The next piece we’ll talk about when it comes to management is behavior. This is probably the most key part of the three. There’s a lot of things you can get away with as a grunt that you can’t as a leader, and in order to perform optimally it’s important to understand what these characteristics are.
The first is that you must always take responsibility. This is vital. People do not trust leaders who do not run towards the problem. You’re constantly in the state of having to lead by example. Which means you have to be outside your comfort zone a lot in order to manage the team optimally. It’s also important to never take your position for granted — people hate stuck-ups!
Second, you must be honest. Not just to others, but to yourself as well. Give real feedback, and take real feedback. This is another one that you can see as being a “lead-by-example”. It’s also a good idea to give specific praise and criticism, not just to the team as a whole. Remember to follow the feedback rules of engagement!
Finally, you have to be authentic. Be yourself is pretty cliche advice, but it works wonders here. Not developing a facade allows people to trust you more, as well as make it easier for you to become a role model (think about it this way; if you preach what you follow, you’ll never have to feel like you’re preaching something wrong!). Being clear on communication is also important, as it reduces the friction in terms of getting people to understand what you want done.
These are the three guiding keys to being a good leader. Really, every other piece of leadership advice is just building upon the parts mentioned here. Master these, and everything else becomes a lot easier.
Next week, we’ll be diving a little bit deeper into the nuances of behavior and talk about communication. See you then!
Apalla 