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”

As the economy struggles more and more employers are  looking to downsize their workforce in order to cut back on costs. They figure that getting rid of employees is the best way to save money and are thinking about the present - where business is dwindling.

But what happens when business picks back up again? Will you have the workforce you need and - most important - will you be able to find the same high-quality help you let go just months earlier?

As a leader and manager you’ll be partially responsible for determining if layoffs are necessary and, if so, who has to go. I don’t know about you, but that’s not a situation I’d enjoy being in.

Instead you need to take some time to think about whether or not layoffs are really the answer to your problem. Start by projecting your future level of business. Are things progressively getting worse? Do you see a chance or opportunity for improvement on the horizon?

There are quite a number of options, aside from downsizing, that can help organisations to cut costs. They include:

• Reducing the hours of every individual within the organsiation or team.
• Reduce income. This sounds harsh but right now more people are happy to have a job and are less worried about seeing a decrease in pay. That’s not to say they’ll welcome it but the response may not be as bad as you think.
• Can you put employees on a temporary leave of absence that would allow them to keep their insurance benefits while they are “temporarily” laid off?
• Is it possible to offer voluntary layoffs to employees who may have already considered leaving or who are unhappy but were afraid to quit for financial or personal reasons?

You’ll be suprised at the number of options you really have when it comes to cutting costs without getting rid of your key employees. You might even want to ask your employees to brainstorm with you one day. Perhaps if they feel as though they were able to participate in the process they won’t react as negatively to the actions your organisation takes. It’s your job, especially as one in a leadership role, to make sure you’re making the right decision.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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

It’s pretty safe to say that throughout the course of my career I’ve had quite a number of experiences, both good and bad. As a leader, manager, and salesman I’ve had to learn how to work and communicate with people on many different levels. I took some time to think back on my own experiences and want to share four key lessons that I’ve learned and hope you can learn from as well.

First of all, you are your own best teacher. The number of continuing education classes and workshops you attend will not define you as a person. Your ability to further your own knowledge by doing research and then applying what you’ve learned will enable you to teach yourself how to implement the things you’ve been shown.

Second, a good leader accepts responsibility for his actions and blames no-one else. Ever. We are all human and we all make mistakes. Anyone who claims otherwise is lying. A true leader recognises his own faults and takes responsibility for them instead of placing the blame on someone else. Did one of your team members make a mistake? If so, should you blame him or wonder if there was a problem with the training you gave him that caused him to make the mistake?

Next, recognize that you can learn anything you want to learn. Never feel as though you are stuck in a position or situation due to a lack of knowledge. There are enough classes, telecourses, and web resources available today for anyone on earth to learn just about anything. You have to find those resources and use them.

Finally, true understanding comes from your ability to reflect on the experiences you’ve had. A concept you may not have fully understood earlier in life may suddenly become clearer after you’ve had your own experiences. Your mental knowledge suddenly turns into wisdom.

Hopefully you’ll be able to start your week off by taking the time to reflect on your own experiences as a leader. How have you grown and evolved over the years? Have you learned anything about yourself?

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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