Leadership

Throughout 2011, I have worked with numerous organisations both large and small, and listened to varying complaints from business owners and managing directors about their staff members, from lack of time management, to lack of creativity, self-belief and motivation. Such characteristics do have a serious detrimental effect on internal morale and ultimately company profits, but are such characteristics a fault of the staff members? or is it a fault of the leaders? Or is it both?

Whilst each person is clearly responsible for their own behaviour, I passionately believe that it is the business leaders who set the behavioural tone for the organisations they lead, and thus in tackling any aspect of unsatisfactory/undesirable staff performance, the best place for a leader to start...is with him/herself!

Therefore, I'm going to release a number of key leadership tips over the coming weeks, to help leaders and business owners get the best out of their staff and avoid many of the traps which many leaders fall into.

1) A wise leader shines the spotlight on others, rather than him/herself.

If a leader wants his/her staff to think 'outside the box' and be more creative in their approach to business, then it is the leader's responsibility to give their staff the space and encouragement in order to grow. I have spoken to so many leaders who complain that they have to 'spoon-feed' their staff members, and yet they themselves as leaders, actively hog the limelight!
Everything from delivering the speaking slots at company conferences, to dominating internal meetings, to dealing with the most important and regular customers. They do it because they believe as leaders, it is their right to do so and they have convinced themselves and others, that they are the best people to do these 'limelight' related jobs, and therefore, it is in the best interests of the company.

This attitude is somewhat egotistical (something which few leaders would be willing to admit about themselves), but it also discourages staff development, whilst minimising the level of passion and loyalty staff members will feel for the organisation, because people are most passionate about the things the feel they have created or contributed to. This sense of 'dominating the limelight' also leaves a gaping hole in the capabilities of the business, because if the leader in question is suddenly off work with ill-health or moves company, then who will be able to step up to the role in a smooth and effective fashion?

If a leader is prepared to shine the spot-light on his/her colleagues rather than him/herself, that leader will secure their loyalty as well as build trust and rapport, because he/she has actively demonstrated trust in their abilities and potential. Stepping back from the limelight and allowing others to shine is also a very useful step down the long and worthwhile road of developing and growing staff members, something from which the leader and the business will ultimately reap great dividends.