On our Management Open Courses, we often find the most interesting discussions revolve around the section on Leadership styles, because many people have heard about them but haven’t really learned enough about them to build their knowledge and awareness of how to change styles when necessary.

On the programme, we discuss that there are many styles you can choose from but it’s generally the situation itself that will dictate which style you should adopt. Here’s a resume of what we discuss:

1) Get to know the various strengths, weaknesses, development areas, wants and needs of each staff member who works for you. This will allow you to have a good personal business relationship with each one.

2) Don’t allow any past negative situations to control how you lead your people. Your attitude will become clear immediately if you bring baggage forward from any past experiences or management positions you may have held.

3) Each team member is an individual and should be treated as such. Provide closer supervision with those who need to improve their performance. Give greater freedom and responsibility to those who have shown ability and perform in a professional way.

4) Communicate your vision and goals and objectives to all in the team. If you play your cards close to your chest, you run the risk of alienating the team and they will become suspicious of your motives.

5) Practice good communication skills and respect for the team no matter what type of day you are having. Consistency is one of the key attributes of any leader, and if you show yourself to be moody or up-and-down in your demeanour, you are less likely to encourage others to approach you with honesty and openness.

By choosing the correct style of leadership with your team, you create the best opportunity to get them behind you and firing on all cylinders in their work.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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I was having a chat with one of my team recently and we got onto the subject of best bosses we have ever worked for. Naturally, he said I was one of them (!!), but who else was on his list of excellent bosses?

Well, after we discussed who they were, we jotted down what set them apart as such inspirational leaders, and I offer this list from my scribbled notes:

1) The vision they have for their and the company’s future is inspiring and absorbing. This means their co-workers choose to follow the direction the leader is taking them, rather than feel they have to because they have no choice.

2) They are able to communicate that vision in a way that inspires. It’s one thing to have an inspiring vision; it’s another thing entirely to be able to communicate it in such a way that people follow regardless of your position.

3) They devote themselves to continuous improvement. They may have left school, but they have never left education. Whether it’s in the car, the plane or in their spare time, they are constantly either learning new things or putting those new things into practice.

4) They create a working environment that people look forward to coming to. The environment is the culture they develop every day within the workplace. A leader knows that fun and enjoyment at work are the results of the culture they encourage.

5) They create learning and growing opportunities for all staff, because they recognise that everyone is inspired by developing themselves in a way that makes them feel important and different.

No doubt you can add to this list, and I’d love to hear from you on this subject. Maybe you have found ways to set yourself apart as an inspirational leader and have reaped many rewards. If so, you set yourself apart from the masses and are a great model for others to follow.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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

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I came across this quote from Colin Powell, the ex-Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, in America some time ago:

“The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”

How would you measure up in your business against this benchmark set by General Powell? There are two facets of leadership this brings into question.

Firstly, how do you as manager or director encourage your people to communicate with you? Are your communication lines so difficult to get through that people have long given up trying to discuss everyday problems and challenges with you? Or do you welcome opportunities to deal with challenges in such a way that your team is motivated to approach you in times of pressure?

Secondly, many businesses see the act of asking for help as a weakness, and so do not welcome challenges being aired. This corporate culture can severely weaken the company, as people cover up the gaps that might exist. If you want to encourage your people to see you as a leader, make yourself accessible and available.

Powell talked about creating an environment in your department where problem analysis and decision-making replaced the blame culture that exists in many businesses. This isn’t easy, but, when done sufficiently well, will motivate staff to see you as an effective leader and encourage them to approach you rather than backing off. Prove to your people that they can trust you, and that you do care; then you’ll see the whole culture of your department thrive.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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

Follow us here on Twitter

You’re going to have plenty of angry moments at work. It’s inevitable. A team member might call out sick, leaving the rest of you in a lurch; an employee may become indignant or miss a deadline; or a superior might dump a project on you at the last minute. Occasional bouts of anger are an undeniable part of life.

When you start feeling angry every day, however, it will be time to assess whether or not you’ve reached an unreasonable or unmanageable level. Will you be able to catch and control your anger before it turns into rage? Better yet, will you be able to identify misplaced anger in your employees before they go off the deep end or some sort of workplace violence occurs?

I’m going to come back to the subject of anger management a quite a bit over the next few weeks. I feel that gaining a strong understanding of anger, anger management, and how it impacts workplace performance is important facet of your management training and will only serve to help you form your own unique leadership style.

We’re going to discuss the reasons why people get angry, how they deal with anger, and what you can do to control and manage situations as they arise.

Remember, a happy workplace is a productive workplace. Take a few moments to think about your life and your team – do you think you may have anger management issues? Keep them in mind as we go through this process. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone share their views.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

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