8 things great leaders do to stay on top of the games by Peter Decaprio
As you teach, coach and guide your team members to be great leaders of tomorrow, here are some things that you can do today to stay on top of your game. A leader who gets overwhelmed with his/her work will never be able to do more than what’s expected. So it’s very important that you avoid all these pitfalls if you want to become a better leader!
Here are 8 things great leaders do to stay on top of the game:
1) Stay Attuned To What Your People Are Saying & Doing
This is so crucial for successful leadership because perceptions matter. It doesn’t matter how high up in an organization one is; every senior executive has problems communicating their ideas across multiple stakeholders, right? So this means sooner or later, the CXOs also have to depend on the employees to help them get their points across. Employees are your biggest stakeholders- they contribute towards making or breaking an organization! So you should be attuned to what they’re saying and doing at all times.
2) Make the Most of Their Talents & Skills
Leaders must know where their team members fit in, what roles they play, and how best can they be utilized. Peter Decaprio says there is no point in expecting a highly creative person who’s good with numbers to become a superstar salesman overnight; similarly, there’s no need for a design guru or engineer to draft long presentation decks if he/she hates it! Identify the right skill sets within your team and make the most out of their talent by getting involved in tasks that challenge them and in turn, help the company.
3) Lead by Example Always
Leaders can motivate their teams to achieve bigger things when they set an example by going the extra mile. This is why it’s important for you to lead by example always; never underestimate the power of your actions! If you want your team members to work late nights on a project, then you must do so too without complaining or cribbing about it! Things like these inspire trust and respect within an organization that eventually brings the team closer together.
4) Be Open to Feedback from Your Employees
All leaders make mistakes; however, only great leaders are open enough to understand where they were wrong and rectify themselves immediately. You should not take feedback personally because there is always some truth in it. And remember, there’s no need to become defensive about feedback that is being given to you. Instead, look at the situation from your team member’s point of view and then decide what needs to be done next.
5) Communicate Effectively With Your Team Members
When things are ambiguous, employees tend to go astray! It’s important for leaders to communicate effectively with their team members so as to increase understanding on critical matters within an organization explains Peter Decaprio. This helps everyone work towards achieving the same goal which is why all great leaders are effective communicators. They ensure everyone within an organization is kept abreast of recent developments by providing regular updates through emails or scheduled meetings during off-hours if necessary.
6) Lead by Example When It Comes To Development
Your team members will always look up to you and aspire to become like you. So it’s important for leaders of the future to set the example right by being open to development opportunities. If you truly believe in someone’s potential, then go ahead and help them by giving them on-the-job training or sending them off-site on a coaching program. And remember, not everyone can be sent off-site at once so identify who your best performers are and send them on such programs first while conducting their work from the office simultaneously!
7) Communicate With Your People Early On When You Need Them
Do not wait till crunch time before asking your employees how they’re doing; communicate with your people early on when you need them to get things done! Everyone in an organization is a hard worker and if there’s one thing that defines them, it’s the fact that they do what must be done when the time comes. So use this quality of individuals within your team to help you complete tasks well before deadlines approach.
8) Be Prompt With Your Payments
Leaders of tomorrow should ensure promptness with their payments; workers are extremely busy looking after their daily needs. And it takes only a few days for them to lose motivation if they’re not paid on time! You always want your employees to focus on work instead of chasing clients. But nothing works better than incentives at the end of the day says Peter Decaprio.
Conclusion:
You’ll always have to deal with multiple responsibilities in your role as a leader, but if you must achieve success. Then it’s important for you to take care of the above-mentioned things.
