Telephone Excellence by Mike Mitchell

Be a Leader 110% of the Time
By Mike Mitchell

What do I mean by 110% Leadership? Before you think that I missed a few math classes, let me explain.

Some of us have been hired into organizations as Directors, Managers, and Supervisors. Some of us have been promoted into those positions. Still others of us have become informal leaders because our peers look to us for leadership.

Even though a department management position does not necessarily equate to a top-level organizational leadership position, our employees, as well as others in our organizations still look to us for leadership and guidance. You might think that the majority of your time is spent on management responsibilities, while a much smaller portion is spent on leadership. The reality is that regardless of what appointed position you hold, you are still a leader within your department and organization 100% of the time.

Since leadership involves influencing the thoughts and actions of those people within our organizations, how much time do we need to spend on leadership activities to become an accomplished leader? The answer is simple. 100% of everything we do is a leadership activity! Regardless of what we are doing at the time, we must understand that we are influencing those who report to us and those who simply work beside us.

Here are three common management responsibilities and how leadership plays a role in each:

Hiring Decisions _ A good leader hires not only the candidate who possesses the necessary skills to do the job, but the candidate who will fit in with other department employees as well. This concern for group dynamics shows wisdom in decision making. It influences the thoughts of current employees by showing that we are concerned about workplace relationships as well as raw talent. We show that we care about improving the department, not just the organization's bottom line.
Measuring Productivity _ A good leader is loyal to the organization as well as to his employees. Measuring productivity is the only way to determine if a process is working for the organization, or if employees need more guidance and coaching. We can influence the thoughts and actions of employees by offering personal growth opportunities rather than showing them the door. We are showing concern for that employee as well as the financial wellbeing of our organizations by making sure productivity is maintained and skills are developed.
Maintaining Equipment _ A good leader makes sure that employees have the right equipment to perform their jobs. If we make it a priority to properly maintain the equipment, we can influence the thoughts and actions of the employees to take care of the equipment as well.

If 100% of the management activities we do as Directors, Managers, and Supervisors are also 100% leadership activities, then where is the extra 10%? The extra 10% comes from doing leadership actions at the same time we're doing leadership activities. This is the key to 110% Leadership. If we want to influence the thoughts and actions of other employees, we must exhibit those actions ourselves in all that we do.

Here are several examples of 110% Leadership actions that we can use to influence the thoughts and actions of others:

Having a positive attitude will influence those around us to be more positive
Be courteous to everyone, regardless of position or department
Reprimand staff in private and compliment in public
Let employees know what you expect of them
Be five minutes early to all meetings
Don't be afraid to apologize
Have a lively countenance
Have a neat appearance
Show a sense of urgency
Be a good _active_ listener
Don't gossip or listen to gossip
Follow through on your commitments
Take responsibility for mistakes within your department
Take advantage of all opportunities to help your co-workers
Give credit to employees in your department for their accomplishments
Gather your thoughts before speaking (or leaving a voice mail message)
Send a thank you note to an employee who has done something special