Know your people, their hopes and dreams and do what you can to enable them to be successful. We are all motivated by different things and reasons that drive us to contribute and perform at exceptional levels. For some it is money, career advancement and growth; for others, work-life balance and more time with their families; for some people it …
Proactively recruit the best people
As I like to say, focus on people first, they matter the most. This is essential when leading your current teams and it is also of great importance when recruiting new employees. Don’t rely on the traditional way of hiring and finding talent. Posting a position on your HR website (in addition to few other websites) is no longer enough …
Leaders tell the truth
In all that you do, it is essential to remain truthful and honest with your staff. Your decisions won’t always be liked by all, but they should be understood and accepted by all and that is one of many responsibilities you need to address as a leader. You must consider alternatives, but once you’ve made a decision you need to …
7 signs your boss is not a leader
7 signs your boss is not a leader is a collection of overarching items that stood out to me over the years. This is not an all inclusive list by any means, but should you come across these seven (or most of them at least), take that as a sure sign that you are not working for a leader. Furthermore, …
Leaders care
True leaders care. They care about their employees; they care about their coworkers; they care about the vision and mission of the overall business. They care for everyone they work with and genuinely want to see them succeed. Exceptional leaders are able to motivate others and get the best out of them, they are able to inspire people to contribute …
People don’t leave companies, people leave their managers
People don’t leave companies they leave leaders! We have all heard and experienced this notion in one form or another. You either know someone who has or you have left a company due to poor leadership, I know I have. Furthermore, if your firm is experiencing high turnover (and it is not an intentional “house cleaning”) it is undoubtedly in …
How do you make people feel?
How do you make people feel? Really ask yourself this question as that is part of your legacy, part of a lasting impression and memory that will remain after you have left your current role or place of employment. Your contributions, skills, knowledge and experience all matter yet they will fade with time and the only lasting impression in minds …
If you do the work, they will never succeed
Help people, empower them, provide resources and tools they need to be successful, but DO NOT do their work for them. Completing the work of others doesn’t help anyone. It doesn’t help them, it doesn’t help you nor does it help your organization. People must be empowered and positioned to succeed, yet they must be accountable for their performance and …
Visualize your goals
Vvisualize your goals and setup your work environment so that they are always visible and noticeable. By doing this, you will constantly be reminded of what matters to you and what you want to accomplish this year (month, week…). When I say goals, I mean BIG goals, HUGE goals, goals that “scare” you in a sense. Select 5-8 of the …
Leaders focus on what’s important, not what’s urgent
Each of us are faced with multitude of inputs and decisions to make each day. Keeping this in mind, it is important to spend your time, resources, attention and energy wisely. As a leader, your decisions impact not only your own life, but lives of others and as such you should focus on what is important and valuable to all, …