The last few years have seen their share of uncertainty and volatility. In comparison, the current environment may feel relatively calm, and leaders might be tempted to sink into a “business as usual” mentality. The truth is that it’s never completely clear what changes could be around the corner, so it can be a disservice to our organizations to get complacent. How much greater could your organization perform through the next big wave if you did more than just maintain?
If you’re hesitant to step out of the comfortable routine to achieve more than maintain, don’t despair. Moments of stasis allow for a refocused effort to build your group’s infrastructure to prepare for the next shift in workflow. Take time to reevaluate and solidify personal and team priorities, not just for yourself as a leader, but as an example for your employees and your organization. Focusing on the following three areas will ground your leadership and create confidence for you and your associates to weather any upcoming variability with ease and calm, positioning you and your team for success.
Champion Your Mission
Want to get people inspired and motivated in their work? Remind them of your organization’s mission; help people recognize their job has value. Mission is a noble reason for working. This is not just a job. Your people are doing something valuable with their skills. Go to work tomorrow morning and say, “I am going to make other people’s lives better. I am going to help accomplish something greater than for myself alone,” and work becomes a privilege. When you love what you do, it shines through in what you produce and those who work to produce it with you. Everybody wants to do something that makes the world around them a better place. Develop and communicate a mission that highlights your true purpose as an organization and inspires others to achieve it.
Define the Work
Every organization has work that needs to be done. Make sure people know what they should do versus what they already do. Allocating that work in a way that is most efficient and effective is the key. Each role in your organization should comprise actions related to clearly defined projects that contribute to organizational goals and an annual plan. Next, set high standards. Link performance reviews to those goals but remember to stay fluid with your plans and change your focus along with changes outside your organization. Most importantly, stay true to your people. When assigning roles, match for the person. It’s easy to get caught up on getting things done, but true success comes when the right people are doing the right jobs.
Build Your People
When you focus on building your people, your people build your business. Your success as a leader is directly correlated to the happiness, personal success, and contributions of those who work with and for you. Ask your people what they need. Provide them with opportunities to enhance their skills and grow in their ability to contribute and be fulfilled in their work. Encourage teamwork and really believe and demonstrate the “we”-is-bigger-than-“me” mentality. Engage in honest, direct, and caring communication—be consistent and fair when making decisions. This kind of leading fills your teams’ accounts with more than just money. Your people will come to work spilling over with value.
These focus points are just a few of the nuts and bolts that can help you to establish and reinforce a practical framework, giving you the confidence to lead forward. The Leader’s Job and other programs available at Bell Leadership Institute provide impactful tools that have helped many experienced leaders successfully take their businesses to new heights.
Looking for some guidance to balance your daily responsibilities as a leader while maintaining focus on long-term goals? Learn more about The Leader’s Job program.
