the position. I read someplace a quote that said, “Leaders are servants of people”. I believe that most managers today do not believe nor do they understand this concept. A true leader not only understands but s/he carries that thought in their day-to-day dealings with their team. A leader makes the team feel valued and actually includes them in the decision making process. “This is so simple”, you may say. Yes, simple. So simple that most managers believe that treating their staff as equals will diminish their credibility as a manager. They could not be more wrong. It will grow them and make them better, but I guess they would know that if they were true leaders instead of managers.