Many employees who are difficult can be exceptional contributors. Do you think Steve Jobs or Bill Gates would be easy to manage?
All successful leaders learn how to shift their management style to work effectively with different types of people. Personalities are unique and there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.
Jeff Stibel, contributor to Harvard Business Review, wrote an article on how to manage your smartest, strangest employee. In it he provides three tips to try on employees who are difficult, but valuable.
Consider the project when you delegate responsibilities. For instance, give your best people something substantive and challenge them. This will use their skills and bring out their best.
However, if the employee affects the culture in a negative way, weigh the cost of keeping them around.
An employee’s limitations might be the source of their talent. Stibel offers an example where an employee of his felt he needed to “own” a project completely.
“Once I identified his work style as a variant of entrepreneurship as opposed to a difficult employee, his productivity soared and the company benefited,” says Stible.
He suggests you give such an employee a separate project or assignment to run with in order to leverage their talent and not crush it.
Offer creative individuals enough independence to be innovative, but also move the project forward with individuals who can act.
Stibel says to organize your teams in such a way to foster innovation across them with multiple skillsets. “A company needs dialogue, but once a decision is made, a team must move forward together,” he adds.
The brightest minds can be your company’s biggest headache. Try to be a leader of people, not a manager of projects. Leaders must learn to rely on their team members to deliver results. They also need to move beyond Leadership 101, apply their knowledge and skills strategically, and make the most of their team members’ valuable qualities and skills.
Have you had a difficult but talented employee? How did you manage them?
When you think of a “culture of innovation” you may think of Apple, Pixar, and Google - the types of businesses where innovation is part of the fabric of the company.
To be innovative, companies and business leaders need to support creativity.
In a Forbes article, Scott Edinger, contributor, said, “While many organizations focus on addressing problems, the most successful focus on raising the bar. One of the ways they do this is by creating a culture where innovation thrives.”
He goes on to say excellence in innovation has less to do with the leader having innovative ideas, but how that leader creates a culture where innovation and creativity thrive in every corner.
He provides five strategies leaders can focus on to foster innovation.
Put effort into having a clear vision of a given scenario. Edinger says one way innovation is cultivated is to make sure everyone involved knows the outcome and strategic goals of any objective. As long as your team understands this, they can make decisions with the goal in mind. Without it, they are going in blind.
Encourage your team to take risks and give them your full support if they fail. If you don’t, no one will take a chance or try something new if they think it might get them fired. Consequences should exist for going outside of the scope of a project, but not for trying something that didn’t work.
Edinger says leaders shouldn’t be afraid to challenge people higher up in the management chain. They are able to separate issues from people and disagree without being disagreeable. “Doing so cultivates tremendous respect from their colleagues,” he said.
Find ways to inspire your employees to be innovative. Edinger says when people feel inspired by a leader, they are more likely to give more effort and go the extra mile on a project. “That extra effort and commitment is often what produces innovation,” he added. Keep everyone up-to-date on where you are, how you’re innovating, and who has been responsible for pushing the project forward.
Every company’s culture is different. Foster and promote innovation within your organization if you want to start to build an innovative culture.
How are some ways you inspire innovation?
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The second most popular New Year’s resolution is to get organized, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
To get started, many people create to-do lists. However some experts say these lists are counterproductive.
Stephanie Vozza wrote an article for Entrepreneur on how leaders should forget their to-do list.
In it she references productivity expert Laura Stack. Stack says, “Combining everything is very distracting and makes it difficult to determine what to work on next. You must separate what you need to do today with what you don't need to do today."
To best organize your time, Stack suggests leaders compile these three lists.
HIT stands for high impact tasks. These are limited, daily to-do lists which guide your day. They are important, short-term tasks that need to be completed. Stack says if your HIT list contains more than 10 items, “You’re stretching it.”
If there is a task that continuously gets pushed to the next day, you should move it further into the future as it’s not a priority.
This list keeps track of everything you need or want to do at some point. Some people use this as their daily to-do list. Stack suggests you add important tasks that lack urgency or don’t have a deadline to the master list. Review it weekly so you don’t forget about it, and add start dates based on importance suggests Stack.
This list consists of tasks you need to avoid because they are a waste of time. The key to productivity is not to get more done each day, but to get important work done. “You don’t need a calendar full of unnecessary tasks to be productive and accomplish more,” Stack says.
Jessica Stillman of Inc. wrote on the same topic but took a different view. She says nearly everyone has a to-do list, but close to no one actually uses them as intended. If you don’t want to create multiple lists as Stack suggests, Stillman says the key is to use a to-do list as a way to map out your work rather than a mnemonic aid.
“Use your to-do list to make a plan--specifically think through when and where you'll do the tasks and in what order--and you'll find you maximize the actual benefit you get out of the exercise, a quieter mind rather than a series of boxes you'll actually tick,” she adds.
It’s easy to let a day or week go by without checking off a task on our to-do lists. A to-do list doesn't make you organized or more productive. It may even be a waste of your time to create one. Whether you create one list or three, create a list that works for you. Think about what fits your personal style.
Are you guilty of creating to-do lists and then completely ignoring them?
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Crowdsourcing isn't just a tool for innovation and hiring anymore. According to a Fast Company article, crowdsourcing can provide an excellent roadmap for more effective leadership.
Leaders can get great answers by asking the right questions, and it’s a skill more leaders need, according to Stanford professor Tina Seeling in her book inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity.
Social media has clearly opened the door for more collaboration across industries and sectors, but business leaders can turn to the crowdsourcing model to improve customer experiences and build better products and services.
As workplaces become more collaborative and the traditional hierarchies of organizational structures erode, businesses have to look outward - to their customers - to identify ways to improve and innovate. The wisdom of the crowd can drive great results for building better business insights when companies ask the right questions.
For many business leaders, knowing the right questions to ask isn’t always easy. Inviting customer criticism and feedback in the public space of social media seems counterintuitive.
The open business model that embraces collaboration and innovation internally and externally hasn’t been fully realized across all industries. Regardless, the notion business leaders have all the answers and are the knowledge centers of their organizations stifles business development and innovation.
So how can you become a better leader by asking the right questions?
Here are four ways leaders can be strategic in tapping their own organizations for wisdom and insights from Michael Papay:
All you have to do is ask.
If you needed to ask just one question today to move your business toward stronger results, what would it be?
In just seven years, the Beatles made a string of unforgettable albums. They set new standards for composing, performing, and recording popular music. They broke new barriers, showed reluctance to compromise, and defined a generation.
“The Beatles' early career was actually a series of failures--a record that culminated in their unsuccessful audition with the leading record company of their era, Decca Records. This particular failure nearly caused the band to break up,” says John Greathouse, contributor to Inc.
They faced all kinds of setbacks, but ignored the music “experts” and worked hard to improve.
As a leader you will come across many setbacks on your way to success. Greathouse offers some lessons you can take from the Beatles’ biggest setback.
The Beatles’ let their manager, Brian Epstein, choose the material for the Decca audition. Epstein curated the record section in his father’s furniture store. Those were his musical credentials.
If you want to sell your product, know it inside and out. Advisers are helpful, and sometimes necessary, but they don’t know everything. Do your homework.
Know and understand the consumers’ point of view. Spend time and think more creatively about what would appeal to the audience. Then develop your messaging and marketing.
A key to the Beatles’ success was the creative tension and balance they achieved once Ringo Starr joined the group, Greathouse says.
Don’t compromise when you establish your core team. Whether you start a new venture or create a new product or service, it’s important to surround yourself with the right team. Quite often we become like the people we’re around. We must be cautious about whom we surround ourselves with because of the short- and long-term implications.
John Lennon said he thought Decca expected the Beatles to be all polished when what they were doing was just a demo.
To run a successful business, it’s essential to set firm expectations. Establish appropriate expectations and deliver. It’s that simple. If the Beatles had set expectations for Decca, things may have turned out differently.
You will face setbacks in your career. Embrace them and learn from them. How you allow setbacks to either build you up or tear you down, is what matters in the end.
What other leadership lessons have you learned from musicians?
All leaders are not created equal when it comes to their decision-making skills. Nothing will test your leadership strength more than your ability to make decisions.
“Making a decision is one of the most powerful acts for inspiring confidence in leaders and managers. Yet many bosses are squeamish about it,” says Scott Halford, contributor to Entrepreneur.
Decision-making is a skill that needs to be developed like any other. Halford shares some tips to help make quick, more calculated decisions.
Halford suggests leaders leap without all the answers and trust you’ll be able to build your wings on the way down. This is an emotional filter that doesn't have hard analytical support. However, it can sometimes be all a leader has to go on when they need to make a decision. For instance, when you need to decide between vendors, you examine references and prices, but the final decision often rests with your gut.
Halford says good decision makers are collaboratively independent. Consider what truly needs to be decided on and ask these two questions:
Surround yourself with smart, trusted colleagues and ask them pointed questions so you can ask their opinion. If time is of the essence, get your information from credible sources and act quickly.
Give your brain the opportunity to find the information already stored, Halford suggests. It’s similar to when you can’t remember the name of a movie or the artist of a song. You know the information, but you've just forgotten it at the moment. Then it randomly plops in your head when you've stopped thinking.
If you make a mistake, admit it and correct the error. If you make the wrong decision and fess up, you earn more respect and loyalty. Also, make sure you have a backup plan. Great leaders know all plans are made up of constants and variables. Sometimes those variables work against you and it’s smart to always have a contingency plan. No “plan B” equals a flawed plan.
Every day we are faced with decisions, from the trivial to the important. We’ve all made our fair share of regrettable decisions, but if you are aware of the things that lead you down the wrong path and ways to get it right, you are able to make better decisions.
Do you have any other advice or suggestions on decision making skills?
Authentic leadership is a style that is consistent with a leaders’ personality and core values, and that is honest, ethical, and practical.
“I believe authentic leadership does not come from title, social stature, or the size of one’s paycheck, but rather from how you live and the affect you make around you,” says Faisal Hoque in a Fast Company article.
Author Bill George popularized the concept of “authentic leadership” in his 2003 book “Authentic Leadership” and developed further in the later book “True North.”
Hoque shares some fundamentals to become an authentic leader.
The future is full of promise. If a door closes, a new one always opens. You may not have all the answers at your fingertips right now, but they will come. If you focus on one thing rather than the big picture, ask yourself what else is at play. You might discover ways to connect it to other areas of business.
“It’s often only through hardship that we discover our inner strengths and capabilities,” says Hoque.
Leaders can be effective in both good times and bad. When times are hard, effective leaders need to inspire and engage their teams.
Hoque says, “The people we surround ourselves with make the difference between failure and success.”
Avoid people who waste your time and bring you down. Surround yourself with a strong base of talent and trust they will get things done.
Authentic leaders constantly push the envelope and raise standards. Don’t seek perfection. No human being is perfect and it sets you up for failure.
Authenticity comes from the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and situations.
Understand and assess a situation, modify plans, rally your team, and change a course of action.
Flexibility allows one to go with the flow, to keep stress levels manageable, and to maintain relationships that are critical for overall success.
Hoque says this is the mantra of an authentic leader. They are someone who does not follow in someone else’s footsteps. Their comfort with uncertainties drives them to make a difference.
To become an authentic leader requires a commitment to discover and develop your leadership style.
Bill George suggests, to begin to develop your authentic leadership style, you should begin by assessing yourself against the five qualities of an authentic leader: Understand your purpose, practice your values, lead with your heart, establish connected relationships, and demonstrate self-discipline.
What is your leadership style?
Richard Branson
knows a thing or two about leadership and success. He has pieced together an empire that has earned him a fortune and a knighthood. “He has become an icon in the eyes of many aspiring business owners,” said Jason Fell, contributor to Entrepreneur.
At the ripe age of just 22, he opened a chain of record stores later known as Virgin Megastores. The brand grew rapidly during the 1980s as he set up Virgin Atlantic Airways and expanded the Virgin Records music label.
Today the Virgin brand boasts dozens of companies and his net worth is estimated to be more than four billion.
Fell provides some lessons in leadership from Branson we can take and apply to the auto industry.
Have Courage and Follow Your Instincts
You have to do something radically different to make a mark today. The successes of the future will not rely on old ways of doing things. Think outside of the box, embrace change, innovate, and take risks.
Branson’s board members were skeptical when he set up Virgin Atlantic Airways, but he saw an opportunity and stuck to it. Now Virgin Atlantic carries more than five million passengers every year.
Be Open to Change
Technology evolves at a rapid pace and change happens whether you want it or you don’t. Life is always fresh and new so bring that to your business, as well. Fells says with Virgin Records, Branson mastered how to navigate change. He transformed the business model a number of times before he sold the company to EMI in 1992.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help
Business leaders will need advice on how to improve their business throughout their career. Know when it’s best to turn to people you know and trust for advice and/or assistance. Branson says, “Thinking back to 1969, my mother’s common sense advice would have been just the thing I needed to hear.”
That was the year Branson was caught smuggling records through customs, for his mail-order record business, without paying taxes by British officials.
Connect with Customers
When you connect with your customers, let them know you listen and you care about their needs. This give you feedback and ways to improve your products and services. Branson says, “Through customers’ comments, we started learning about issues with our products and services more quickly than ever before.”
Encourage Teamwork and Fun
Play hard, work hard is an ethic that permeates the Virgin culture. Happy teams work well together and accomplish goals. The Virgin Group celebrated the summer Olympics by taking part in fun races. “Events like these can help to break down departmental barriers and foster better teamwork as employees get to know each other in an informal setting,” Branson said.
Whether you love him or hate him, Branson has shown us you can go wherever your imagination takes you. He made Virgin a global brand with a distinct personality which spans retail, music, airlines, telecommunication, media, drinks, energy, and even space tourism.
What else have you learned from Richard Branson that has helped you build your business?
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What could be undesirable about a cohesive team within a Lean company?
Believe it or not, cohesive team dynamics can turn destructive over time, especially if the highly cohesive team is an island in an organization generally characterized by loosely organized business units.
If you manage one of the most effective, cohesive Lean teams in your organization, be on the lookout for these troubles—and be prepared to implement these suggested solutions.
Cohesive teams work well together. They often also play well together, forming an inseparable group whose positive relationship extends beyond the workplace. (more…)
