Surprising Things Successful Leaders Do Differently

I’m always on the lookout for articles about leadership. Here are a few snippets:

• Great Leaders Close Their Open Door Policy

Open door policies are passive ways to facilitate communication and do more harm than good. They make deep work and strategic thinking virtually impossible for the manager. Worse, research shows that half of all employees won’t go through the open door with problems or ideas because they fear repercussions. It’s time to close your door and open your calendar. Recurring, weekly one-on-one meetings are a far better way to proactively facilitate communication, and pre-scheduled “office hours”—perhaps an hour each day—is the best way to facilitate time-sensitive communication.

• Great Leaders Don’t Bring Smartphones Into Meetings

If you use your smartphone in meetings, research from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business suggests your colleagues probably think you’re being rude or unprofessional. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed thought it was inappropriate to read or write texts or emails in meetings, and 22% think it’s inappropriate to use the phone at all in any kind of meeting. And in a study titled “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard”, researchers discovered that when it comes to comprehension and memory, taking notes by hand was far superior to typing notes on a keyboard. To avoid distraction, to remain mindful and present, and to maximize recall, a leader should leave their smartphone in their desk and use good old fashioned pen and notebooks in meetings.

• Great Leaders Are Likable, Not Liked

Are you a people pleaser? It’s normal to want to be liked, but it’s a problem if you have a need to be liked. A need to be liked causes managers to withhold direct, constructive feedback. It can lead to delayed decision making in the hopeless quest to get universal agreement. You don’t need to act like a jerk at work, but realize that your team members don’t need another friend, they need a leader who will coach them and advance their career, who will make the sometimes tough decisions to protect the team or advance the company. Replace your need to be liked, with a need to lead right. ?And replace your need to be liked by everyone, with the realization that if you are liked by your family and close friends, that’s enough.

Want to know more? Head on over to the full article here for more ideas and perspectives. Afterwards, why not drop me an email to share your thoughts at [email protected]; or call me on 0467 749 378.

Thanks,

Robert