If you lead a team your primary objective is to get results. That being said, the leader needs to develop the interpersonal skills to engage the team in achievement of those results. When I speak with my Westchester County NY business leaders about traits that make a good leader no one can agree. The only trait that is agreed upon is having empathy.
All successful leaders can set goals and achieve results. The most effective way to keep the team focused is “management by objectives.” Follow these steps.
Start with a clear strategic vision—a strategic plan that inspires. Then create goals that support that vision. Next, work with your team to define the desired results. Align your people and your processes and make sure that everyone understands the goals and the plan. All your operations should be linked to your plan. Then virtually everything that happens should work toward achieving that Plan (Vision).
Once you accept this “results-based leadership model,” you must next commit to leadership development processes that aggressively grow people to achieve the strategic direction.
One of the single biggest reasons why leaders fail to lead is the absence of effective leadership development processes that ALLOW them to lead! In order to effectively lead you must create the leadership development processes that are purposely designed to incorporate that clear strategic direction for your company.
Your first step as the leader is to create alignment between the goals of the individual workers and the overall vision of the company. When that happens, positive results are more likely to occur. To do that you must:
Establish a Vision Statement - Who or Where You Want Your Company to be in the Future (about 3 to 5 year range).
Establish a Mission Statement - What must be done in one year to move toward achieving the Vision.
Create Critical Success Factors - Four to eight items that are necessary and sufficient to achieve the mission.
Establish goals that are necessary and sufficient to accomplish the critical success factors.
Offer a specific action plan to accomplish the goals - WHO does WHAT by WHEN.
Next you must engage every team member to:
- Understand his or her action steps to accomplish the vision.
- Get and use the support of the required resources.
- Have processes in place that ensure productivity, innovation, and speed.
- Create, execute, and measure specific goals supportive of the mission.
Then and only then is the organization aligned and is truly in a position to succeed. Many leaders of companies as well as small business owners fail to use this process. In some cases, the leader holds control and delegates responsibility. This might work in some cases but if you want your organization to grow you must empower the team. Only then will the sales and profits of your organization grow to their fullest potential. For a similar post on our website see MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES.
Would you like some help creating better results with your team?
or call 914-953-4458.
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