leadership, can you really improve your performance while doing a hard days work. We give you some great ideas to improve your following
Defining leadership
It matters not if you are a boss, a coach, mentor, priest, unionist, politician or simply head of the family you stand on a rocky pedestal at all times.
In tradition to rule with an iron fist was the fastest way to results.
However that theory is now a relic of the past even though still practiced by many.
Do it my way or hit the highway might have worked in the past however times have changed and we have changed
Have you seen where leaders set up the attitude of staff
This may be good or bad however you can quickly judge any business by staff attitude to you the pesky customer. You will find that bad staffing comes from bad management because it is tolerated and accepted as the way to do business.
On the flip side is good management and extremely helpful staff. Let's look at some classic examples and explore this a bit further
Starting at the top I would chose Apple stores as a place of customer service. They will spend time with you and satisfy your needs until you have made a purchase and exited the store.
The other side to this is the cheap mart tv and tech stores where commission is the driver.
When you waiver in a decision the sales person takes off to find better honey. You have experienced it, we all have at some time, get the sale and get them out.
This applies every day in businesses everywhere.
The bored teenager serving at the supermarket that has to ask “how is your day” They don't care and really I don't want to tell them either.
Nice haircut Mr Jones might work, or are the kids ok at school, this implies thought instead of automation.
Leadership flows down
It is well known that the greatest influence of any child is the same sex parent. It may be good or bad however it flows down. This is similar in business except that the management style flows down.
The same could be said of sports coaches, you play it my way because I am correct. That is why bad coaches get sacked, they lose the following of the members
The tech boom made a difference
Silicon Valley did things differently. Young guns with great ideas moved away from traditional offices and installed work stations and open plan environments where every one is equal.
Fun places were put in place to take away the head down 9-5 work life. Food was provided, massages and an open day that could be moved as you wanted.
What this achieved was a common goal, everyone worked to build the business and make it successful more than a days wages as the goal.
New leaders emerged and created wonder
Google, Amazon, Apple, YouTube and others went well out of the mold and created greatness through people. Yes someone had an idea but the business was only as good as the concerted effort of individuals believing in a common goal.
Steve Jobs was my hero for a long time. He believed in the impossible and had those around him living and working the dream. They changed the world not just with computers but smartphones and animated pictures. Steve was not the easiest person however he took a tribe with him through sharing the adventure.
Along came my new management idol
Move forward quite a few years until the new kid on the block arrived.
Elon Musk changed the world more than anyone before him. PayPal wasn't enough although still the worlds leading payment portal so he sold out. He wanted to invest half his fortune in new technology and thus Tesla was found.
Tesla had been around for a couple of years when they approached Musk for funding. He threw in a few dollars because he liked the idea and still they were never going to make it. Musk Took the reins and the challenge head on and went on a rampage.
He was not the only electric car maker yet he absolutely dominated the space to become the biggest electric car manufacturer in the world. What's more he became profitable in just five years and gathered over 4% of the American car market.
Musk sold the dream and demanded success
Elon was indeed a difficult man to work with, he fired people regularly and when a project was time scaled for say six months he demanded it be done in three months or face the consequences.
Does this sound like a great boss no, but why did he get his people to over perform year after year.
The answer lies in EMPATHY.
Musk talked the talk, he worked harder than anyone else and side by side with the development teams. He never asked for anyone to do something he would not do himself.
He shared the vision and the standards and asked for more and the people delivered because they believed in him.
Times were tough, he put in his other half of the PayPal fortune and borrowed from the market. Payroll was hard to keep up and many times they were just days away from bankruptcy.
Very few questioned the dream and they followed to the end.
Leadership and performance over many dreams
Not content with one dream you need more
Because battery technology was the secret to success they went about developing their own in house. This led to solar world as an outlet for Tesla batteries in the power wall.
Playing with new metal technology stretched to building rockets and flying to outer space.
He is currently setting up a satellite data broadband network from space.
My bromance continues
I have said that Elon can be a demanding monster and very short with those that don't follow the dream however he is a great leader and only just starting the journey as his passion never dies.
The book is Elon Musk; How the Billionaire and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is shaping our future by Ashlee Vance (Virgin Books)
An absolute must read for business people.
Leadership and performance is about Empathy
Therefore leadership is about understanding and empathy
It is not about running a business or heading a corporation. It is the Pied Piper ability to have people believe in you and your vision and commit to that dream and contribute everything along the way. The important point is that your people want to not just because they have to.
It is not just a pay packet it is a lifestyle that great leaders impart
Starting from home and setting examples
I am not a professional trained consultant on leadership advice, yet I have run small to very large businesses over several decades. I have started from scratch leading edge technologies and grown to a public life.
As a father and in fact grandfather I had an interesting challenge. This was to stop the kids using mobile phones at the dinner table. The following was not perfect so at one point I was forced to turn the internet off for an evening.
That one simple act has been followed by everyone at that table for many years and moved to their own families, It has become a Golden Rule because they followed the dream.
Leadership and performance leads to style
What is your style of management
Times have changed and employees now want more freedom. With both partners working new demands are being made and must be accommodated. As a manager you must recognise these commitments and work with them with understanding.
You need to listen to issues and support your staff with care and consideration.
Importantly you must make decisions and establish a clear direction without procrastinating.
These are the things that will set you apart from the mob.
However I do not suggest just going along with those that don't share the vision. There will always be the dead wood and retaining them is completely counter productive to everyone.
Act decisively and properly to establish your leadership position.
My greatest problem as a manager was not sacking people, this was bought up many times by staff as a bit of a joke, I was far to easy. I worked at retraining and establishing support where ever I could and I got results. Overtime I have sacked just a small handful out of thousands of employees and achieved success with doing this.
Friendships and the workplace
This is an area to be avoided because it promotes favouritism and brings distrust.
Yes you can, and should,mix and socialise however do it as a business not as a just one of the mob, stand apart and be the leader by example.
It is not necessary to discuss office affairs, it is simply a case of don't be involved or it will bite you badly at sometime.
Leadership and performance can turn bad.
A bad apple is quickly imatated
As an example a senior employee that has a bad habit is seen by others as the way to behave.
This attitude quickly permeates throughout the business as an accepted way of treating customers or staff.
Your people must follow your example and not simply establish new ways because that suits their nature.
I recently purchase an article that was provided not as I wanted. I rang the girl and explained my problem, her response was an example of attitude gone wrong.
It was your fault she stated and that she had done her job properly and I should be more careful. My temptation was to argue that in fact they had messed up however I got a replacement and moved on.
That sort of defensive action is not necessary although all too common as we don't want to take the blame or be responsible.
My Conclusion to leadership actions
The keyword is empathy with understanding however without tolerance for poor performance.
Musk is not the good guy in the crowd however he has the utmost respect from thousands that give their all everyday.
Jobs was sacked because he wanted too much however that backfired when they found the business could not survive without him, he was a leader not a CEO
leadership, can you really improve your performance by Peter Hanley
Leadership and performance is measured by success.
