Business management is in transition as we work in a different economy and business model. Leadership styles are evolving. We’re moving from a leadership concept that places responsibility and accountability in the hands of individuals to a group leadership concept.
Paul Spiegelman, contributor to Inc. says, “The old days of command-and-control leadership are fading in favor of what might be better termed a trust-and-track method, where people are not just told what to do, but why they are doing it.”
He says we’re moving from a transactional - or managerial - leadership, to transformative leadership, or a leader focused on followers, motivating them to high levels of performance, and developing their leadership potential.
He recently wrote a post about what leadership practices to stop today. Following is his list of “old school” practices to get rid of and “new school” practices to advocate instead.
Stop Micromanaging
Instead, give your employees some control. Delegate and leverage your team so you can spend more time on the issues and activities that add the greatest value.
Stop Walking Around the Office
Not everyone works in an office setting. Remote teams are increasingly popular and we’ve talked here about how to effectively manage a remote team. Leadership where you watch, listen, engage in conversation, implement the ideas presented to you, and distribute the results is what is in says Spiegelman.
Stop Pretending You Know Everything
You don’t have all the answers, you aren’t Google. Instead, trust your leadership team members. You chose them because they have the right skills and fit the culture, so let them do their job and get out of their way.
Stop the No Tolerance Policy
Everyone makes mistakes. Even you do. Instead admit when you are wrong, and learn from your mistakes.
Stop Using the Balance Sheet to Drive Business
The balance sheet summarizes a company’s assets, liabilities, and shareholders’ equity at a specific point. People drive business. They are the ones who interact with customers, boost customer loyalty, and increase profits.
Stop Just Doing the Job
You’ll probably survive if you do the job asked, but don’t you want someone on your team who will go the extra mile? While working in the “new normal,” employees are wearing multiple hats, so just doing the job asked isn’t enough anymore. As business leaders, we want to see someone who goes the extra mile. It’s better to invest in people who will help drive sales and help your businesses grow.
Stop Giving Employees Incentives
Just because you pay your team more doesn’t mean they’ll do more. Being valued means more to most people, so instead of giving your employees an incentive to get a project done, reward them once it is done and they’ve done an excellent job on it. Point them out for a job well done in front of your entire team. It means more than monetary incentives.
Business and society are changing, so it’s only natural leadership styles change too. Leading is a challenge, but simple changes can influence the results you get. Now is the perfect time to try something new.
Are you using any of these out-of-date practices?
