Your company’s success is directly correlated to the success of your employees, and employees who work under great leaders tend to be happier, more productive, and more successful overall.
Many qualities separate great leaders from the rest. One such quality is the ability to identify how to best support your team.
As leaders, we all have a preferred way of leading. Some like to delegate, while others are hesitant to give up control. We’re also prone to start making false extrapolations like “this person is a rock star” or “they never hit a deadline,” and eventually, we begin to lump people into buckets.
The problem with this type of system as a leader is that it leaves many people exposed while others feel smothered. To help all of your employees maximize their output, you need to be flexible and help them feel the appropriate level of development, direction, and support.
Here are two quick ways to be more a more dynamic leader:
- Focus on the task or skill – too often; we overgeneralize with the people we work with. We lump them into one of two categories, the “rockstar” or “poor performer.” But in reality, those categories often only apply to one specific metric. Your top sales manager might be fantastic at closing deals but struggles with entering basic data into your CRM. If you lead them the same way in both areas, you’re not helping them achieve their maximum output, and they’re unlikely to feel supported.
- Identify if they’re struggling with skill or commitment – when someone struggles with a skill or task, try to identify if their lack of results comes from skill or commitment. If it’s a skill, you can provide remedial training or coaching to help them work with someone who is currently highly skilled to increase their experience. If commitment is the issue, is it their confidence or their willingness to do the work? Confidence can be boosted. Setting them up for some easy wins or training can help them see if they make some small changes they can impact their results. If it’s willingness, there’s likely a conflict and realignment conversation needed to ensure they’re clear on the importance of these tasks.
By taking the time to think about how you’re leading an individual on a specific task or skill, you’re going to ensure you’re not taking a “one-size-fits-all” approach. This will help you to increase the results of the people you work with while also ensuring they feel you’re committed to their success and showing them the appropriate level of direction, development, and support.
If you need more help with your leadership and don’t know where to start, you don’t have to go at it alone. Schedule a free two-hour session with our leadership development advisors to dig into your business and develop a plan.
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