Leadership Standards and Principles

Here is a quick list of Leadership standards and principles I have developed that have worked well for me in my journey in supervision. As with all of the articles I publish on this forum this is intended to help motivate, educate, and inspire. Feel free to follow up on what you would add.

Know yourself and seek improvement.

Make an honest evaluation of yourself and determine your strong and your weak points. Look to overcome the weak ones and further strengthen the strong ones.

Seek the honest opinions of your peers and Management to show you how to improve your Leadership ability.

Learn by studying the causes for the success, or the failure of other Leaders.

Master the art of effective writing and speech.

Have a definite goal and a plan to attain your goal.

Be technically and operationally proficient.

Seek a well-rounded education through college, independent reading, classes, and seminars.

Broaden your knowledge through association with members of other companies

Seek opportunities to apply knowledge through the exercise of Leading your teams.

Good Leadership is acquired only through practice.

Prepare yourself for the job of Leader at the next higher position.

Know your team, and look out for their welfare.

Put your team's welfare before your own; correct grievances and remove discontent.

See the members of your team and let them see you so that everyone may know you and feel that you know them. Be approachable.

Let them see that you are determined that they be fully prepared for their job function.

Concern yourself with the working conditions of the members of your team.

Determine what your associate's mental attitude is; keep in touch with their thoughts.

Ensure fair and equal distribution of rewards.

Encourage individual development.

Keep your team informed.

Whenever possible explain why tasks must be done and how you intend to do them.

Assure yourself by frequent follow-up, that immediate subordinates are passing on necessary information.

Be alert to detect the spread of rumors. Stop rumors by replacing them with the truth.

Build morale by publicizing information concerning successes of your team, department, and company.

Keep your team informed of changes in policies and procedures that will impact them.

Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.

Learn the responsibilities of your immediate supervisors and be prepared to accept the responsibility of these duties; (Potential goal alignment)

Seek different Leadership positions that will give you experience in accepting responsibility in different departments.

Take every opportunity that offers increased responsibility.

Perform every task, large or small, to the best of your ability. Your reward will be increased opportunity to perform bigger and more important tasks.

Stand up for what you think is right; have the courage of your convictions.

Develop a sense of responsibility among your direct reports.

Provide clear well-thought directions. Hold your team accountable for their actions, although overall accountability remains yours. Delegate responsibility when possible.

Give your direct reports opportunities to perform duties usually performed by the next level.

Be quick to recognize your team's accomplishments when they demonstrate resourcefulness and initiative.

Correct errors in judgment and initiate in a way which will encourage associates to try harder. Avoid public criticism or condemnation.

Give advice and assistance freely when it is required by your team.

Let everyone know that you will accept honest errors without punishment in return; teach from these mistakes by critique and constructive guidance.

Make sound and timely decisions.

Develop a logical and orderly thought process by practicing objective estimates of the situation.

When time and situation permit, plan for every possible event that can reasonably be foreseen.

Consider the advice and suggestions of your subordinates whenever possible before making decisions.

Announce decisions in time to allow your team to make necessary plans.

Make sure your team is familiar with your plans.

Consider the effects of your decisions on all members of your department.

Train your team members as a team.

Train, study, retrain, train some more, and then thoroughly train... endlessly.

Emphasize use of the "buddy" system.

Provide the best available facilities for training and make maximum use of teamwork.

Ensure that all training is meaningful and that its purpose is clear to all members of the team.

Acquaint each team member of your department with the job function of all other departments, thereby developing a mutual trust and understanding.

Seek opportunities to train with other departments.

Ensure that a task is understood, supervised, and accomplished.

Through study and practice, issue clear, concise, and positive direction.

Encourage the associates to ask questions concerning any point in your direction they do not understand.

Question your team to determine if there is any doubt or misunderstanding in regard to the task to be accomplished.

Follow up to ensure the task is being completed as instructed.

Make sure your team has the resources needed to accomplish their task.

Vary your follow up routine and the points which you emphasize.

Set the example.

Show everyone you are willing to do the same things you ask them to do.

Maintain an optimistic outlook. Develop the will to win by capitalizing on your team's abilities. The more difficult the situation is, the better your chance is to display an attitude of calmness and confidence.

Conduct yourself so that your personal habits are not open to criticism.

Exercise initiative and promote the spirit of initiative in your team.

Share hardship to demonstrate your willingness to assume your share of the difficulties.

By your performance, develop the thought that you are the best leader for the position you hold.

Delegate tasks and avoid over-supervision in order to develop leadership among subordinates.