Show the way
To lead means to walk out and show the way
There is a large difference between a manager and a leader. Many organizations know how to manage. It’s always been done this way. As a Manager, I tell you what to do. You either successfully complete the task or get fired.
The Leader is committed to guiding the Team which involves a great deal more than setting up schedules and assigning tasks. Only through the development of leaders-not managers-can a company develop into a high performance organization.
Workplace leadership is common in high-performance teams because each individual is a leader within their specialty, within their core competency.
Good Leaders are confident in their area of expertise and direct accordingly. They allow individual Team members to use individual experiences to solve a problem while suggesting appropriate action. Again, the Team is not dictated to but inspired, as the term leadership implies.
Choosing to have a winning expectation for yourself and your team will make all of the difference in overall performance.
Basically, it comes down to a winning attitude. There must be a belief that the team is on the right track and the issue will be resolved. The right mental attitude is the key to any transformation. Leadership must believe and support finding the resolution.
Success is an inside job. It is having the mind-set and focus on creating something greater than the obvious.
Success comes when the idea is put into consistent use. A leader will follow the implementation process all the way through. This is an excellent indication that the Leader is confident in his decision and understands the importance of follow through to build trust. Chances are a Manager will appease the Team temporarily by using the new process then going back to “this is the way we’ve always done it.” The Manager is too bogged down on daily administration to have a clear vision so to keep it going they fall back on potentially obsolete methods.
Secure competent individuals understand the power of teamwork.
Change arbitrarily dictated by “management” with little engagement, will be met with resistance. Allowing the Team to provide input early on will gain support and greatly improve the chance of long term success.
The business world thrives on high energy, ideas, and innovations.
As with most situations, determining the best business course of action can come down to a numbers game. Limiting access prevents creativity and potential solutions. All members must be given an avenue to express improvement ideas.
Why high performance organizations depend upon Leaders’
- Leaders’ guide and inspire the Team
- Leaders’ work with core competencies
- Leaders’ are optimistic
- Leaders’ understand constant change is necessary
- Leaders’ promote teamwork
- Leaders’ view change constantly
One of America’s biggest business challenges is creating leaders’ not managers’. This requires a more collaborative team approach rather than the historic top down. Using team synergy, the change process can be successfully achieved.
Chris Alexander is the founder and president of Synergy Executive Education, a highly effective change management practice specializing in people-centered change. He is an award winning business building strategist, professional speaker, and author of 9 business and personal development books. So far, Alexander's largest audience has been his two PBS TV shows, titled “Creating Extraordinary Joy” and “Joy in the Workplace.” His Synergy programs have been implemented worldwide by many Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. He has advanced degrees in Organizational Behavior and is an expert at building high-performance business teams focused on a shared destiny.
Comments
Post a Comment