Leadership becoming Trusted partners

Leadership - just Google search and you will find millions of articles. Blake & Mouton's theory, Leadership practices and Situational Leadership are just a few. I came across this good article from articlesbase.com. Being in a leadership role invites scrutiny, so it is important to learn the top leadership skills that will make you trustworthy in the eye of the group you are in charge of leading. Leadership is an exceptional type of role in which you are in charge of leading and helping others achieve whatever goals you or they have set for themselves. However, many people are confused about what it takes to become an effective, trustworthy leader so it's always good to keep yourself in check and learn helpful tips, like the one presented in this article, to make the right type of progress. Make Sure to Engage People You should learn how to motivate and inspire others to engage their passions, strengths, skills, and creativity in the projects at hand. Do what you can to acknowledge and show appreciation for their contributions and efforts. You should make each team member feel like they did something positive to move the project forward. Don't let good talent go to waste. If someone in your team is greatly contributing to the increase of your company's profits, be sure to promote them, give them a raise, or, if you aren't in a position to do those things, recommend the person to someone who is. If you fail to do this, you might find that that talented, effective and hardworking employee has left for your competitor. Encourage Transparency Being a good leader require from you to always be truthful about the situation. If something isn't working out as planned, make sure to update your team as soon as it happens. If you need to change something, inform them. Your team needs to know what is going on, whether it be good news or bad. Remember that when you're dealing with customers or your employees you have to be ethical at all times. Ethics is a major part in any successful business. When your team knows you are to be trusted, they will do a better job for you. This will also give them a good lead to follow. Master the Art of Delegating To be an effective leader you have to know your own strengths and weaknesses. Delegate responsibilities in areas that you are weak in to a member of your team that excel in them. You'll give him or her a chance to shine, while ensuring that the job is carried out successfully. Real leaders are willing to learn Many great leadership skills don't just befall from a sudden flash of awareness or a great epiphany. Try reading some books on how to be an effective leader, going to business seminars, and talking to other leaders to see what works best for them. Keep in mind that, great ideas can come to anybody, but good leaders take time to study, learn and expand their knowledge. It can take a long time, but the more knowledge you have about proper leadership skills, the better leader you become. Taking action is what will propel you into a great leadership role. Leadership positions are highly fulfilling because you can help other people achieve their goals. It is a very rewarding yet challenging position

That is GREAT but

We had the honour of hosting Marshall Goldsmith at the Asia HRD Congress 2014 Kuala Lumpur recently. Marshall Goldsmith needs no introduction. The author of several best sellers including MOJO: How to Get It, How to Keep It, and How to Get It Back When You Lose It! Was in his usual form. I reproduce here one of his articles: "That Is Great, BUT…" The higher up you go in your organization, the more you need to make other people winners and not make your job about winning yourself. This is a hard concept for people who like to win to grasp. The more successful you become, the more helping others win is how you win! For those in leadership positions, this means closely monitoring how you hand out encouragement and how you “help” others improve. If you find yourself saying, “That is great…” and then dropping the other shoe with a tempering, “BUT” stop yourself before you speak. Take a breath and ask yourself if what you’re about to say is worth it. In most cases it isn’t. If you really want to succeed and encourage others to do the same, try stopping at “great!” This is a challenge even for those who have acknowledged they do this and think they are past it. Let me share a little story with you. A few years ago, I taught a class at a telecom headquarters. One of the men in my class mocked me when I mentioned this problem that so many of us have with “That is great, BUT…” He thought it was easy not to use the words. He was so sure of himself that he offered $100 for each time he used these words. I made a point of sitting with him during our lunch break. I asked him where he was from, and he replied Singapore. “Singapore? I said. “That’s a great city!” “Yea,” he replied, “it’s great, but…” He caught himself immediately, and reached into his pocket for cash, saying, “I just lost $100, didn’t I?” That’s how pervasive this urge to win can be. It creeps into our conversations even when the discussion is trivial, even when we should be hyperaware of our word choices, and even when it might cost us $100. That was a description of the lighter version of those possessing this bad habit. Those who have the more serious version are even more harmful and discouraging. We all know negative people. My wife calls them “negatrons”. These are people who are incapable of saying something positive or complimentary to any of your suggestions. Negativity is their default response. You could walk into their office with the cure for cancer and the first words out of their mouth would be, “Let me explain why that won’t work.” This is the telltale phrase of negativity. It’s emblematic of a need to share negative thoughts, even when they haven’t been solicited. “Let me explain why that won’t work,” is different from adding value—because no value is added. It’s the big, bad brother of “That is great, BUT…” because rather than hiding our negativity under the mask of agreement, it is pure unadulterated negativity under the guise of being helpful. As with “That is great, BUT…” we employ “Let me explain why that won’t work” to establish that our expertise or authority is superior to someone else’s. It doesn’t mean that what we say is correct or useful. It’s simply a way of inserting ourselves into a situation as chief arbiter or senior critic. If you think one or both of these phrases might be your mode of negative operandi, I’d advise you to monitor your statements the moment someone offers you a helpful suggestion. Paying attention to what you say in response to their ideas is a great indicator of how you come across to people. If you find yourself frequently saying, “That is great, BUT…” you know you need to take a breath, pay attention, and stop yourself at “great”!