How to Improve Your Leadership Skills

Leading others takes a wide range of, sometimes, complicated skills. So improving your "leadership" can be a tricky proposition, much like any complicated skill. The key is to focus on one thing long enough to produce a habit.

Sometimes that can best be done by taking something away, so that you force yourself to rely on the skill you are trying to improve on. If you struggle with face-to-face, one-on-one communication, take the option of email out of the equation whenever possible. This forces you to utilize the skill that most needs developed. It provides that practice that may not quite lead all the way to perfection but does lead to permanence.

This topic reminds me of teaching my son to ride a bike. It's actually pretty complicated to learn when you think about all that goes into it...the pedals, balance, crash avoidance, etc. So I focused in on what I felt was the most important skill...balance.

Fortunately, there are innovative companies that have also taken things away from a bike (pedals) to help make this easy for me. So my son began riding a Glide Bike at age 2 1/2 and just recently, at 4 1/2, started to ride a regular two-wheeler with no training wheels. The switch took minutes, because he had practiced and made permanent the skill of balance.

So when you want to improve as a leader, ask yourself, what can I take away to build an essential skill?

You can see my son making the Glide Bike to pedal bike transition in the video below.

Be A Leader!

Why Are Your Employees Looking to Leave?

There are many personal and professional reasons that any employee may have for looking to leave your company. I think right now there are three main workplace stressors that are pushing many employees out the door.

1. More with Less – The lack of a significant rebound from the last recession has exacerbated this problem. Companies are not yet adding staff, but the increased workload continues to grow on those that remain. Slow incremental growth is masking the need for more staff. This prolonged incremental growth is building small, steady workload increases to existing employees with no apparent end in sight, causing ever higher levels of stress. These talented employees that have been able to handle the increased work are now primed for a move that will reduce their workload stress. And your A-players that are relied on most heavily are the most likely to leave. Your best talent may be looking for a less stressful alternative. What can you do to reduce the stress on your strongest talent?
   
   
2. Micromanaging Boss – We’ve all heard, “People don’t quit their company, they quit their boss.”  The majority of the time it’s true, and one of the major stressors that cause this, micromanagement. Nothing screams “FIND A NEW JOB” like the lack of trust that is communicated by managers who don’t trust seasoned staff enough to let them do what they do best, what they’re paid to do. Whether it’s from the flattening of organizations or the shrinking of the bottom-line, many managers and executives have taken up the microscope and are sending a strong anti-trust message. Set clear goals and give your staff the freedom to deliver. Or manage every little piece of the process and watch your best talent flee.
   
   
3. Senior Management Dysfunction – Instability in the economy and in company results, among other things, can lead to dysfunction with the senior management team. And when it’s apparent to front-line employees that senior management can’t get along, they lose confidence in where the company is headed. And senior management loses credibility with their staff. You might think it’s all under wraps; it rarely is. Don’t get me wrong, conflict is good at the senior level, when it leads to more discussion and ultimately to better decisions. But when resolution and consensus doesn't happen, employees can see the difference. The senior management team must work together to build consensus amongst themselves first, then their consistent message and direction can provide focus for the entire organization. 

Beware, your employees are searching…but there are steps you can take to minimize your vulnerability. 

Be a Leader!