Great leaders close their open door policy:
Open door policies are passive ways to facilitate communication and do more harm than good. They make deep work and strategic thinking virtually impossible for the manager. Worse, research shows that half of all employees won’t go through the open door with problems or ideas because they fear repercussions. It’s time to close your door and open your calendar. Recurring, weekly one-on-one meetings are a far better way to proactively facilitate communication, and pre-scheduled “office hours”—perhaps an hour each day—is the best way to facilitate time-sensitive communication.
Great leaders don’t bring smart-phones into meetings
If you use your smart-phone in meetings, research from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business suggests your colleagues probably think you’re being rude or unprofessional. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed thought it was inappropriate to read or write texts or emails in meetings, and 22 per cent think it’s inappropriate to use the phone at all in any kind of meeting. To avoid distraction, to remain mindful and present, and to maximize recall, a leader should leave their smart-phone on their desk when going for meetings.
Great leaders have no rules
Every time we bump into a rule, it takes away a chance for us to make a choice or a decision. And it becomes “your” company, not mine. Rules crowd out conversation. Managers become rule enforcers instead of leaders. Instead of rules, have standards or guardrails that are rooted in company values. Use these standards as topics of discussion starting with recruiting and onboarding, and continuing throughout the employee life cycle. And when someone deviates from the values–the standards–well that’s a time for some feedback, that’s a coachable moment. Strive to model the Netflix culture of freedom with accountability.
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Great leaders are likable, not liked
Are you a people pleaser? It’s normal to want to be liked, but it’s a problem if you have a need to be liked. A need to be liked causes managers to withhold direct, constructive feedback. It can lead to delayed decision making in the hopeless quest to get universal agreement. You don’t need to act like a jerk at work, but realize that your team members don’t need another friend; they need a leader who will coach them and advance their career, who will make the sometimes tough decisions to protect the team or advance the company.
Great leaders lead with love
Yes, I say leaders should love their team members. The Greeks called it agape; Professors Sigal Barsade and Olivia O’Neill call it companionate love. It’s the warmth, connection and caring we feel for humankind. Leaders who care about their team members and show it achieve high employee engagement and business outcomes.
Great leaders crowd their calendar
Great leaders are obsessed with minutes. They know that every minute wasted or freely given away is another minute that can’t be spent coaching their team or on getting results. For best results, throw out your to-do list, and schedule everything. Identify your daily most important task and schedule it first thing in the morning. Pre-schedule time to lead; schedule your recurring weekly one-on-one’s, your quarterly town-halls, your twice a year career path meetings. What about downtime? What about time to think? Yes, schedule that too.
Great leaders play favorites
In a misguided attempt to be impartial and fair, too many managers treat all their team members the same. But it turns out that’s the most unfair thing we can do to people. And it’s the fastest way for you to lose top talent. Instead of treating everyone alike, you need to learn to individualize your leadership approach. You need to take the time to understand each of our team members when it comes to their: talent, experience, attitudes, strengths and goals. Then you play favorites, not based on who you like better, but based on who’s earned it.
Great leaders reveal everything
In traditional organizations information flowed “up” and the decisions came “down,” but to compete now, we have to replace “knowledge is power” to “sharing is power.” In his book Team of Teams, U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal explained that radical transparency was a key to defeating Al Qaeda in Iraq because it enabled decision making to be pushed to the very lowest levels. In business, radical transparency means sharing everything, including all the financials needed to understand what makes the business work.
Great leaders show weakness
“Will you tell me about a time you failed?” It’s the first question I ask all my guests on the LEADx Leadership podcast, I ask them to start with failure. Too many old school leaders believe “leadership is acting” or we must always wear a mask to project confidence and optimism. The best leaders today realize that authenticity and vulnerability are the fastest ways to earn trust. I’m not talking about striving to shed tears and share fears. That’s an inauthentic way of being authentic. Share your past failures as learning experiences. Share the bad news with the good. Drop your mask and be your unique self.
Great leaders know: leadership is not a choice
The greats all agree that leadership in a word is: influence. And we know from behavioral psychology that we are always influencing those around us. You influence when you stand up to the bully, but also when you remain a bystander. You influence when you challenge the idea in the conference room, and also when you remain silent. Leadership isn’t a choice, because you are leading (i.e., influencing) all of the time. This means you are leading not just at work but also at the dinner table, and on the sidelines of the soccer field. But are you leading in a positive direction or a negative direction? Be mindful of your power as a leader. Remember, lead with intent.