How to be a Fantastic Leader

How to be a Fantastic Leader Karen Cortell Reisman, MS rnThe other day my friend Robin talked to me about becoming president of a large nonprofit organization. She felt excited and challenged by this opportunity. As we discussed her leadership strengths, I realized that the qualities Robin possesses to lead this organization are the same characteristics you need in order to run your business. rnIn facilitating this discussion with Robin, I drew upon the four principles of my “Leadership and Success” workshop that can be useful to you as well. rnThese principles to follow so that others follow you are “C-A-V-E”. As you lead in your "CAVE" remember to - Communicate wisely rnAttract employees that share your values rnVision the type of business you want, and rnEmpower those around you. rnCommunicate wiselyrnBob Boylan wrote in Get Everyone in Your Boat Rowing in the Same Direction about two stonecutters who were chipping square blocks out of granite. Boylan said, “A visitor to the quarry asked what they were doing. The first stonecutter, looking sour, grumbled, ‘I’m cutting this damned stone into a block.’ The second, who looked pleased with his work, replied proudly, ‘I’m on this team that’s building a cathedral.’” rnOn a macro level, as a leader you have got to be able to “tell your story”. Your organization, whether you employ 2 people or 20, needs to know what your cathedral looks like, what it wants to accomplish, and how you are going to get there. rnOn a micro level, what you communicate is of utmost importance. Some of your behaviors are positive. Some of your behaviors are negative. The trick is to become AWARE of how you contribute to a positive or negative communication climate. rnIn Learning to Lead, Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith write, “Leadership calls for clear communication about goals, performance, expectations, and feedback.” rnAttract employees that share your values For Robin to be an effective president she must assemble an effective board and put the right people in the right positions. The same principle applies to you as the leader of your cathedral. rnAt the very least, follow the adage of Jack Foster, who writes in his book titled, Ideaship – How to Get Ideas Flowing in your Workplace, “If you don’t think you could drive across the country with them in a Volkswagen Beetle, don’t hire them.” rnVision the type of business you want “The leader’s job is to create a vision”, according to James Kouzes and Barry Posner in The Leadership Challenge. rnOne way to formulate your vision is to complete this exercise. Ask yourself: What exciting and realistic picture do you see for your office in three years? As you write this letter to yourself, describe your business with these factors in mind: your gross income, your net income, number of employees, amount of office space, location of your office(s), what your success is based on, what you will be known for, what position you will occupy in the roofing industry, and why people will want to work for you. rnShare this message with your group. This exercise can help you formulate your story and manage your cathedral. rnEmpower those around you If you want your employees to show up, then pay them their salary. If you want your team to help build their cathedral, then empower them. Good pay is half way down the list in what motivates others. If you do nothing else in this article, heed the following ways to empower and motivate your team: Appreciate what they do. Some of the greatest recognition and reward strategies cost nothing but your time and interest. rnInclude your team so that they feel like they’re “in” on things. People support what they help create. rnSome final thoughts on being an effective leader*rnDefine what the benefits are to your team, the guys you want to follow you. rnCare about the people you work with. rnPraise their efforts. rnCommunicate and listen. *Bob Boylan, Get Everyone in Your Boat Rowing in the Same Direction, Adams Media Corp, 1995 © Karen Cortell Reisman, MS