Monday, March 28, 2011
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Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Removing the Stressors of being a Leader
Remember when you wanted to be the boss? Remember when you thought it would be fun to be the leader? Have you asked yourself “What was I thinking?” I think all of us in leadership positions have asked ourselves that question at one time or another. All and all being in a leadership position has benefits that prove to be worth the frustration. Eliminating the frustration, the stressors and making being a leader fun again is something all of us can benefit from.
Eliminating the stressors of leadership begins with a little introspect, looking at your core beliefs and your expectations. Review your goals to ensure they are clearly defined and you are on track to meet your expectations. More stress is caused by straying from your goals more than any other aspect of your business. Defined goals are tools you can use to hold your people accountable to your beliefs while maintaining the culture of your company. When people are working towards your goals, your role as a leader becomes more fun.
Another thing that adds to the stress of being a leader is good people. Good is not enough in our current environment. People are asked to do more with less everyday and to get that done they need to be great. Great people can be made from good people by making sure you have matched their skills to the task you have given them. Assign your people duties that match their skills, not their talent. Talent and skill are not interchangeable. There are many talented people working below their potential because they are missing the skill set needed to perform their assigned task. Employing great people is a positive step towards having fun being a leader.
Proper time management is another great tool to eliminate stress in a leadership role. Maintaining control of your time is one of the hardest things to do as a leader. A quick review of how you are spending your time each day is the first step in gaining control of your time. Make a check list, what can be delegated? What can be eliminated? When you take a close look at the things you do every day, you will be surprised at what you can delegate and eliminate. You might find that you are doing many repetitive tasks that would be performed better by an admin person. You might also find that you are doing tasks because the person you hired to do the job is not meeting your expectations. Manage the things you do every day and you should find a little time to have fun as a leader.
Being recognized as a leader is a necessity in eliminating stressors of leadership. To be a leader you need great followers and great followers need leaders. Leaders are role models that bring the best out in others. Make the effort to catch people doing things right, and tell them you caught them. Continually review your goals with your people and constantly share your vision. Make your employees partners; empower them to make decisions that allow them to perform their duties well. Great followers make it fun being a leader.
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