Be a Leader - The Importance of Going Home Early!

How you run your business is, of course your business. A little focus from your end will dictate the way your people act and behave. So the onus is on you to show the way.

Why does this matter?

If you create a style of working within your organisation which is able to get the very best from your people, you will have a vibrant business, your people will develop beyond their (and even your) expectations and above all, you will enjoy your work and success more than ever before. Try these eleven quick and easy ideas:-

  • Be supportive - your people need you on their side to be their best, so stick with them and form a partnership.
  • Listen well - and you will hear the real person. This will build deep relationships which are vital.
  • Have clear demands - by ensuring that people are delivering to your expectations, they will be much more confident.
  • Have fun - it is allowed. Bringing fun and laughter into your organisation is a powerful tool.
  • Be fair - to all of your people - treat them as individuals; but treat them equally in their conditions, pay processes and other basic conditions.
  • Give feedback - this helps people get real about how they are doing, which helps them do more and better in the future.
  • Accept feedback - and you too can evolve - your people want you to succeed, so make sure they are hard wired to you and can give objective feedback to you too!
  • Be trusted - by having this as your byword, people start to relax, with no nasty surprises round the corner - this unleashes creativity, makes them feel able to give more and appreciate the working environment.
  • Get a life - show your people that there is a life outside work - take your breaks; get off early for a family treat; make the coffee - and they will learn to relax too.
  • Be human - showing your emotions; fears; hopes; doubts and accepting advice sometimes, all show that you are in tune with your people and this is a powerful lesson in developing a brilliant team.
  • Say thank you - your people will love it if you recognise great work - the easiest way to do that is just to say 'Thank-you' - now what was hard about that - remember they recieve a much bigger gift with a thank you, than it seems to you to give it!

    Great leaders model how they want to be, to their people thus developing a level of relationship which is truly astounding - be yourself, be natural and enjoy your work and your life - and be prepared to show it!

    And remember - go home early sometimes!

    Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, often by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com (Note to editors. This article may be edited for use in your publication or newsletter as long as a live link to the website is included)

    ...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

    In The News:

    • pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Motor Vehicle Policy and Your Employee Risks

    It is becoming more common for employers to require employees... Read More

    5 Questions Great Managers Ask (and they arent hard!)

    However hard we try, we seem to make life more... Read More

    Why Would Anyone Do That in My Meeting?

    Imagine that you open a meeting by saying, "We need... Read More

    Dealing with Difficult People

    You know, this would be a great business if it... Read More

    Poor Employee Performance: How to Deal

    KEEP WRITTEN RECORDS: "Document !Document! Document!" Keep a record of... Read More

    Enhancing the Motivational Climate of Your Workplace

    It has been well documented that employees' productivity and job... Read More

    Knowledge Management - Keys to Successful Communities of Practice (Networks)

    How can I make my community of practice truly effective?How... Read More

    ISO 9001 Okay Now You Have It How Do You Market It?

    Marketing ISO 9001 2000.Lately we've been seeing a lot of... Read More

    Lets Flourish and Prosper!

    Some say that in business as in sex: if it... Read More

    Management Training: Are You Satisfied With The Results?

    If you're not satfied with the results of your management... Read More

    The Devil We Know

    "I'm in an abusive relationship," sighed Andrew. "My bookkeeper annoys... Read More

    Organizational Culture, Creativity, Innovation

    It can be concluded with great certainty that certain organizational... Read More

    Organizing The Information

    Putting a piece of paper in a file folder is... Read More

    The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Conflict Becoming the Norm ? Part 1

    A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that... Read More

    Why Businesses Need to Start Nurturing Collective Wisdom

    COLLECTIVE WISDOM CAN BE AN effective tool for solving the... Read More

    You Get the Behavior You Reward

    On consulting assignments, here are some of the questions I... Read More

    The Do?s and Don?ts of Giving Feedback

    Being able to give effective feedback is not just a... Read More

    Assertive Communication - 6 Tips For Effective Use

    What IS assertive communication? Assertive communication is the... Read More

    How to Manage Your Most Valuable Assets - People?

    People management and leadership has become a major topic of... Read More

    Executive Performance -- Whos to Blame for Incompetent Managers?

    A recent article in the Wall Street Journal raised the... Read More

    Solve Problems Permanently - Ask WHY

    As Albert Einstein said:-"The significant problems we face today, cannot... Read More

    Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: A New Managers Tale

    This article relates to the Manager/Supervisor competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More

    7 Essential Elements To Every Organizational Change

    [This article is based on excerpts from the special report... Read More

    What to Do When Trust is Low

    Trust is essential. You can't run a business without it.... Read More

    How to Save Money on Training

    1) Use a live instructor. Adults learn best by doing,... Read More

    Management & Leadership - Doing it right in the 21st Century

    The Old Way ? Command and ControlAlthough workplaces and management... Read More

    Lower the Bar

    "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." Ralph Waldo EmersonI'm... Read More

    The Rise of Corporate Chair Massages

    Employers have rapidly begun to understand the importance of stress... Read More

    Invoice Factoring for Goverment Vendors

    Assignment of Claims Act of 1986"....What does this mean for... Read More

    Delegate or Die!

    You Can't Do It All - Learning To DelegateThere is... Read More

    A Checklist for Organized Executives

    I could begin this article by providing a checklist of... Read More

    4 Simple Steps to Successful Delegation

    Last month, my featured article was about creating a "Stop... Read More

    How to use NLP for Business?

    What is Neuro-Linguistic Programming?Neuro-Linguistic programme is nothing but the study... Read More