Why Your People Don't Do What You Want - even though you're the boss!
Isn't this strange? You would think its a pretty simple thing for people to do as we expect, especially if we're in charge. It would make things so much easier if they did.
Yet, our people don't always 'do it the way we want', actually they often don't.
Why is this?
Well, before we start finding all the good reasons to confirm we have crappy team members, have we checked we're actually giving people the input they need to perform how we want them to? If not, it could be time to...
stop complaining about our team and start leading them.
Ouch, that's a challenging concept. I know - its easier just to 'blame them'. But while this may help us feel better about ourselves, unfortunately it also means that we will keep doing all the work, we get more frustrated at those around us, team members don't grow, our culture declines and performance continues to spiral downward.
So let's not do that. Instead, lets understand the problems, and how to fix them.
Whether you're a corporate professional, business owner, community group leader or volunteer co-ordinator...if you want to understand the 3 key reasons people don't do what you want, even though you're the boss - click here to read on (you might be shocked how simple these are!)
Hope this helps
Best wishes, and Keep Leading!
Michael
LEADERSHIP UPGRADE
Experts tell us that booking in for a regular medical assessment is critical for early detection of small issues, that could become large ones.
The same is true of our leadership!
As leaders, we're all super-busy and often don't get time or have the tools to self-assess, while sometimes we get stuck in 'set and forget' mode - never stopping to take the pulse of the vital signs of the impact or quality of our leadership.
That's why I'm providing you my free 2 Minute Leadership Health Check here.
It's a great tool to get a quick update of critical leadership areas and help your awareness of those larger problems looming under the surface. It provides you an overall score and some suggested actions to improve your state of health.
Best wishes, and keep leading!
Michael Rowell
LEADERSHIP UPGRADE
INTRODUCTION
One of the things great leaders do to drive performance is to embed key ingredients into their culture that transform it from being 'average' to 'high-performing'.
But, what are those key ingredients?
Many leaders do not understand what they are, or how to implement them, and subsequently struggle to move the dial on the performance and culture of their business.
We'll discuss this below, and unpack the model they are contained in, which is designed to be versatile and effective across a variety of environments including the home, family, workplace and community settings.
While the measures of 'performance' may differ in each setting, the core principles remain the same. In the workplace, performance might be measured by productivity, employee engagement, and business outcomes. In a community group, performance might be measured by the level of community engagement, the successful implementation of projects, and the overall impact on the community. In the home, performance may be measured by the quality of relationships and level of communication.
By applying the five critical components you can create a high-performance culture that drives success in any environment.
Read on to discover the 5 components and the key leadership actions you must take to build each component into the culture of your team...
Best wishes, and Keep Leading!
MICHAEL ROWELL
Leadership Upgrade
THE MODEL
The below model provides actionable strategies that can be adapted to meet the unique needs and performance metrics of different contexts, ensuring that you can foster a thriving culture wherever you are.
Lets explore each component in some more detail...
COMPONENT 1
Setting a Clear Goal
Effective leaders start with a well-defined vision and objectives.
WHY?
This clarity ensures that everyone understands the direction and purpose. By aligning individual and team goals with the overall mission, leaders can inspire and motivate their teams to work towards a common objective, fostering a sense of purpose and unity.
KEY LEADERSHIP ACTIONS
- Define Objectives: Clearly articulate the organisation's objectives and goal.
- Align Individual Agendas to the Shared Mission: Ensure that team and individual goals synchronise with the overarching mission.
COMPONENT 2
Clarifying Roles and Responsibilities
Clear roles and responsibilities are crucial for operational efficiency and team cohesion.
WHY?
Leaders must communicate each team member's role and expectations, ensuring there is no ambiguity. Understanding interdependencies and promoting collaboration are key to avoiding overlaps and ensuring that everyone contributes effectively to the organisation's success.
KEY LEADERSHIP ACTIONS
- Define Clear Roles and Expectations: Clearly outline the specific roles and expectations for each team member, ensuring everyone understands their responsibilities and how they contribute to the overall objectives.
- Promote Collaboration and Interdependency Awareness: Encourage team members to work closely together, understanding how their roles and tasks interconnect to achieve common goals.
COMPONENT 3
Establishing Accountability
Accountability is the cornerstone of a high-performing culture.
WHY?
Leaders create a culture of responsibility by setting clear expectations and holding individuals accountable and giving them ownership of their tasks and outcomes. This involves implementing mechanisms for tracking progress, providing constructive feedback, and addressing issues promptly. A culture of accountability encourages ownership and drives performance.
KEY LEADERSHIP ACTIONS
- Monitoring of Outputs: Establish mechanisms to detect whether key outputs have been achieved, ensuring that responsibilities are met and issues are addressed promptly.
- Own and Solve Problems: Encourage individuals to take direct responsibility for problems, focusing on resolving issues themselves rather than shifting blame or passing them to others.
COMPONENT 4
Regular Measurement of Outcomes
To sustain high performance, leaders must regularly measure outcomes using key performance indicators (KPIs).
WHY?
These metrics provide valuable insights into progress and performance, allowing leaders to make informed decisions and adjustments. Data-driven decision-making ensures that the organisation remains on track to achieve its goals and can swiftly adapt to changing circumstances.
KEY LEADERSHIP ACTIONS
- Develop and Utilise KPIs: Identify and implement key performance indicators to consistently monitor progress.
- Assess and Act on Data: Regularly evaluate the data collected from KPIs to assess the effectiveness of activities and make necessary adjustments to improve outcomes.
COMPONENT 5
Continuous Improvement
High-performing cultures are characterised by a commitment to continuous improvement.
WHY?
Leaders foster a culture of learning and development, encouraging innovation and the adoption of best practices. By embracing feedback and promoting ongoing development, leaders ensure that their teams remain agile, resilient, and capable of achieving sustained success.
KEY LEADERSHIP ACTIONS
- Upgrade Ineffective Practices: Identify and replace processes or practices that are not delivering results, even if they have been long-standing traditions.
- Pursue Excellence Relentlessly: Replace merely good practices with great ones, constantly seeking ways to enhance performance and achieve higher standards.
THE IMPACT OF THE 5 COMPONENTS
The below statistics underscore the importance of each component in driving a high-performing culture and provide evidence-based support for their implementation.
Statistics from https://bucketlistrewards.com/blog/employee-statistics/
SUMMARY
Creating and maintaining a high-performing culture is a multifaceted process that requires deliberate actions and a strategic approach.
Great leaders drive productivity by setting clear goals, clarifying roles, establishing accountability, measuring outcomes, and fostering continuous improvement. By focusing on these critical components, leaders can build a culture that not only meets but exceeds organisational objectives, resulting in a motivated, engaged, and high-performing workforce.
This model offers versatile and actionable strategies to cultivate a high-performing culture in any environment—be it the workplace, home, family, or community. By implementing these components, you can create a proactive and intentional culture that supports high performance and drives success in any environment.
NEXT STEPS
Take the next step in building your high performing team.
We can help you translate the concepts in this guide into reality for your leadership situation.
Book a call to turn your current culture, into a high-performing culture today.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE
If you would like a PDF copy of this post, simple click the button below.
MORE ABOUT US
At Leadership Upgrade, we believe great leaders are made, not born, and provide the tools, support and training to take your leadership to the next level.
Hi everyone,
We unpack this question in the video below. Happy watching!
(and be sure to grab my ebook: 10 Enemies of Servant Leadership FREE for a limited time on the link below!)
Get the e-book 10 Enemies of Servant-Leadership FREE at: https://leadershipupgrade.org/page/10-enemies--checkout-page
Pre-enrol in our upcoming servant leadership course: https://leadershipupgrade.org/page/mtl-course-pre-registration
5 LIMITING FACTORS TO YOUR LEADERSHIP GROWTH
Do you ever feel as though your leadership growth has plateaued, despite your best efforts and ongoing experience?
This is not uncommon, however I have found common themes that create this limitation in leadership growth. I have identified five pivotal limiting factors that often remain unnoticed, yet significantly impede leaders from developing and being able to effectively guide their families, workplaces, and communities.
Many leaders fail to identify these covert obstacles, or, ignore them, which then reduces their capacity to bring positive change to their people and environment.
Neglecting to recognize these issues stops us from addressing them, resulting in stagnation and a failure to continue growing.
Identifying these five critical issues impact on our own leadership is the essential first step to addressing them and continue to move toward our leadership potential.
Ive described them below, and in the FREE PDF download Ive also included suggested strategies and insights to overcome them, so feel free to grab your copy here.
1. INCORRECT CONCEPTS AND MOTIVATIONS ABOUT THE ROLE OF A LEADER
The contamination of self-focused mindsets and ambition can distort our leadership endeavours.
This can lead to self-centred leadership, distortion of priorities and the hindering of team success.
2. INSUFFICIENT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TO FULFILL THE LEADERSHIP MANDATE
Personal immaturity can limit our capacity to sustain effective leadership
Without a strong moral compass and integrity, leaders struggle to build trust, inspire others, uphold values, and sustain long-term effectiveness in their leadership
roles.
3. A LACK, OR REFUSAL OF FEEDBACK ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR LEADERSHIP
Deception regarding the quality of our leadership can infiltrate our perspective.
Without honest feedback, leaders can develop false confidence and poor self- awareness, becoming oblivIous to their weaknesses, blind spots and impact on others.
4. THE ABSENCE OR DISCONNECTION FROM ACCURATE ROLE MODELS
Inaccurate patterns are reproduced from preceding examples.
Without a positive, healthy ‘point- of-truth’ to draw from, leaders can lose direction or copy negative examples they are exposed to.
5. LIMITED OPPORTUNITY OR UNWILLINGNESS TO ASSUME LEADERSHIP ROLES
Individual growth stagnates without suitable challenge and practical experiences.
Without actively engaging in leadership roles, leaders may miss valuable opportunities for skill development, personal learning and the cultivation of key leadership competencies.
SUMMARY
We have examined 5 issues that can singularly or collectively limit our leadership growth:
- Misconceptions about leadership
- Insufficient character development
- Averse reaction to or lacking honest feedback
- Absence of credible role models
- Avoiding or limited practical leadership opportunity.
These factors play a crucial role in determining the overall effectiveness and potential of our role as leaders.
Addressing these aspects through the suggested actions provided is vital to cultivate essential leadership qualities, and maximize our impact as leaders within our respective spheres of influence.
You can grab this guide and get access to the suggested actions to overcome these leadership limitations in the FREE GUIDE here
Best wishes, and keep leading!
