Leadership Principles for Significant Accomplishments

Posted on August 4th, 2020

 

In the service industry, people in leadership positions are called managers. Titles can range from Regional manager to Unit manager to Assistant manager. Some businesses even assign such managerial titles to specific roles such as Food production manager, Customer service manager or Patient transport manager. These managers are responsible to operate a business unit or a segment of a business. They are also accountable for achieving certain financial and operational objectives. These managers accomplish their pre-assigned goals through the hard work and dedication of their people. These ‘people’ are their most valuable asset.

Today, this asset is being managed by the ‘Managers’. The world of leadership is evolving! The future of leadership is more inclusive, caring, empowering, authentic and rewarding!

Tomorrow, they will be led by the ‘Leaders’ instead of managers! Together they will achieve more, grow more and accomplish more for both the people and the organization! Their work life will be more productive, enjoyable, meaningful and rewarding!

“Leadership is all about people. It is not about organizations. It is not about plans. It is not about strategies. It is all about people motivating people to get the job done. You have to be people centered.” General Colin Powell

Today, if you are in a position to manage a business through your people, you are in a leadership position. You will need to practice great leadership principles to achieve much more than just your goals and objectives. You will need to change your paradigm on how you do your job and interact with people! You will re-think, how you coach, lead and grow! You will learn how to take thoughtful actions and become more of an authentic, caring, inclusive, compassionate and inspirational leader. You will become a great Leader of Tomorrow!

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams

Here are my eight (8) essential principles to follow to become an inspirational leader. Make these an inherent part of your mindset and your day to day actions at the workplace:

 

  1. Put People First 

 

Your people will provide exceptional service to your customers if they feel valued, well respected and are well trained. They expect their leader to be a great listener, compassionate and sincere. Your people deserve your empathy and appreciation! They also want your support for their on-going personal growth. Such actions on your part will inspire them to follow you and help you achieve pinnacle of successes!

 

In 1977 I was working for a restaurant company as a manager in the Chicago area. We had a new district manager come on board replacing a very kind and engaged leader. Right from the beginning many of us managers noticed his controlling actions. In his office, behind the desk there was a huge poster on the wall depicting a lion in the jungle with caption – Here, Lion is the King! He crossed out the word Lion and put his name instead. So, the poster read, Here, Joe is the King! He believed it and behaved in the same manner. Within six months three of his top performing managers, including me, left the company. A few months later he got fired! He had put himself First!

 

 

  1. Show Integrity in your Words and Actions

People in your team expect and respect integrity and transparency in your words and actions. This must be an inherent quality and practiced as a habit and not as a job function. Being genuine and trustworthy creates enormous loyalty. People will listen and believe you even when what you say, is not in their best interest. They want to know the facts, the truth and clarity. A leader cannot let them down!

A few years ago, as a senior general manager for support services at a major medical center I had to reprimand an operations supervisor. I met with her in the presence of another female manager. My demeanor was respectful and kind. My words were compassionate and sincere. I presented only the facts as I knew them. After I concluded, I offered to listen to her side. She had tears in her eyes and stated that she had made a mistake and that she was disappointed in herself. I listened with empathy and respect. I comforted her and assured her that she was still the same great supervisor as always and that this episode was behind us. I thanked her for being honest and understanding of the purpose of the meeting!

 

  1. Be Self Aware

Successful leaders know their personal values and recognize their strengths as well as their shortcomings. Their values and day to day behaviors are instilled in them through their life experiences. They also know how some of their behaviors may sometimes set a wrong tone for the team. So, they practice self-control and make full efforts to improve and make a better leader of themselves along the way. They also develop a high degree of personal emotional intelligence. This helps them stay grounded and keep mindful of what their role is, as a leader.

 

In our everyday business and personal life, occasionally we are faced with a situation which may trigger some negative emotional response that may not quite be the response you would give if you can contain your emotions. The successful and emotionally intelligent leaders just walk away from such situations to stay above the fray even though they feel righteous. In the long run they are much better off emotionally and earn respect of people around them.

 

  1. Be a Great Listener

 

People around you want you to talk less and listen more. Leaders with effective communication skills practice ‘seek to understand first before being understood’ habit when interacting with anyone. They know how important it is to the speaker to be heard and understood. Great leaders give other people the freedom to share their ideas and concerns without any fear. They acknowledge what they understood. Being a great listener is a leadership strength that helps other people to speak their mind. It’s not only a habit, it’s a virtue!

 

Often times people on your team may have ideas or personal matter to share with you or seek advice. They have to have confidence in your ability to listen with empathy and sincere intent to understand what is being said. At the conclusion, thoughtful leaders will verify what was said and what is expected of them. In personal matters, when appropriate they will sympathize and offer any assistance that may be helpful and acceptable. A follow up and follow through meeting is essential to close the matter.  This active and compassionate listening skill is admired by all team members and builds trust with the leader and loyalty to the organization.

 

 

 

  1. Share your Vision, Strategy and Purpose

 

Successful leaders have a clear vision, noble objectives, detailed plans and specific goals for the organization. They also have a greater ‘purpose’ in mind not just for the organization but also for the personal growth of the team members and the broader community. They aspire to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. They engage and support everyone in their endeavor of personal growth. They will empower others in pursuit of happiness and the inner fulfillment! Leaders of ‘Tomorrow’ will see much greater purpose and take responsibility of their position! They will impact positively in the lives of people around them and those who are impacted by their decisions and actions. They will aim to make lives better for all!

 

I worked at a major medical center as the director of support services from 2003 to 2008. This was probably the best job in my entire over 40-year career. I admired and respected my leader’s inherent strengths, personal compassion, empathetic listening skills, inspirational qualities and passion for his team’s growth. He was also focused on improving the organization for both the short and long term. He had shared his vision, strategies and plans with the team. We were also clear about the greater purpose and as a team we believed in it.! He would personally lead many projects around the medical center and was very active in making decisions. He had integrity in his words and actions and was always respectful to everyone he met. He was always appreciative of his team’s successes and celebrated with them! To me, he was the ‘leader of the future’.  He has received multiple promotions over the years and is now the CEO of the entire health system, one of the largest in the country, including the medical school. He not only succeeded for himself, many of his team members have also grown into higher positions! As a leader he helped make many lives better including mine!

 

  1. Make the Organization Better and Build Great Teams

 

Whether you are leading a department of 100 people, an organization of 1,000 people or a company of 10,000 or more people, it is your primary responsibility to make your organization better. Great leaders make positive things happen and they get significant results. They get to work with diligence, tenacity and full focus! They not only have the ability to be very productive individually, they inspire everyone on their team to do more, produce more and accomplish more for the organization!

 

They achieve this by balancing both extrinsic and intrinsic values and motivations. They enjoy the recognition, status and financial rewards that come from the success of the organization. They also equally enjoy the inner satisfaction of living a purposeful life and helping make other people’s life better. Some will also take on helping with the community improvements and/or even larger social causes.

 

They build great teams, where all team members work together to achieve planned organizational goals and objectives. These team members possess positive outlook and are most qualified for their roles. They respect and support each other. The great leaders do not tolerate negativity and they make certain that the team is operating as a cohesive, focused and capable force! Achieving planned results for the organization is the goal and all must work together to get there!

 

  1. Be Passionate and Inspirational    

 

One of the intrinsic quality great leaders possess is their passion for what they do. They enjoy making a difference in other people’s life. They enjoy reaching pinnacle of success through hard work and diligence. They love building great teams. They find happiness and fulfillment in leading people to achieve what may have been deemed unreachable previously. They also realize that their habits, behaviors and actions are a great example for the team to follow as an inspiration. Great leaders know that people will follow if they are growing, valued, appreciated and inspired. Being humble and grateful to their people is an inherent quality they have and are always prepared to serve their people’s needs in any way they can.

 

At a recent assignment as a Consultant for Environmental Services in a major medical center, I came across many great people in our front-line staff. I noticed many great qualities these people had and how diligent they were in their patient care duties and in helping each other and working as a team.

I was so impressed with specifically four people that I spoke with them individually not just to compliment about their work ethics, but also to thank them for being such great people and a valued team member! After my brief one-on-one meeting with them, I noticed that each of them had a great happy smile as if I lit something deep inside them. They were inspired by my sincere and honest thoughts and the recognition of their hard work and their greatness as people!

 

  1. Celebrate People and Organizational Successes     

 

Fun loving and grateful leaders cease on every opportunity to thank their teams, show their gratitude and celebrate their successes. They value the positive impact of formally recognizing their team’s advancements. Celebrations can be pre-planned activities as well as some spontaneous fun events. Recognition can be individualized and for a team as a whole. For departments who hold monthly meetings can also recognize individual accomplishments each month. Annual formal events are great way to celebrate and share vision for the future! Be Creative with planning!

 

Some leaders send hand written thank you or other celebratory notes to a team member’s home. Most leaders also compliment one-on-one for their contributions. The culture has to be that people’s extraordinary efforts and achievements are noticed, appreciated, acknowledged and rewarded.

In the recent Coronavirus pandemic, front-line people in many industries have been so diligent and committed to get the job done for the good of the fellow human being. Some at the risk of their own health. Many corporations have rewarded them with extra bonus pay or increase in their base pay during this pandemic. Such meaningful rewards are truly appreciated by people and inspire them to keep the mission going!

 

 

 

Wrap Up

Leaders are people too and they come in different forms with distinctly different styles. Some are natural leaders, and others are trained leaders! Their behaviors are often shaped by their own life experiences. Their successes come from their inherent qualities, intrinsic motivations, practicing of great principles and inspirational behaviors. Here are a few of the behaviors that I have seen them follow that inspire their teams toward achieving significant accomplishments!

 

How many of these traits can you check off?

 

If you are in a leadership position, no matter how large or small, following these behaviors and eight essential principles noted above can bring your organization greater successes and to your team members great personal growth and satisfaction. It will also motivate other people in your team to want to become a LEADER of Tomorrow! It will be a great inner fulfilment for you to help create more leaders and make many more lives BETTER!

 

Khalid Shiekh

Consultant – Food and Nutrition Services

Ruck Shockey Associates Inc.

August 1, 2020