Being prepared

As a leader, we face many unexpected issues every day. One of the ways to help navigate through all the chaos is to be prepared for the things that are planned. One of the first things to remember is that you are not the only one on your team. Have daily meetings with your team to be sure everyone is up to date on the days activities. Make sure to give clear direction so there are no questions later when you are unavailable. A prepared team is an effective team. One way to promote leadership with in an organization is to let others champion tasks. This allows you to tackle some of the unexpected issues.

Invest in your team by teaching them what is expected and then allowing them to lead for themselves. By using your team and building your team, you are creating a team of leaders. This is useful when unexpected issues arise and you can not be everywhere. A team that has been invested in and is confident in leading can step in and take charge in your absence. By building, investing and coaching your team, you will see that the team will feel appreciated. Once they feel appreciated they will go above and beyond for their leader.  They will be loyal to you and the company. 

Tips to make your employees feel appreciated 

Communication as a leader

       Leaders can be supervisors at work, coaches, parents, paramedics, or teachers. Leaders can be male or female, young or old. A leader is someone who can take control of a situation. A leader is someone who gets things done.
          A leader can communicate the goal effectively. Communication is a big deal when leading. I can tell my daughters that we have an appointment at 3 PM. What they may hear is that they have until 3 PM to get ready. Then we all get frustrated and rush to the appointment and usually are late.

 I should have spelled out the details. "We have until 2:30 PM to be ready for our 3 PM appointment.What can I do to help you be ready?" Obviously you wouldn't need to be as detailed for your supervisor. Be sure of your audience. I wouldn't want to offend a peer or supervisor by being so detailed that they may think that you do not believe they know what is happening.

Good communication help guide!!

To be a good communicator you must be a good listener as well. Make sure to get all the facts before making decisions. If an employee has an issue take the time to listen to the problem. Maybe go into your office where you can really listen to just them and where they may feel more comfortable discussing the situation. Then repeat the main facts about what you heard so that you and the employee are in agreement about the problem. Never make them feel that their problem is not important to you. Take the time to think about the situation.

Make sure you follow up. If the person feels like they aren't getting heard they will take their issues elsewhere. You will loose the respect as a leader if you do not investigate the issue and then follow up. This does not mean that they will like or accept the results but they will appreciate that you listened and followed through.

Welcome to my blog

This blog is about leadership. In the next 10 weeks I will discuss the leaders in my life. What types of leaders they are, who they are, and how they have inspired me. I will also post about how we can develop our skills as leaders. 

Feel free to comment about your own experiences. Do you agree or disagree with my opinions? Who are the leaders in your life, and how have they inspired you? 

check out this cool leadership site