10 Rules for an Exceptional Leader

Great leadership is indeed a difficult thing to pin down and understand. You know a great leader when you’re working for one, but even they can have a hard time explaining the specifics of what they do that makes their leadership so effective. Great leadership is dynamic; it melds a variety of unique skills into an integrated whole.

The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius ruled from 161 to 180 A.D. and has maintained the reputation for being the ideal wise leader whom Plato called a "philosopher king."

His book "Meditations" has inspired leaders for centuries because of its timeless wisdom about human behavior. It's a collection of personal writings from the chaotic last decade of his life. This turmoil inspired him to develop his interpretation of Stoic philosophy, which focused on accepting things out of one's control and maintaining mastery over one's emotions.

Here are 10 rules, as prescribed by Marcus Aurelius, that every great leader should know and practice.

1. Understand that people exist to help one another. Mankind was meant to live in harmony, “That we came into the world for the sake of one another.”

2. Be mindful of others’ humanity. Every person has dignity and pride.

3. Realize that many mistakes, even egregious ones, are the result of ignorance.

Punishment or chastisement should thus be done in an educational way.

4. Do not overly exalt yourself. “You’re just like them.”

5. Avoid quick judgments of others’ actions. “A lot of things are means to some other end. You have to know an awful lot before you can judge other people’s actions with real understanding.”

6. Maintain self-control. You can choose to spend your time and energy languishing over things that have already happened, or you can choose to be calm and address any problems thatarise.

7. Recognize that others can hurt you only if you let them. The only actions that should truly hurt you are things you do that are shameful, since you are in control of your own self-worth and values.

8. Know that pessimism can easily overtake you. “How much more damage anger and grief do than the things that cause them.”

9. Practice kindness. Sincere kindness is “invincible” and more powerful than any negative transgression.

10. Do not expect bad people to exempt you from their destructive ways. It is “the act of a tyrant” to think that you can try to change these kinds of people or persuade them to treat you differently.

Becoming a great leader doesn’t mean that you have to incorporate all of these rules at once. Focus on one or two at a time; each incremental improvement will make you more effective. It’s okay if you “act“ some of these qualities at first. The more you practice, the more instinctive it will become, and the more you’ll internalize your new leadership style.

Whether you are in a leadership position or are aspiring to be a better business leader, I would recommend the teachings in Meditations as a guide in your journey to develop yourself and others.

What Employees Really Want in a Leader

Being a business leader in the 21st century is a tall order. You’re responsible for the health and happiness of your staff but also need to run a profitable, efficient business.

Accounting for the differences among employees can be tricky, too, as some folks appreciate a hands-on approach while others need space to spread their wings and flourish.

Finding your stride as a leader may take time. However, you’ll never stray far from the goal if you aspire to be a trustworthy, communicative, empathetic, and authentic leader for your employees.

Trust

Effective leadership is all about trust and transparency. Without honest, open communication, employees will second-guess your intentions and be hesitant to believe the information you give them. However, building trust takes time. You’ll need to show employees consistent support and should be willing to put your neck on the line for them.

One way to build trust quickly is by funding inclusive team-building activities, including ones that get employees out of the office. These types of events help build employee camaraderie, improve communication, and often mean that co-workers become more invested in seeing one another succeed.

Activities like hosting local events, group hikes, company-backed team sports, and volunteer days give you and your staff a chance to connect over non-work-related activities. While playing sports or hiking together, you’ll also have a chance to show that you authentically support staff and care about who they are as people.

If possible, try to host teamwork activities once a quarter. In her book, “Reach for the Summit,” Pat Summitt, who coached the third-highest number of  NCAA basketball wins in history  describes teamwork “as a form of trust,” that occurs when you “realize that you won’t achieve your individual goals without the support of your colleagues.”

Teambuilding activities that encourage trust are a great way to get folks working together and build your leadership skills. Over time, your team will trust you more thanks to the experiences you’ve shared outside of work.

Communication

Clear, consistent communication is integral to effective leadership. Employees look to you for information and will appreciate concise, accurate messaging. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a natural-born orator or wordsmith to enjoy the benefits of clear communication.

Communication is a skill that can be learned over years of practice. Improve your communication skills by defining your goals and understanding your audience before you start speaking. Before you head into a meeting, jot down a bulleted list of details that you want to share. Keep your tone consistent and be overwhelmingly positive when providing feedback to staff.

Effective communication requires you to be an expert listener, too. Practice active listening when engaging with staff and take the time to really hear them. Never interrupt and try to paraphrase what they said when making your reply. This is particularly important during times of conflict when tensions are high. People want to feel heard and will be much more reasonable when you show that you are an empathetic listener and clear communicator.

Empathy

Empathy is a leadership trait that is often overlooked. However, empathizing with your followers is key if you want to understand their motivations and respond to the challenges they raise.

Become a more effective leader by improving your emotional intelligence and leading with empathy in the workplace. Being emotionally intelligent and self-aware is the first step towards understanding the thoughts and emotions that other people are experiencing. This is key if you want to work through conflict and improve employee buy-in. Emotional intelligence can help you recognize your own biases and assumptions, too.

It’s important to recognize that practicing empathy and improving your emotional intelligence is a life-long journey. However, investing in empathy can increase employees’ sense of belonging and enhance collaboration among team members. Businesses with empathetic leaders enjoy higher retention and a stronger brand image, too as everyone wants to work for a company where they feel respected.

Authenticity

Many leaders mistakenly believe that it’s their job to protect followers from the challenges that the business faces. However, employees can handle the truth and will appreciate authentic leadership that doesn’t sugar-coat bad news. Being authentic when engaging with staff will help them feel like part of the team and may even galvanize employees during difficult times. 

It’s important to note that being authentic does not give you free rein to say whatever is on your mind. There’s a not-so-fine line between being authentic and being rude. Staff always need to be treated with dignity and respect; particularly if you’re undergoing hardship as a business.

Balancing authenticity and kindness can instill confidence and self-belief in your employees, too. Confident staff are worth their weight in gold during an economic downturn as you’ll need creative problem-solving and high-performing employees to overcome the challenges you face. Being an authentic, emotionally intelligent leader will encourage employees to take risks and discover new ways to improve the profitability of your business.

Conclusion

Employees need strong, empathetic leadership to support their confidence and day-to-day productivity. As a leader, you can build a positive, productive work environment by empathizing with your staff and building trust amongst your team members. Model your behavior on proven leaders like Pat Summitt who show that emotional intelligence, clear communication, and authenticity are the keys to success in the leadership world. 

About the Author: Luke Smith is a writer and researcher turned blogger. Since finishing college he is trying his hand at being a freelance writer. He enjoys writing on a variety of topics but technology and business topics are his favorite. When he isn't writing you can find him traveling, hiking, or gaming.

Lean Quote: The Good Life is Built With Good Relationships

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"The good life is built with good relationships."   —  Robert J. Waldinger   

I recently came upon this Ted Talk by Robert Waldinger. Robert is an American psychiatrist and Professor at Harvard Medical School. He is known for his world-famous TED talk about his findings from a 75-year-long Harvard study on adult happiness.  This Harvard study is still being conducted today, even after 75 years from inception. This is a study about life and relationships.  It is important to understand and practice good habits to achieve good relationships. I hope you enjoy Robert's Ted Talk below. 

If you want a satisfying life, career success and financial well-being should be subordinate to the strength of the connections you make with the people who matter most.

Life as a human here on Earth is ultimately all about relationships.

Decision Making: Six Guideline to Better Outcomes

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”

It makes sense. Yet, when it comes to the decision-making process, so many of us still wind up paralyzed. We’re terrified of making the wrong move and as a result, stay frozen in our tracks in the vain hopes that the correct decision becomes increasingly apparent. You already know that isn’t a wise strategy, particularly when it comes to managing your workload and leading your team. Instead, it’s much better to figure out what skills and tips you can pick up to get better at making those decisions that previously left you stuck.

Decision making is an essential part of business in all organizations. In traditional companies this power is typically held by few managers at the top of the organizational ladder. Lean companies however strive to empower their employees to make decisions at all levels through access to data, knowledge of evaluation methods, and defined standard processes. Nevertheless, decisions are necessary in all organizations and the following these guidelines can be beneficial.

1. Timing. Neither making snap decisions nor always having to “sleep on it” is the best approach to the time factor involved in making decisions. Make your decisions based upon the circumstance and the time available. Within the realm of practicality, give yourself enough time to take the following decision-making steps.
2. Define the problem. Be careful not to confuse symptoms of the problem with the real problem.
3. Identify the options. Try to get at least four alternatives. Since you may be too close to the situation, seek others’ input.
4. Gather the facts. In order to evaluate your options, you must gather the facts about the ramifications of choosing each option. List both the pros and cons of each option.
5. Evaluate the options. Usually this will include a comparison of costs, time required to implement and the expected end result of each option.
6. Choose and put into effect. Key, and often neglected, aspects of implementing decisions are to communicate the decision to the affected parties, outline why the decision was made, why the particular option was picked, what actions are required on their part and what beneficial results are expected.

Anyone can be a good decision-maker. Making decisions is an integral part of any job, whether you are in an entry-level position or you make important choices on behalf of your company as an executive.

Not every decision will be right but if you follow these six guidelines you will find you have many more right decisions than wrong decisions. Remember, the only thing worse than a wrong decision is no decision.

Decision Making: 5 Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Being a manager can be both stimulating and challenging. Transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager comes with the opportunity to influence decision-making processes, implement business strategies, and oversee organizational change initiatives.

It can also increase the likelihood that you’ll make mistakes, as you take on greater responsibility and learn how to manage not just yourself, but others. If leveraged correctly, these professional missteps can become learning opportunities.

Being aware of common pitfalls that managers encounter when facing critical business decisions is a great way to ensure you are equipped with the know-how to overcome organizational challenges and lead your team to success.

Here are several common pitfalls in decision making that should be avoided if you want to be effective.

1. Deciding alone. There are many benefits to consulting with others on a decision: gaining different perspectives, more resources to draw upon and more commitment to the decision by those consulted.
2. Every decision a major decision? Not every decision requires a lengthy decision-making process. Don’t get bogged down with minor problems. If they’re minor, make a reasonable decision and move on.
3. “The last time I was wrong was when I thought I made a mistake.” No one is always right. If you’ve made a bad decision, admit it and get started on fixing it. Remember – it’s impossible to force a bad decision into being a good one.
4. “Boy! I sure wish I hadn’t.” Just the opposite of pitfall #3. Because no one can be right all the time, don’t waste your energy regretting bad decisions. Get on to current issues.
5. Failing to use past precedent. Maybe the same problem has come up before and been effectively solved. Perhaps, if it has come up enough, there is a company policy that covers it.

Understanding how to leverage and navigate the decision-making process is essential to becoming a better manager. By learning about the common pitfalls that managers encounter when facing important business decisions, you can ensure you’re equipped with the know-how to overcome organizational challenges and lead your team to success.

Lean Quote: Providing Praise Pays Off!

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Research indicates that employees have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company."   —  Zig Ziglar

As a leader, do you consistently acknowledge the accomplishments of others? When recognition is lacking, work efforts can also be lacking. Providing praise pays off!

In a Global Gallup poll of hundreds of organizations and thousands of teams in a variety of industries, 25% of the employees strongly agreed that they had received recognition or praise for doing good work in the last week.  Does that number feel low to you?

The article: From Praise to Profits: The Business Case for Recognition at Work provides many statistics worth reading, but I want to highlight the Five Key Pillars they shared that are required for a successful recognition program:

1.    Fulfilling: It feels appropriate to the accomplishment

2.    Authentic: It feels genuine rather than a formality.

3.    Personalized: It’s the way someone wants to be recognized.

4.    Equitable: It’s about achievement, not favoritism.

5.    Embedded: It’s part of the values and practices throughout the organization.

How is your recognition process? Are the 5 Pillars helpful? Sharing praise will foster a work culture that is positive, motivating, and energized, and will ultimately increase your results.

Sense of Urgency: Good or Bad?

When the topic of sense of urgency comes up, most leaders would agree it’s a discriminator which can mean the difference between thriving or surviving. It shows drive and purpose in an individual or business. It’s usually contagious, so the display of urgency will influence others to demonstrate drive as well. As a leader, I’ve learned that having a sense of urgency is important, but not always the only thing to consider. Let’s take a deeper dive into this behavior.

The challenge for many leaders of continuous improvement is two fold. First, you must inspire the desire or enthusiasm necessary to change. Second, you must harness this energy in the right direction. To make this change real and combat complacency, the death of many an organization, leaders seek to create a sense of urgency. John P. Kotter, a Harvard Business School Professor and author of A Sense of Urgency, was recently interviewed by Inc.com about leading during a recession.

Here is how Kotter explains the difference in an interview with Inc.com.

• Bad Urgency. "There are lots of signs of false urgency. Frenetic activity. Everyone is exhausted, working 14-hour days. One red flag is how difficult it is to schedule a meeting. With true urgency, people leave lots of white space on their calendars, because they recognize that the important stuff -- the stuff they need to deal with immediately -- is going to happen. If you're overbooked, you can't manage pressing problems or even recognize they're pressing until too late."
• Good Urgency. "The leader should be telling them to do just the opposite. He should say, 'I want everyone to look at your calendars. What's on there that doesn't clearly move us forward? Get rid of it!' True urgency is the most important precursor of real change."

Urgency is important because meaningful organizational change cannot occur without the cooperation of the affected stakeholders. This is why creating a sense of urgency for a needed change is the first step leaders must take to gain the cooperation of management and employees.

There are several steps leaders can take to create a sense of urgency and gain the commitment of managers, employees, and other stakeholders.

They include the following:

·        Showing the seriousness of leadership commitment to the coming change by eliminating obvious waste;

·        Sharing  bad news with the organization;

·        Requiring managers and employees to talk directly regularly with unhappy suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders to understand their concerns;

·        Sharing data throughout the organization that supports the claim that change is necessary; and

·        Ensuring organizational decisions and management actions are in agreement with change communications (walk the talk).

 

Leaders create a sense of urgency by both selling the value of a future state to organizational stakeholders and making the status quo a dangerous place for the stakeholders to remain.  In effect, senior leaders create a compelling narrative that tells stakeholders why it is not in their best interest for the organization to stay in its current state.

This is often done through frank discussions about the current market and competitive realities, sharing relevant financial and customer data, and discussing opportunities and crises facing the organization.  Communication is critical and the communications about the urgent need for change must be honest.  A manufactured sense of urgency will soon be seen for what it is and this will doom a change effort to mediocrity.