5 Things Great Leaders Say With Ease!
1) Simplify!
Encouraging staff to simplify is key to wild productivity and intense profitability. When "simple" guides your organization, people narrow their focus and results amplify; a result-driven business is your aim, right? Simplifying will equate to a lean, mean, money-making machine.
Simple often means turning phones, internet, and email off for the majority of each day in order to focus. Or perhaps keeping meetings to 15 minutes, forcing participants to be direct, (eliminating unnecessary stories or delays). There are dozens of ways to simplify, add one per week for a month and look for the results.
2) Does that decision align with our 12 month focus?
First of all, do you have a benchmark by which ALL decisions brush up against? Ideas like, "We are the low cost airline", Southwest Airlines; "We will get your freight there on time." The Robart Companies (our client); "We cultivate personal relationships with ALL our clients", WE O'Neil Construction (our client). Your benchmark serves as THE decision-making tool. When this is in place, there are NO difficult decisions, it either supports or detracts, there's no third direction.
3) How can I support you?
This question makes your employees feel extremely valued, which creates loyalty, a loyally engaged staff is an advocate for you and the business; an explosive business building combination! This question by no means indicates that you, yourself must do the supporting. Your role as a leader is being a facilitator, over-seeing that things get done, but not actually doing them. You hold the vision, build a powerful team and hold people accountable. When others need your support, you take the necessary measures to find it.
4) Come back with a solution (or 3)!
Empower your people! Employees are usually trained to share problems and count on the "boss" to fix them. Your job as a great leader is to train them to create solutions! This charge instills confidence and trust, which again raises the loyalty and dedication factors. When you begin to expect staff to provide solutions, you're saying, "I trust that you can handle anything". This creates a situation where staff will become increasingly capable of handling anything. It's a beautiful process and frees up huge chunks of time for you.
5) How's your family?
Displaying care and compassion for your staff feels good to everyone. When people feel genuinely cared for, they stay in jobs longer. High or rapid turnover is quite costly. The simple act of caring reduces turnover by 70 percent or more. Ask specific questions instead of general and remember what is happening in their lives and with their spouses, kids and pets. This easy habit will reap great benefits.
Dr. Byler is the founder of Intentional Influence, established in October, 1999. Her work as an entrepreneur, company leader, author, speaker, program and product developer and business coach has resulted in her national recognition as an expert in personal and professional development.
