If you were to ask your favorite leaders what advice they would give a younger version of themselves, they would surely have some common things to share.
I have documented a few conversations I would like to share:
Be an amazing in-person communicator. Most great leaders have a tight schedule. They meet with their key people on a regular, recurring basis. This is the best way to proactively facilitate communication and time-sensitive information.
Be present with your team. If you use smartphones in meetings, research suggests your peers probably think you are being rude or unprofessional.
Be value-driven. Instead of rules, have standards or guardrails that are rooted in values. Use these standards as topics of discussion. And when someone deviates from the values--the standards--well that’s a time for some feedback, that’s a coachable moment.
Be likable, not liked. Are you a people pleaser? It’s normal to want to be liked, but it’s a problem if you need to be liked. It can lead to delayed decision-making in the hopeless quest to get universal agreement. Replace your need to be liked, with a need to lead right.
Lead with love. The kind of love that is the warmth, connection, and caring we feel for humankind--absent the passionate kind of love. Leaders who care about their team members and show it achieve high employee engagement and business outcomes.
Become obsessed with minutes. Great leaders know that every minute wasted or freely given away is another minute that can’t be spent coaching their team or getting results. For best results, throw out your to-do list, and schedule everything. Identify your daily most important task and schedule it first thing in the morning. Pre-schedule time to lead; schedule your recurring weekly one-on-one, and your twice a year career path meetings. What about downtime? What about time to think? Yes, schedule that too. Schedule everything.
What would you say to your younger self? I’d love to hear.
Best,
Manal
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