New Year's Resolutions for Leaders

By: markweaver Monday December 29, 2014 comments

New Year’s Resolutions for Leaders

This is also a great time of year to look ahead.  The human thing to do around the turn of the year is to come up with those New Year’s Resolutions.  Here are some resolutions related to leadership, that you could consider making yours:
 
1.  Part ways with that bad apple.  You know - the one who has been an under performer, who undermines your values, who creates strife or is basicly toxic to your work environment. 
 
2.  Create a two-way open door.  Don’t expect team members to walk into your office and your world to discuss things with you as the boss; walk into their world, sit down and listen.  Do this once a week and you'll create a reputation as a boss who really listens rather than one who is merely available.
 
3.  Educate.  Take a hard look at things your team members don’t know, like prospects, sales targets, earnings, expenses - and ask yourself why they don't.  Determine to educate everyone on a monthly basis so everyone has a common understanding of the financial world you operate in.
 
4.  Create an internal brand.  Create a common language of what you mean by quality, customer service, and the _______ (insert company name) way of doing things.  Teach to it, talk about it, brand it.
 
5.  Enlist the best; avoid the rest.  Use every job opening to enlist the best candidate in terms of cultural fit, passion, skills, attitude, and congruity with your team.  No more filling jobs with a warm body and a pulse.  Resolve to be picky.
 
6.  Appreciate.  On a weekly basis, appreciate each team member who displays effort.  This can cost nothing or near to nothing.  Gratitude is free.
 
7.  Reenlist.  On a monthly basis, reenlist your best by letting them know how much you value their contribution, and by listening to their ideas.
 
8.  Include.  Solve looming business issues by including and engaging those in the trenches who are impacted – whether it’s to increase sales, to become more visible, to cut costs, to ward off competition, to use a new technology, to improve quality…
 
9.  Make your vision more visible.  Talk it, print it, refer to it, use it.  Be sure everyone can see it, and if they can’t, find out why, remove the obstacles, and help them see what you see.
 
10.  Reinforce your values.  They should be in your job advertisements, in your job descriptions, in your performance appraisals, in your corrective action, in your coaching.
 
11.  Make jobs more interesting.  Ask, cross train, allow shadowing, foster mentorship by pairing the starts with the newbies.
 
12.  Celebrate.  Celebrate commitment, effort, success, quality improvement, sales, expense reduction, and learning opportunities.

 
Like any resolutions, these only work if there is a plan and accountability. Make it a great 2015!