Lots of leaders have the title of manager or leader but they don’t lead. I mean – truly lead. True leadership includes:
- setting goals
- making expectations clear
- holding people accountable
- helping them face and overcome obstacles to success
- dealing with, as opposed to overlooking or hiding mistakes
- reversing unfavorable trends
- shifting or building culture
Perhaps they don’t know how to do these things. Or perhaps they are scared. Both are acceptable and understandable – unless it stays that way.
Here are 10 ways to truly lead.
1. Devote part of your next team meeting to a discussion about how customers like to be treated; and what makes customers feel tricked?
2. Devote part of your next team meeting to a discussion about clients that no longer do business with you. What could have scared them away?
3. Devote part of your next team meeting to a discussion about the scary parts of the job.
4. When everyone walks in to your next team meeting, have the lights turned out and scary music playing. Then lead a discussion about what it’s like to be In the Dark.
5. At the meetings described in #1-4, wear a Halloween costume – or at the very least – a witch’s hat.
6. Wear a Halloween costume while you walk desk to desk with Halloween treats.
7. On your own, think about situations or mistakes that are being hidden. Some might call this a skeleton in the closet. Think of one? Good. Many leaders would rather pretend it doesn’t exist. Now move to #8.
8. See if you can make that skeleton dance.
9. On your own, think about this. Are their any people on your team that used to be on fire – and now they aren’t? What might you have done to dim that fire?
10. On your own, think about this. Make a list of team members who do not do what you expect. Why do you suppose they don’t do what you expect them to do?
Perhaps they don’t know how. Perhaps they are scared.
In case you don’t know how or are scared to do 1-10 above, get this e-book.
It’s loaded with meeting plans, articles, discussion questions and downloadable items to help you and your team shed light on scary situations that keep them from doing their jobs.
* 10 by 10 on Tuesday is a weekly feature for managers who don’t have time or don’t want to make time to read lengthy articles or even short paragraphs. Click here if you’d like to see all Quick Lists created to date.
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