Management Essentials: Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty of Leadership

The world’s top business leaders weren’t born knowing how to lead their teams to success. Instead, they started out like any other manager: learning the ropes and hoping for the best.

Perhaps time crunches and budget cutbacks have inadvertently caused managing your team to fall to the bottom of your list of priorities. Your schedule may be hectic, but that’s all the more reason to have your team working at its full potential.

Now’s the perfect time to take the reins and refresh yourself on the basics of great leadership. You’ll soon find that no matter the industry, top leaders have one thing in common – they harness the power of their teams to achieve more with less.

Set Goals: Determine what goals your team needs to meet. Then, outline how you’ll get them there. Consider your team’s strengths, weaknesses, current workload, and available resources. By looking at the big picture, you’ll set realistic goals and achieve them within a given timeframe.

Don’t let your busy schedule keep you from creating a game plan for 2011. As Thomas Edison once said, “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.”

Communicate: Your team needs clear direction to achieve its goals. According to a 2010 study by the American Management Association, more than 80% of managers evaluate their employees’ communication skills during performance reviews. While your employees probably don’t give you an official performance review, they do notice and evaluate your communication style each day.

Your team will thrive when each employee clearly understands their particular role. Show your staff that their success matters to you by routinely discussing job expectations, helping them resolve workplace conflicts, and giving regular feedback on performance.

Motivate: Good leaders don’t just bark out commands and wait for the troops to get in line. Instead, they gain their team’s confidence by offering support and giving praise. When your employees face setbacks, encourage them to stay positive and view challenges as learning experiences.

Research shows that giving positive feedback is particularly valuable when managing younger workers. A recent study by the Ohio University, reported that what motivated college students most was affirmation – even more than money or other incentives. So, next time your employees do something well, make sure you give them the recognition they crave.

Inspire: The best managers challenge employees to learn new things, dream bigger, and embrace their natural talents. Your enthusiasm for excellence is contagious. Helping each individual on the team realize their full potential will not only boost morale but the bottom line as well.

Recent Gallup research reveals that engaged employees – those who have a vested interest in their organizations – are more productive and profitable. Engaged employees are also involved in fewer workplace accidents and miss fewer days of work. You can experience the benefits of an engaged workforce by fostering an environment where each employee feels valued and eager to contribute their talents.

Adapt: Life rarely goes exactly as we plan. The same is true when managing projects and people. Surprises are bound to pop up from time to time – whether that means the boss suddenly puts your department in charge of a new process or you lose a valued team member unexpectedly. Your ability to roll with the punches says a lot about your management style. As the old saying goes, “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall bend and not break.”

To keep the unexpected from knocking your team off track, routinely monitor how goals are progressing. Is your team still motivated? Do they have the tools they need to move forward? Are the tactics you’ve implemented effective? Being willing to adjust your plans every now and then will prevent wasted time and energy.

No matter your industry, schedule, or budget, your team will achieve more when you embrace the essentials of great leadership. Not only will your employees be appreciative, you may even find yourself on a list of top leaders one day.