Communication

As I have observed quality leaders over the years, one skill that they have is effectiveness in communication with others. While they might not be charismatic, as we tend to define it, they do well in several areas of communication. One such area is clarity. They put much effort into insuring that their expectations are understood by those whom they lead. They are also clear in verbalizing important information, such as organizational mission and vision. They do not rely primarily on e-mails or memos. This helps to prevent confusion among their people. They also communicate honestly, so that there is no question where they stand on particular issues or where others stand with them. This helps to provide security for people and to prevent erroneous assumptions. While effective leaders seek to be as sensitive as possible in their communication of truth, they are not driven by a desire to please people. Another aspect of high quality communication is getting back to people, who are relying on their leader’s response. This helps to prevent frustration in the work environment. What are your thoughts on both verbal and non-verbal communication as a leader?

Personal Growth

Personal Growth

While as an organizational leader, we should be leading the way in coaching our staff and at very least encouraging the development of our boards. Who is responsible for our personal growth? On one level, we grow through the fulfillment of our responsibilities especially as we confront difficult realities and challenging situations and people. For example, I have learned huge lessons in the process of addressing employee discipline situations. On another level, we can grow through the constructive crisicism of other people; if we have teachable attitudes. Of course this necessitates placing ourselves around others who care enough to be honest with us.
Another way, however, that we can grow is by developing personal growth plans to grow. This involves setting specific goals and exercising discipline in fulfilling these goals. What kind s of things are you doing productively to insure your growth as a leader?

Procrastination

I am a fairly urgent person, sometimes to a fault. However, there are times when I put things off, hoping that they will somehow go away or that maybe someone else will handle them. We have all worked under leaders, whose motto must have been, “If I put things off long enough people will forget or they will no longer be issues to address”. Unfortunately that usually is not the case. Instead their procrastination or avoidance leads to frustration for those whom they lead or “assumptions”, such as their leaders not caring enough to respond to them in a timely fashion. One of the reasons that I procrastinate is a concern that involvement in a particular issue or with a particular person is that I do not want to get bogged down with details. What I have learned to do along these lines is to require people to merely tell me what time it is (the major points of a project or proposal) rather than telling me how the clock works (the details). Another reason that I delay in taking action is that I am fearful of what I have to encounter, such as addressing a disciplinary issue with a staff person. Over the years, however, I have concluded that putting such action off only makes matters worse when they are addressed. What prompts you to procrastinate in aspects of your leadership of others, and how have your learned to deal with it?