THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON OF LEADERSHIP: STAFF DEVELOPMENT

I didn’t have any more hours and therefore I couldn’t work any harder, and my future growth in production would be determined by my ability to work with other people.

These two realities enabled me to search for and find the most important leadership lesson I’ve ever learned:

Those closest to the leader will determine the level of success of the leader.

Below is an illustration of what can happen to an organization when the key players slightly increase their potential while they work for the same team.

3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 243+25% increase individually

4 x 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 = 1,024 +400% increase together

A great leader develops a team of people who increase production. The result? The leader’s influence and effectiveness begin to multiply (working through others) instead of adding (working by oneself). That no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself is, according to Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the most beautiful compensation of his life.

“If you are planning for one year, grow rice. If you are planning for twenty years, grow trees. If you are planning for centuries, grow men.” Secondly, only as we develop a team do we continually multiply.

A PICTURE OF A WINNING TEAM

Winning teams…

• Have great leaders
• Pick good people
• Play to win
• Make other team members more successful
• Keep improving

Winning teams have great leaders.

EXCELLENT LEADERS CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT: They believe in their team. This creates an environment for success. The best way to gain and hold the loyalty of your personnel is to show interest in and care for them by your words and actions. Sam Walton said, “Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”

I didn’t have any more hours and therefore I couldn’t work any harder, and my future growth in production would be determined by my ability to work with other people.

These two realities enabled me to search for and find the most important leadership lesson I’ve ever learned:

Those closest to the leader will determine the level of success for the leader.

Below is an illustration of what can happen to an organization when the key players slightly increase their potential while they work for the same team.

3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 243+25% increase individually

4 x 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 = 1,024 +400% increase together

A great leader develops a team of people who increase production. The result? The leader’s influence and effectiveness begin to multiply (working through others) instead of adding (working by oneself). That no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself is, according to Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the most beautiful compensation of his life.

“If you are planning for one year, grow rice. If you are planning for twenty years, grow trees. If you are planning for centuries, grow men.” Secondly, only as we develop a team do we continually multiply.

A PICTURE OF A WINNING TEAM

Winning teams…

• Have great leaders
• Pick good people
• Play to win
• Make other team members more successful
• Keep improving

Winning teams have great leaders.

EXCELLENT LEADERS CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT: They believe in their team. This creates an environment for success. The best way to gain and hold the loyalty of your personnel is to show interest in and care for them by your words and actions. Sam Walton said, “Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”

EXCELLENT LEADERS KNOW BASIC HUMAN NEEDS

1. What is expected from each one
2. That each will have the opportunity to perform
3. How each one is getting along
4. That guidance will be given where each needs it.
5. That each will be rewarded according to his contribution

EXCELLENT LEADERS KEEP CONTROL OF THE “BIG 3.” Any leaders who want to play an active role in all areas of the organization may be tempted to take on too many responsibilities. However, three areas are crucial to the leader’s authority and success:

1. Finance: because the finance staff is the prime means of exercising executive control in any organization.
2. Personnel: because the selection of people will determine the organization.
3. Planning: because this area determines the future of the organization

EXCELLENT LEADERS AVOID THE “SEVEN DEADLY SINS”

1. Trying to be liked rather than respected
2. Not asking team members for advice and help
3. Thwarting personal talent by emphasizing rules rather than skills
4. Not keeping criticism constructive
5. Not developing a sense of responsibility in team members
6. Treating everyone the same way
7. Failing to keep people informed

Winning teams pick good people

• A clear direction
• The right team of players
• Sound finances

1. THE SMALLER THE ORGANIZATION, THE MORE IMPORTANT THE HIRING
2. KNOW WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU NEED (PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS). Listed below are the “Top 20” personal requirements I took for potential staff members:
3. Positive Attitude — the ability to see people and situations in a positive way.
4. High Energy Level — strength and stamina to work hard and not wear down.
5. Personal Warmth — a manner that draws people to them.
6. Integrity — trustworthy, good solid character, words and walk are consistent.
7. Responsible — always “comes through,” no excuses; job delegated — job done
8. Good Self-image — feels good about self, others, and life
9. Mental Horsepower — ability to keep learning as the job expands
10. Leadership Ability — has high influence over others
11. Follower ship Ability — willingness to submit, play team ball, and follow the leader.
12. Absence of Personal Problems -personal, family and business life are in order
13. People Skills — the ability to draw people and develop them
14. Sense of Humor — enjoys life, fails to take self too seriously
15. Resilience — able to “bounce back” when problems arise.
16. Track Record — has experience and success, hopefully in two or more situations
17. Great Desire — hungers for growth and personal development
18. Self-discipline — willing to “pay the price” and handle success
19. Creative — ability to see solutions and fix problems
20. Flexibility — not afraid of change; fluid; flows as the organization grows.
21. Sees “Big Picture” — able to look beyond personal interest and see the total picture.
22. Intuitive — able to discern and sense a situation without tangible data

KNOW WHAT THE JOB REQUIRES:

1. An up-front or a behind-the-scenes person?
2. A generalist or a specialist?
3. A producer or a maintainer?
4. A people person or a paper person?
5. A leader or a supporter?
6. A veteran or a rookie?
7. A creative thinker or an abstract thinker?
8. Constant supervision or little supervision?
9. A team player or an individualist?
10. Short-term commitment or a long-term commitment?
11. Know what the potential staff member wants
12. When you cannot afford to hire the best, hire the young who are going to be the best
13. Winning teams play to win
14. Winning teams make their team members more successful
15. Know the key to each player
16. Map out a team mission
17. Define the role of each player
18. Create a group identity
19. Use Liberal Doses of “We” and “OUR”
20. Communicate with everyone
21. Winning teams keep moving

Let’s take a moment now to stop and consider your strength as a leader. This evaluation will allow you to review those areas of importance to a leader we’ve discussed in previous articles while reinforcing the areas you need to emphasize in you development. Just circle the number that corresponds with how you see your ability, right now.

1 Mastered

2 Strong

3 Satisfactory

4 Needs growth

5 Difficult

Common Strengths Outstanding Leaders Share

DREAMING 1 2 3 4 5

Never let go of a dream until you’re ready to wake up and make it happen. In working with leaders, I have often asked myself, “Does the man make the dream, or does the dream make the man?” My conclusion: both are equally true.

GOAL-SETTING 1 2 3 4 5

A goal is a dream with a deadline. If you don’t know what you want and where you are going, you will get next to nothing and end up nowhere.

INFLUENCING 1 2 3 4 5

The very essence of all power to influence lies in getting the other person to participate. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.

PERSONAL ORGANIZATION 1 2 3 4 5

“Organizing is what you do before you do something so that when you do it, it’s not all mixed up.” — Christopher Robin in Winnie the Pooh

PRIORITIZING 1 2 3 4 5

“He is a wise man who wastes no energy on pursuits for which he is not fitted; and he is wiser still who, from among the things he can do well, chooses and resolutely follows the best.” — William Gladstone

PROBLEM-SOLVING 1 2 3 4 5

“The majority see the obstacles; the few see the objectives; history records the successes of the latter, while oblivion is the reward of the former.” — Alfred Armand Montapert

RISK-TAKING 1 2 3 4 5

Risks are not to be evaluated in terms of the probability of success but in terms of the value of the goal.

DECISION-MAKING 1 2 3 4 5

Your decision will always be better if you do what is right for the organization rather than what is right for yourself.

CREATIVITY 1 2 3 4 5

There is always a better way . . . Your challenge is to find it. “Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.” — Oliver Wendell Homes

HIRING/FIRING 1 2 3 4 5

“There are only three rules of sound administration: pick good [people], tell them not to cut corners, and back them to the limit. Picking good [people] is the most important.” — Adlai E. Steven-son

“When you appropriately fire a person from a position in which he is failing, you are actually releasing him from that failure — and freeing him to seek a position in which he can find success.” -Bobb Biehl

EVALUATION 1 2 3 4 5

People, who reach their potential spend more time asking, “What am I doing well?” rather than “What am I doing wrong?”

The person who knows how will always have a job; but the person who knows why will always be the boss.

If you are strong in or if you have mastered four areas you are on Level #1. If you are strong in or if you have mastered eight you are on Level #2. If you are strong in or if you have mastered every area you are on Level #3, and that means you have a strong support team that has allowed you to grow beyond yourself.

At this point in my life, I am fortunate to be living on the phase 3 level. I’ve grown beyond my own resources and am multiplying instead of adding because of those closest to me. I will be forever grateful to them. With them, I will continue to lead. Because of this, I will continue to grow.