Trump
on LeadershipTrump
on Leadership
Every time I give lectures or speeches I find terrific
confusion over what exactly embodies true “leadership”.
Let’s start with what leadership is not…
Leadership has nothing to do with seniority or titles.
Too many people talk about a company’s leadership referring to the senior most
executives in the organization, but leadership doesn’t automatically happen when
you reach a certain pay grade. In all of my talks I stress the fact that you
don’t need a title to lead. In fact, you can be a leader in your place of
worship, your neighborhood, in your family, all without having a title.
Leadership isn’t management.
This is a big one. Leadership and management are not synonymous. Good
management is necessary. Managers need to plan, measure, monitor,
coordinate, solve, hire, fire, and so many other things, but typically managers
manage things. Leaders lead
people.
So what is leadership?
Leadership is a process of social influence which
maximizes the efforts of others towards the achievement of a goal.
A manager may effectively organize: “Hey, let’s line up and get to the
top of that hill someday.” But leadership is about
inspiring and maximizing effort: “Hey, see that hill? Let’s
see how fast we can get to the top…and I’ll buy the first round for anyone who
can beat me up there.”
And what characterizes effective leadership?
Leaders Prioritize.
There is often no set
roadmap on what to do to realize your vision. However, guiding your team through
the process of completing the necessary tasks to achieving your goals can
be--and should be--polished to perfection. Everyone should clearly understand,
recognize the importance, and assume responsibility for the priorities you have
set. And remember that when something unexpected occurs, your team will look to
you for guidance; the tough decisions will be yours. Learning to trust yourself
is an important part of your team learning to trust you.
Leaders Delegate.
Remember that trusting your
team is a sign of strength, not weakness. Delegating tasks to the appropriate
people is one of the most important skills a leader can develop. The key to
delegation is identifying the strengths of your team and capitalizing on them.
Find out what each team member does best, and what they enjoy doing most.
Chances are if you can match the two, your team will put more thought and
creativity into their efforts. This will not only prove to your team that you
trust and believe in them, but will also free up your time to focus on the
higher level tasks that should not be delegated. It’s a fine balance, but one
that will have a huge impact on your business.
Leaders Communicate.
Focus on your communication
skills because if you can’t relate your vision to your team, you won’t all be
working towards the same goal. A productive work environment depends on healthy
lines of communication, and while being able to clearly describe what you want
done is extraordinarily important, learning to listen is equally essential.
Whether this stems from an open door policy to your office or talking to your
staff on a daily basis, making yourself available to discuss issues is vital.
Your team will learn to trust and depend on you, and will be more likely to
contribute constructive feedback. In fact, some decisions will not always be
clear-cut and being able to turn to your team for input can be vital for
attaining your goal.
Leaders Collaborate.
If you expect your team to
work hard, you need to lead by example. There is no greater motivation than
seeing the boss down in the trenches with everyone else. By proving your
commitment to the goals you have set and your willingness to work side by side
with your staff, you will not only earn respect but will also instill that same
collaborative energy and spirit among your team. And always keep your word;
create a reputation for working hard and for being fair. Once you have gained
the respect of your team, they are more likely to deliver the peak amount of
quality work possible.
Leaders
Inspire
An accomplished leader develops the ability to inspire others to give their
best.
Being able to inspire your
team is
not just
necessary for future goals,
but is also important for current issues. There may be days things aren’t going
according to plan. This is true with any business, large or small, and it is
essential to maintain team morale, keep up confidence, and focus on the larger
goal. By staying calm and confident yourself, you will keep your team feeling
the same.
It's not about "driving" or “demanding” people to do anything, and it's not
about being recognized as "the leader". It's really about becoming the kind of
person others admire, respect, trust, rely on, and want to emulate: to
lead without leading. People
respond to someone because of who they are, not what they do. An effective
leader elicits excellence from others.