What Sets Leaders Apart From Bosses

One of my tests of a leader, perhaps the most important, is whether people are willing (if not eager) to follow them.

Being the titular head with staff reporting to you doesn’t make you a leader. It may make you a boss, but not a leader.

If you want to be a leader, especially an effective one, you have to work hard at it. I like to think I was one. My former team members say I was, and I had people follow me from one company to my next.

What are the risks of being a bad leader?  

• Your team may leave.
• Your team may fail to give you their best work.
• They may hesitate to follow directions.
• They don’t respect or trust you.
• They doubt your direction.
• They may even badmouth you in a way that reaches your own boss.
• You get a reputation and find it difficult to hire.

Tips for Being an Effective Leader

I am reading a book (thanks to Dan Swanson) on leadership that I will review at some point, but it has me thinking about some tips I want to share.

These are not necessarily in order of their importance — they are all important.

• It starts with recognizing that you are one and they are many. Your effectiveness is not the product of your work, it is the product of theirs. So give up some of your priorities for the good of the team.
• Make sure they are happy in their work. If not, do something.
• Give them every opportunity to make a difference. Give them meaningful work that is important to the success of the organization. 
• Don’t be a roadblock. If they have to wait for you to reply to an email or to review what they have done, you are almost always at fault. You are wasting their time and that can be frustrating. My team was astonished that I was usually able to reply within an hour regardless of where in the world I was.
• Take your time when you work with them. Give them your full attention.
• Give them a direction and then get out of their way.
• Don’t over-manage.
• Eliminate to the extent possible “rework” such as multiple reviews of the same draft report, correction of working papers, etc. It is frustrating, wastes precious time and adds little value.
• Eliminate unnecessary red tape that might “conform” to somebody else’s standards but adds little value.
• Help them give leaders of the organization what they need when they need it, and not what they don’t want that wastes their and your time. Examples include Background, Scope and Objectives, or similar sections in an audit report.
• You have to care about your people. In fact, it is important to get to know them beyond work.
• If you want loyalty from them, you have to be loyal to them.
• Be there for them. If they need you, drop everything and run to help. 
• Listen to them and then listen again. Make sure you hear clearly and fully. Back them up and don’t criticize in front of others. But give honest and constructive feedback in private.
• Let them fail and fail again. Encourage them to take risks but be there to help them as they need.
• Have a clear vision and share it effectively. Make sure they are on board with it and with you. If they are not, you will probably fail.
• There are times when it is right to tell them what to do, times to be the authoritarian. But most of the time you need to let them be part of any decision.
• Delegate even to the point that it hurts, to the point where you are uncomfortable with the risk you are taking.
• Trust them. If you can’t, look in the mirror. If you see no fault there, you need to change your team.
• Only hire people with integrity.
• Demonstrate integrity and trust every moment, in every situation.
• Honor your commitments.
• Don’t have favorites. Be fair and just.
• Spoil them, just like you would your grandkids. Make sure they are well compensated. Fight for them with HR and your own boss if necessary.
• If they have a question, try not to give them the answer. Help them find it within themselves. Make them think. Don’t accept doing what something because they have always done it that way or because the standards/best practice say so.
• Make their development and career growth your priority. Expose them to senior management so their quality is evident.
• Don’t take their credit. It’s not about you.
• Help them leave when it is right for them (even if not for you).
• Always have a smile for them.
• Stay in touch when they leave.
• Listen to their feedback on your own performance.
• If you are angry or upset, go to your room so you don’t infect or take it out on them.
• Set your ego aside.

There’s so much more. What would you add?

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