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The Role of the Leader in People Management
Many of the companies we work with are long on Management but short on Leadership. The most common manifestation of this is ineffective People Management. When you promote someone to, or employ someone at a Managerial level, you should not assume that as a Manager they are a Leader. Generally speaking, to manage is to be responsible for planning, co-ordination and control. As soon as a Manager's scope of responsibility includes people that Manager must show Leadership ability.
Organisations need quality Leadership at all levels. It is self-defeating if a company employs excellent Leaders at senior levels, but not at middle and first line management levels. We need quality where the rubber meets the road if organisations are to get the best out of the talent they have.
Are Leaders born or made? Is it nature or nurture? There is no right or wrong answer to this. However, the key traits of a successful leader are respect, loyalty, enthusiasm and commitment. If you want to get them from your team you must first give them to your team. Words like trust, honesty and sincerity are often mentioned when talking about Leaders. If Management is about metrics and logistics, Leadership is about personalities, motivation and inspiration. The questions to ask are: What is important to each person? What are their goals? What turns your staff on and off? Find out then steer clear of the off switch.
Have you done enough to help create a motivational environment today? Listening to people, involving people and saying thank you are just the starting points. Don't just add to the list - go and practice it.
T.I.P. (To Improve Performance)
- Inspire by example, if you are not motivated you will not motivate others
- Get to know what turns your people on and off. Work on the ON
- Your attitude is contagious, make sure it's worth catching
Remember: The talent available to you is like a light bulb, it won't shine until it is switched on. Your job is to find each person's switch and press it. If you get it right your team will carry you over the winning line, not the other way round.
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