Hey Leaders! You Have Just One Job.

Want to know the single, most important responsibility of a leader?
 
It’s easy to become overwhelmed just thinking about everything we, as leaders, should be doing. Becoming a better leader is easier said than done. Some people have given up trying because there is just too much to think about. But what if we distilled being a great leader down into just one thing?
 
I recently consulted my mate, Professor Google, about a couple of burning questions that I had. I typed in ‘definition of leadership’ - 280 million search results. I also searched ‘what do leaders do’ - 515 million search results. I have a bookcase in my office that is chock full of big, thick leadership and management texts. How did leadership become so complex?
 
Here’s the one thing that, if leaders focus on achieving, will make a massive difference. Make people better. This thinking was inspired by the 6^th President of the USA, John Quincy Adams who said “If your actions inspire others to dream more, do more, learn more and become more, you are a leader.”
 
Think about this really important question. As a result of your leadership, are your people becoming more, are they remaining the same or have they become less? Sort of tragic if they are less then when they met you. Almost as sad if they have not changed as a result of your influence.
 
‘You manage things, you lead people” said US Navy Rear Admiral, Grace Hopper. It can’t be any simpler. Focus on helping your people grow and develop as your number one leadership priority. Do this, and everything else will fall into place, as it will be your people that will step up and, together with you, make your organisation successful.
 
You have one job. MAKE. PEOPLE. BETTER.

5 THINGS TO TURN YOUR BAD BUSYNESS INTO GOOD BUSINESS

It’s become customary that when someone is asked how they are, the answer comes back something like, “flat out, busy as, out of control” or, as a client recently said to me “I’m as busy as a one legged man in an butt kicking competition”! It seems like it’s a badge of honour to admit that you are really, really busy.

My issue is, that just being busy does not cut it. Being productive, efficient and making progress towards your vision or purpose should be the name of the game, but I see too many people floundering despite being ‘busy’. It’s simply not good business.

Here are five things that will make a difference.

1. Get a system for your time management. Be disciplined and systematic about how you allocate your time to your tasks.

2. Slow down. I see too many people in chaos and they are running really hard and basically getting no where. Slow down or STOP! Get in control, and go again.

3. Prioritise. We simply cannot have it all and do it all. Work out what are the most important things and work on those first.

4. Delegate. Every senior executive I have worked with was doing tasks that someone else in the organisation could and should be doing. Focus on your highest value contribution to you business. Delegate the rest.

5. Say No! We all like to be liked and sometimes we say yes just so we can please or not offend others, when we really should be saying no. Be honest and say no, so you don’t set yourself up for failure.

2 THINGS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SEX AND CHOCOLATE

Praise and recognition cost nothing, but are the keys to productive relationships and good leading.

There is strong research that shows that heartfelt praise and recognition for good work are far more powerful motivating factors than money!

If you don't believe me, imagine working in an environment where nothing you did was recognised and you received no thanks or acknowledgment for your contribution.

It is not always possible to increase financial rewards for your team, but what is stopping you taking the time and effort to recognise their efforts?

Without praise and recognition people can feel taken for granted and undervalued. You can greatly increase the level of engagement of your people by providing them with regular and genuine feedback on their progress as well as providing opportunities for them to tell you what’s going on for them.

Invest a little time and effort and reap the returns.

Praising and recognising your people costs nothing, but leads them to care more about their work.

ARE YOU GETTING ENGAGED THIS YEAR?

A hot topic at the moment is ‘employee engagement’.  What is it and how important is it?

When two people become engaged it means they are making a commitment to each other. It means that they intend to be loyal and loving into the future. It means that they care, deeply, about each other.

How I explain employee engagement is whether your people care about the organisation they work for or not. What is their ‘Care Factor’?  This could range from ‘Care Factor Zero’, where, as a someone recently told me “They couldn’t give a sh#t”, to ‘Care Factor 100’ (the name of my next book), where 100% of your people are 100% engaged.

There is strong worldwide evidence (Gallup Consulting) that high levels of engagement correlate with positive organisational performance. Organisations where the ‘Care Factor’ is high experience better profitability, productivity, growth, safety and quality.

Think about this question. What is the ‘Care Factor’ of employees at your organisation? How much do they care about your organisation? Where, on the scale between ‘Care Factor Zero’ and ‘Care Factor 100’, would you employees be?

It’s our goal in 2017 to help as many people get engaged as possible! We want both employees and organisations to care more about each other, so there is loyalty, happiness and greater organisation outcomes.

Can we help you to achieve ‘Care Factor 100’?

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR? NOW IS A GREAT TIME FOR THIS SIMPLE EXERCISE.

I strongly believe that our lives are better when we are more aware of those things in our life that we should be grateful for. In a busy, sometimes stressful world, a great way to do this is simple exercise where we list the positives in our lives followed by a short 'why'.

There are no hard and fast rules, but here is a format that works for me and the people I work with. Take a clean sheet of paper (or screen), write in the middle in a circle 'What I am grateful for'. Simple fill the page in other circles with the things that you appreciate in your life. For example ...

'What I am grateful for'

• My family. Why? They love me and I love them.
• My partner / wife / husband. Why? If we are lucky, they are our best friend and someone to share our life with.
• My health. Why? Without it I can't be there for my family and live a full life.
• My work. Why? It allows me to fulfill my life's purpose.
• My friends. Why? They add value to my life and I add value to theirs.
• Where I live. Why? It allows me to live the life I want to live.
• The ability to make decisions about what kind of a life I have.

By the way, the exercise isn't over until you have done two more things.

• Expressed thanks for each of the things that you are grateful for. Eg, tell you family you love them.
• Identified what you need to change to have a better situation in some areas of your life.

This time of the year is a great time to reflect and take an hour to complete the exercise.