In writing this article I thought about what it means to be a better leader, someone that instills trust in people, empowers them, and motivates them to perform exceptional work. I reflected on the recent passing of Jack Welch, the legendary CEO who successfully doubled GE’s profit 5 times during a 20 years span as GE’s CEO.
Why Jack Welch? Well, when I left the Navy in 2009 I was given a great book by Jack Welch, “Winning”, which has been my favorite book thus far. The book is Jack’s thoughts on becoming a great manager and leader, it includes practical tools to manage finance, strategy, and above all, people.
Known as the Manager of the Century, Jack’s leadership helped GE grow 4000% during his tenure as CEO, and it wouldn’t have been possible without his extraordinary abilities to manage people, and resources, and stay the course for the organization.
From my years in the military and working in corporate America, here are 10 simple ways to be a better leader just like Jack Welch.
1. Embrace feedback from your team
Feedback is so important for developing the foundation for becoming a great leader, yet we’re often resistant to feedback. Why is that? is it because we can’t handle the feedback?
For most people, not really, is about not being able to admit to ourselves that we have flaws and being fearful that the moment we acknowledge them, they materialize. This mindset couldn’t be further from the truth, and as a leader, you need to embrace the feedback and learn from it.
You need to create a working environment for your team so that they feel empowered to give you feedback. You need to have that level of trust and respect among your team that they have a vested interest in seeing you succeed.
Your team is the best source of feedback, they are the ones on the receiving end daily and can provide you with the feedback that will help you improve. Get out of the “Manager” mindset, think of yourself as the “Leader” of the pack, and take responsibility for being the great leader that you can be.
2. Don’t abuse your power
Most new Managers lack empathy and the skills to be effective managers. I experienced this first hand while I was in the military, some supervisors always pulled rank even if they knew that they were 100% wrong, while others welcomed feedback and actually took the time to explain their decisions to the team.
I’m not saying that if you’re in the position of having the last word, you should defer that responsibility. But I am saying that instead of acting blindly and letting your ego get in the way, listen to your team, evaluate all options, and then make the decision.
Your team should feel empowered, and most new managers don’t realize that one of the best ways to create an open environment with their team is by simply taking the time to explain the rationale behind their decisions.
Don’t be a jerk, your team needs you and you need your team by your side.
3. Your team is capable of making decisions, trust them
A few years ago I worked for a terrible manager, and the reason I know she was terrible is that the moment she left, the team did a complete 360. After she left, we felt empowered to take ownership of the things we did and we felt bold enough to make decisions and stick to them.
It also helped that her replacement was a great leader that truly believed in empowering the team. I could never understand why some managers have the need to micromanage everything. Why have a team if you’re going to be a micro-manager?
The better question is, do they not realize that THEY are the bottleneck? That THEY hinder productivity, efficiency, and innovation? Of course not, these managers haven’t developed the skills to trust their team, to rely on the resources available to them.
Don’t be this kind of leader, trust your team, trust that even if they mess up, you are there to pull them out and THAT will bring you closer to them.
Above all, realize that if you can’t trust your team to do what needs to be done, you haven’t developed them correctly, and that is a reflection of your management skills.
4. Listen, and then speak
Truly listening to your team is one of the greatest leadership skills. Yet most new managers in leadership positions let their ego get in the way and instead focus on what they’re saying, rather than on what THEIR people are saying.
Good listeners come across as genuinely interested, empathetic, and concerned to find out what’s going on. Bottom line, how can you be an effective communicator if you spend more time talking than listening to your team?
Dissatisfied team members exist when their voice is suppressed and they feel like they don’t have anything to contribute. Create an environment where problems can be discussed so that solutions can be found.
5. Stop being an expert on everything
Leaders often achieve their positions by being proficient in a certain area and thus will have an opinion on how to fix problems.
They believe it’s better to tell someone what to do (or do it themselves) instead of giving someone in their team the opportunity to do it. Stop trying to be an expert, be a collaborator and a motivator, trust your team to get the job done and they will not let you down.
6. Be constructive
Negativity breeds negativity. How you communicate has a profound effect on your team, as a whole and individually.
If you’re focusing so much of your energy on talking down to your team because “you know best”, you’re going to end up creating a hostile work environment and cause disengagement within your team.
Criticisms will always need to be made by leaders, but try to make them constructive, and deliver them without emotional attachment. Instead of judging, focus on building your team.
7. Judge your success by your team’s
The true success of a leader can be measured by the success of the people who work for them. You cannot be a successful leader of a failing team, just as you cannot be a successful general of a defeated army.
Your focus should always be on building your team’s skills and removing obstacles in their way. Take responsibility for the good AND the bad, be in the trenches with your team and that will breed loyalty amongst your team.
8. Don’t be a narcissist
Nothing is more annoying for team members than leaders who make their decisions based on how good it will make them appear to their superiors.
Integrity is one of the most important skills a leader can have. It’s about doing the right thing and allowing praise where praise is due, even if that is not at your door.
Instead, try working in the shadows and elevate your team, I promise you that you will experience an amazing satisfaction to know that your leadership enabled your team to grow and do great things.
9. Have a sense of humor
People work better when they are enjoying themselves, be the leader that people enjoy having around.
No matter what the work is, there’s always an opportunity to inject some humor into it and make it more enjoyable.
Team members love it when the leader joins in and has fun, so try it with your team, come up with fun activities such as team building activities that make it a perfect opportunity for your team to unwind and have some fun.
Remember, suppressing fun eventually suppresses creativity.
10. Don’t be too distant
Don’t be the type of leader that is so focused on work that they forget that they are human too. Empathy helps you be a better leader and build success in your career.
Take the time to genuinely connect with your team and have a conversation with each of them. Only when your team gets to know the real you will the true foundations of good leadership be properly established – trust and respect.
Leading people can be one of the most rewarding things you’ve ever done if you do it right. Do it wrong, and leadership can quickly become a nightmare you hope to wake up from sooner than later.
I encourage you to pick up a copy (or audio version) of the book Winning by Jack Welch, it’s a great read if you truly want to continue working towards becoming a great leader.
I’m curious to know if you have read this book by Jack Welch and what your thoughts are. Please share in the comments section.
