Leadership in 11 Bullet Points

Leadership in 11 Bullet Points

• Know yourself and seek continuous self-improvement 
• Be technically and tactically proficient 
• Seek responsibility and take responsibility
• Set the example
• Know your people and look out for their welfare
• Keep your people informed
• Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished
• Develop a sense of responsibility among your people
• Train your people as a team
• Make sound and timely decisions
• Employ your work unit in accordance with its capabilities

It's not difficult...

Understand who you are, your values, priorities, strengths and weaknesses. Self-improvement is a process of sustaining strengths and overcoming weaknesses. Remember that before leaders can lead effectively, they must master the tasks required by the people they lead. Leaders do not avoid responsibility by placing the blame on someone else when things go wrong. Leaders realize that if they expect courage, responsibility, initiative, competence, commitment, and integrity from direct reports, they must demonstrate these characteristics. 

Telling your people you care about them has no meaning unless they see you demonstrating it. Your people must understand what you want done, to what standard and by when. Remember that over-supervision causes resentment while under-supervision causes frustration, so find your balance. Delegation indicates trust in people and encourages them to seek responsibility. Develop people by giving them challenges and opportunities. 

Train and cross train people until they are confident in the team’s abilities. Leaders must know the factors to consider when deciding how, when, and if to make decisions. Good decisions made at the right time are better than the best decisions made too late  Leaders must know their work unit’s capabilities and limitations. People gain satisfaction from performing tasks that are reasonable and challenging, but they are frustrated if tasks are too easy, unrealistic or unattainable.