Much of the news this week has marked the legacy left by Winston Churchill, who died 50 years ago on 24 January 1965.
The BBC’s John Simpson has written a really interesting article about how Churchill made a mark on history, even though he was not without his flaws. But in the main, he is still seen as a great statesman who made a mark on history.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30934629
But Churchill aside, it can take many years to become an overnight success as a leader, in business or in politics.
However, if you are willing to do the work and follow this advice, you can certainly expect to cut this time in half.
None of the tips below are difficult to implement but they are extremely powerful. If you apply them, you will see a step change in your team’s performance.
Here are 5 Top Tips for leadership success:-
1. Be bold
You can’t inspire teams with small (or no) goals, and you will not create a significant improvement in performance with small goals either.
Aim high and set ambitious gaols but not impossible goals. Instil a sense of purposeful urgency.
Be as demanding of others as you are of yourself – set high standards and expect the best.
Stretch and supportively challenge your team, push their boundaries and get them really thinking about how they can do things differently.
2. Simplify
Keep things simple.
Complex goals are rarely achieved.
The more you can simplify things, the more your people will be able to clearly focus their efforts.
And as a result, the more they will understand what’s important (and therefore what’s not) and the more likely they are to be able to come up with new solutions and new approaches.
All too often people and teams are confused by following too many targets.
Our guidance is always to set a handful of key goals, generally three or four.
Keep it simple. Keep it focused. Less delivers more!
3. Go for respect
Good leaders work hard to earn (not demand) the respect of others.
As people we all have a natural tendency to want to be liked by others. But what happens when this desire to be liked interferes with your ability to lead?
Effective leaders recognise that it is more important to be respected by other people than adored.
They practise ‘tough love’ and can make those hard decisions that are needed to secure the future of those around them, including their direct reports.
Your people must respect and buy into you as leader before they buy into your vision.
4. Challenge current thinking
Often, it’s the current ways of working that limit performance and it’s the process that needs to be changed.
Challenge everything, especially any limitations which your team feels may exist.
Ask people ‘why do we do it this way?’
Limitations are usually self-imposed and if questioned, they can often be identified and easily removed.
Don’t ask your team what is holding them back, ask them what they need to overcome the obstacle.
Get them thinking about solutions not problems – what can be done rather than what can’t.
5. Your success depends on their success
You will only ever be as good as your people!
To succeed as a leader, you need to shift your focus from ‘me’ to ‘we’ and your performance will no longer be measured by your individual contribution.
Instead, others will evaluate your ability to create and maintain a highly engaged team that is willing to give it their all.
The key is to focus on results not just tasks.
And have the right people, in the right roles, at the right time. So recruit the best people around, not simply the best you can get.
Hire for fit, train for skill, and when the opportunity presents itself, recruit people who are better than you.
As a leader, your role is to create heroes, not try to be one!
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