I’m going to keep things short and sweet today but I’m going to ask you a hard question and I want you to think about it over the weekend.

Are you a leader?

In my experience, I’ve found that leaders do two main things - and two things only. They have the skill and determination to get things done and they have the ability to inspire and motivate those around them.

Do you get things done?

Do you motivate others?

Take some time to reflect on your performance over the past year. Did it feel like you were pulling teeth when working with your team members or were they glad to work with you? And - there’s a question right there - were they working for you or were they working with you?

So, are you really a leader? And, if not, will you become one this year?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

That’s just the way it is!

Some people seem to take to leadership and managing others like a duck takes to water. Others need to be guided and told what to do.

Now if you get a “follower” in a “leaders” position then this can cause problems!

All too often I see members of staff doing a great job and then they get promoted on the back of their performance.

Note, they get promoted based upon how THEY do the job.

Not their management potential.

Not whether they will be an insiprational leader.

Not whether they will be able to drive the business forward.

No.

The decision is made on their ability to do their current job. Either they are the best at what they do or they have a high profile in the company.

And this is a bad mistake!

Just because someone can sell or manage better than others does not mean that they can lead and motivate others to do so.

It’s a different skill altogether!

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat

The leading authority on management development & management training

Some managers think they can lead by telling their employees what to do. Others know that real leaders lead by example. The greatest leaders, however, have special qualities that make them stand out from the crowd. Over the course of my experience as a manager I’ve identified some of these special qualities in others and I thought I’d share them with you today.

• Great team leaders are sensitive. They understand that everyone has didfferent concerns, needs, and interests and they do their best to address these differences.
• Great team leaders have awesome communication and listening skills. They know that everyone has their own set of ideas, plans, and dreams. They listen to everyone and try to find ways to incorporate those interests.
• Great team leaders share their own dreams, plans, and visions with their team members. They aren’t secretive and they refrain from merely working off of other people’s ideas.
• Great team leaders are awesome delegators. They are able to trust their team members and will give those who deserve it a significant amount of responsibility.
• Great team leaders allow their team members to participate in the goal-setting and problem solving processes. They allow everyone to become a part of the process instead of just telling their team members what is going to happen next.
• Great team leaders aren’t perfect and don’t pretend to be. They let their team members know about their own mistakes and use them as learning experiences.

What type of team leader are you? Do you treat your team members fairly and include them in the decision making processes that dictate what they do on a daily basis? Do certain aspects of team leadership work better for you than others? Please share!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Courses

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

As a leader you’ll find one of your greatest challenges will be getting people to pay attention to you, your ideas, and what you have to say. This is especially true if you’re a new manager and others aren’t particularly ready to accept you.

Your job will be to attract attention and than make the best of it. In my experience I’ve found that there are four things leaders can do when it comes to attention:

• They can focus their own attention on the tasks and projects at hand in order to see them through to completion.
• Leaders can find ways to attract attention to themselves - and a good leader knows how to attract the right attention - not just everyone’s attention.
• Effective leaders know how to attract the attention of the people that follow them - including team members, customers, and members of upper management.
• A good leader knows how to maintain the attention of their customers and clients - keeping them interested and happy throughout the course of the working relationship.

So many people view “attention” as a negative, but it’s really not. A successful leader knows how to draw the right kind of attention to himself and does so almost effortlessly. As you grow into your position you’ll be able to do the same thing.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Courses

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

One of the most difficult adjustments a new manager can make is moving from a customer service or team member role into a management or team leader role. The reason? The expectations placed on him or her shift significantly and it is often difficult to adjust one’s mindset to the new tasks at hand.

I’ve found that there are four main “expectations” placed on most leaders. They are:

• The manager or leader is able to set the direction of the team or group, whether individually or on group projects;
• The manager is able to focus on the overall expected results and not just the individual tasks to ensure everyone is working towards the same goal;
• The manager has the skills necessary to influence people who may or may not necessarily agree with his point of view; and
• The manager has the ability to develop people through training, mentoring, and providing continuing education opportunities.

It’s pretty safe to say that the average manager or leader carries a great deal of burden. If you find yourself in a new management role just relax, breathe, and focus. You wouldn’t have been placed in your position if someone hadn’t already recoginsed these traits in you. Now all you need to do is recognise them in yourself.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Courses

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”