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Be a Better Leader
As a CEO, I am constantly looking for pieces of advice—whether from books, articles, podcasts, etc.—on how to be a better leader.
Listed below are ten lessons that have stuck with me over the years:
- Lift up others according to their needs.
- Always be willing to help people early in their careers and along their life paths; because—whether you are even aware of it or not—people older and wiser than you helped you.
- Avoid the spotlights—allow them to shine on your associates and employees.
- Walk the walk. Always do what you say should be done—all in an effort to lead others by example and help them advance by having an appropriate role model.
- Surround yourself with others that are smarter and more talented than you.
- Compensate and reward employees and associates based on performance—the better employees and associates perform, the higher the compensation and awards they deserve. This performance-based platform should include everyone, from laborers in the field to administrative staff to executives in the “C-Suite”.
- Always strive to be fair—and your fair-minded attitude will be returned many times.
- Show empathy, with your door always open.
- Give clear directions.
- Do not micromanage—constantly “looking over the shoulders'' of your employees and associates. If you hire the right people and have them in the right seats, there should be no need to micromanage. Great people take pride in their work. Give them the autonomy to “own” their work.
It may not be easy to employ these ten principles, but practicing these ten “Must-Do’s” is a necessity to be an effective leader.
Pass it on!