Whether you like it or not, your employees look to you to provide leadership in the direction your organization is going. What type of leadership are you providing? It's very important, you know. The people are looking to YOU to give them direction.
For example, what is the dress code in your company? Do do allow jeans to be worn at all times or do you require suit and tie for men and business attire for the ladies? If you require business attire, try wearing jeans to work for a couple of days. It won't take long and everyone is wearing jeans because you have set the standard. Have an alcoholic drink for lunch and it becomes the standard. They are watching you every minute of the day and that is not a bad thing if you are setting a good example.
Let's talk about leadership. As we go through these ideas think about your organization and how it is or isn't performing and if you need changes to occur.
First the definition of leadership from the dictionary--"The art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal".
There's that word goal. Establishing goals is the subject for an entire book so we're not going to spend time here on how to set goals etc.
Going on, I think it is important that we not confuse managing with leadership. You see, there is a major difference and a successful company will make sure they have both. I think the best definition I ever heard or read on this subject is attributed to former first lady, Roslyn Carter who said, "Managers take people where they want to go, leaders take them where they need to go".
Think about that. As a leader of your company you are charged with the responsibility of taking your people in the direction that is needed to accomplish the goals that have been established for the organization. This is not always comfortable. You see, it is more fun and much easier to just make friends with everyone and have a big happy family and try to please everyone, isn't it? You'll probably have a great time but you won't accomplish as much. In fact, you may not accomplish any of the objectives you have established.
Another way I have heard this managing vs. leadership dilemma explained is that managers do things right while leaders do the right things. As I stated earlier, your company needs both and you need to find those people who can do the things right once you have determined what the right things are your company should be doing. There are many good and honest people who want to do things right. "Just tell me what my job is and I'll do it better than anyone else". Know anyone like that in your organization? If you do, keep them happy.
Most entrepreneurs are great idea people and know what has to be done but don't ask them to do the details. They will mess up the details almost all of the time. They do the right things but need key people to be sure that they are done right. Guilty as charged.
I want to finish up this week's blog by giving you what I think is the first of five key leadership qualities necessary for us to succeed in the contract cleaning industry. Later blogs will outline the other four.
1. HONESTY--Here I am talking primarily about honesty AND integrity. I realize this is pretty obvious but look around you in the world today. Look around in the business world today. The government has had to get involved in many of the business empires to save the companies from themselves and sometimes it is obvious the government needs to be saved from itself.
I remember several years ago doing a workshop in the southern United States and we were doing an exercise on the characteristics of a good supervisor. I had filled several pages of suggestions from the audience and hung them (not the audience) on the wall when an elderly gentleman in the back of the room stood up and quietly said, "You have forgotten the most important trait of all and that is honesty. If you don't have that in your people you just as well get out of business". How true.
Interesting isn't it, that we filled several pages on an easel and hung the pages on the wall and not one person suggested honesty as a trait needed in our leaders and managers? That may be one of the things wrong with our country today as we look to our Congress and other "leaders". Maybe they didn't get the message, forgot it, or just don't care. Well, we all now have the message and it is important if you want to become truly successful.
In next week's session we'll focus on a couple more of the 5 traits of leadership. I hope you'll join me. What do you think the other traits of leadership are?
Talking about joining me, I hope you will join me and other BSC's in Scottsdale for the BSCAI Executive Seminar May 11 and 12. It is going to be a great conference and I would like to meet as many of you as I can.
In addtion, don't forget to listen and view our free weekly pod cast at www.tripodcast.com,
Till next time---MAKE IT GREAT DAY.
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