Are you ready for the 30-day leadership challenge?
Can you become a better leader in the next 30 days? Quick: Have you checked recently to see if you have a leadership blind spot?
We all have blind spots. Whether you are in your first role as a team leader or have risen through the ranks to lead an entire company, providing consistently excellent leadership is challenging. Given all of the uncertainty during these times, it’s more important than ever to lead your team effectively.
It’s often said that talented employees don’t leave their company; they leave their managers. If that’s so, there is work to be done in building better leaders everywhere.
One of the most common complaints I hear as an executive coach is that the leadership team or business owner can’t explain the company strategy and objectives clearly to employees. The question that engaged employees ask is: “How does my role and contribution fit our overall goals as a company?”
Often, leaders lack the clarity or patience to answer this question. The truth is that motivated employees want to know how their contribution will be measured and require guidance on achieving critical priorities.
Here’s a great place to begin your 30-day leadership challenge. Ask yourself how long it’s been since you sought to answer these questions.
Has it been a while since you gave substantial attention to one or more of these areas? If so, set a clear goal defining how you will measure progress on one, or two, blind spots within the next 30 days.
1. Does everyone on your team understand the “mission” of their role and measurable impact on the company?
2. Does every team member have clear, written goals for the next 30 days, six months, and year?
3. How long has it been since you met individually with team members for an informal check-in and open discussion?
4. How long has it been since you publicly thanked each team member for work well done?
5. Are you holding each person accountable while still allowing appropriate autonomy on completing tasks?
6. What resources have you provided in the past six months to improve essential skills?
7. In the past three months, what have you done to celebrate wins and successes?
8. What guidance have you provided to help team members make progress in their careers during the past year?
Your honest answers to these questions could reveal a leadership blind spot, or at least an opportunity to improve the productivity and engagement of your employees. There is no need to tackle the entire list. Choose one or two areas of priority and watch how quickly your best team members respond.
Which blind spots did you choose to address? What progress did you make? I am curious to hear what you’ve learned.
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Kathleen Winsor-Games is the VP of Organizational Excellence for Achievement Dynamics in Denver, Colorado. She helps business owners and leaders build world-class cultures and teams. Call 303-331-3401 or email to kathleen.winsor-games@sandler.com