How good are you at…?

Knowing where ‘your’ people stand regarding their knowledge of what’s happening in the team and organisation.

Many leaders are unaware of where their team members stand regarding the main events taking place within the team and the organisation. In fact, in many companies, leaders at all levels still believe that information is power and so must not be shared with anyone, particularly those whom they consider a threat. As a result, they lose their credibility.

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Keeping people well informed of the critical events affecting the organisation.

Leaders who can volunteer information to members of the team gain their trust and commitment. It is not just a question of waiting for people’s questions, but being proactive in the sharing of information especially when it is sensitive and important.

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Highlighting for people what you think is important to know.

The role of the leader is also to help the team members identify the pieces of information that are critical for the organisation but also, and especially, for themselves. The capacity for the leader to highlight some news that can impact employees’ performance and career is vital in all organisations.

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Explaining and clarifying why some decisions have been made.

Leaders are expected to present the decisions made and explain why they make sense and are necessary. It is not a question of justifying the decisions but rather to get the full understanding and commitment of the people who will implement them.

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Being honest with people.

Leaders tend to hide crucial facts from their organisational partners. They do this for a number of reasons, For example, they believe that:

• The truth could hurt some people.
• The sharing of knowledge could lead to some painful conflicts.
• People cannot understand anyway – they do not have a full picture of the situation.
• They can’t provide adequate explanation because they do not fully understand themselves.
• The top leaders do not want this knowledge to be shared.
• Rather than lying, they are simply “managing the truth”.
• They have other priorities.

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Asking for people’s opinion and listening to their ideas.

Most people have ideas and they want to be listened to. They are proud of their suggestions and appreciate the leader who cares about them. Effective leaders are especially good at keeping their own ideas to themselves at the beginning of a meeting to avoid pre-empting new and fresh ideas. They are also good at building on the proposals made by the team members.

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Integrating people’s suggestions into the final decisions.

Leaders must be aware of the danger of “cosmetic leadership” when they just acknowledge some ideas without having any intention of taking them seriously and including them in the final decision. People are not duped and resent that behaviour. Sooner or later they will stop contributing.

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Giving people credit for contributing good ideas.

Good ideas should not only be considered, but those contributing should be given credit. Remember the saying, “You can achieve almost anything if you do not care who gets the credit.” Good contributions should be recognised properly. It is not only motivating for those who have actively participated in the decision, but also for the witnesses who believe that they could be the next ones.

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Creating a healthy environment at work.

Many organisations are unhealthy environments. People are mistreated and talked down to. They experience fear and feel alienated. The good leader pays attention to the workplace and tries to create an environment that is conducive to high performance and happiness. There is strong evidence today that happy people not only perform better but also get something personally meaningful from their work. It is not just work any more, it is life.

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Fighting on behalf of the team members.

It has been shown that great leaders can stand up for their people. They fight for them and are not afraid to take personal risks to protect the people who trust them. They will show, not so much by words but by deeds, that they can be advocates of their employees. They care and prove it.

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