how to be a productive leader

How to be a Productive Leader

Tips for Today's Leaders

ByJohn Tucciarone

How to be a Productive Leader - Context

● What follows is an opinion piece on how to be a leader who gets things done

● This “idea dumping” or brainstorming is based on things experienced and learned in the work place over many years. It is also based on continual education from various sources

● I would ask readers to please pardon the lack of a formal structure to the presentation of the ideas


● Become a force in the workplace or organization

● Focus and drive for results

● Inspire, pull, and push people with your efforts

● Keep everyone accountable that is part of the process: yourself, employees, colleagues, fellow managers, and senior managers in you organizations and others

● Be brave and speak truth to power – what can be done and what must be done

● Remember you have your role and position (along with remuneration, when you are being paid) to achieve things

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● When given a task or project become familiar with the details and the people involved enough to keep people accountable, support your people, deal with key issues, and drive results: the more you know, the fewer surprises

● Partner strategically with people above you, at level, and below you: followers, colleagues, network, technical specialists and sponsors are important

● Beware of false emergencies and exaggerated problems: do not become diverted or go off course

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● Know your organization, partners and competitors: what are their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)?

● Know the key players that you need to deal with to get things done: what are their SWOT?

● Keep learning: you need to constantly improve your toolkit and be alert to current and future environment

● Commit to important things that you and your people can deliver and set boundaries around everything else

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● It is OK if some people like you while others do not: people skills are very important and so are results – a professional's performance is judged on both. It is about the right emphasis at the right time

● Share your knowledge and experience with others at every opportunity: this is key to encouraging and leading others

● Share your worries and concerns with others, but demonstrate your will power to see things through

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● Deal with inertia and lack of progress quickly: you cannot let key things slide and may need to sacrifice less important tasks

● Find a comfort zone for managing multiple tasks: there are many tools including delegation

– You should have a “to do list” all the time

– But it has to work for you since you will be held accountable

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● Be resilient: this is a difficult part of the role, but need to remind and reward yourself, and take the positives from small and large accomplishments or failures

● Resilience is developing and strengthening the capacity to deal with stress and difficulty, and maintain psychological and physical energy

● Do not crave and expect feedback or recognition all the time: you should develop your own measures and networks to determine when you are doing well or when corrections are required

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● It is about a responsibility mindset: inverse the equation. John F. Kennedy's inaugural address "ask not what your organization can do for you, ask what you can do for your organization."

● What will we get done today? And, if we get it done, my team and I can feel satisfied

● Effort, risk, reward, value

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● Need to build the right type of teams, that contain leaders

● Different strengths can make the team more effective, but they need to have people who will get things done

● A small, dynamic and responsive group

● Keep in constant contact daily to coach, instruct, monitor and encourage: you have to demonstrate your interest

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● Catch them doing something good and let them know as soon as possible

● Coach for improvement, do not accept continued problems

● Do not save it all for the “dreaded” performance review

● Performance Reviews: set clear, stretch, and key deliverables

● Ambiguity wastes valuable time and effort

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● Be accessible to all employees and “walk the floor”: let them know they can approach you and you will work with them

● Cut through bureaucracy and work directly with people from any level to get things done. Make decisions

● Keep an eye on the work environment and know what is occurring with morale and attitudes: retention is not based solely on remuneration – at a certain level of income and in many instances employees want and need other things

● Hold regular meetings with direct reports, special teams, and large groups: give more accessibility and guidance to all

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● Do not be afraid to have pleasant and difficult conversations with your people

● Pleasant: humour, empathy and social, but keep boundaries

● Difficult: issues need to be dealt with quickly to avoid more problems, polite but firm

● Separate performance (e.g.,not delivering) from administrative issues (absenteeism), but deal firmly and quickly with both

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● Develop layered and simple planning that translates into delivery and support for organizational priorities, which can then be supported by the people and resources (including budgets) assigned to you

● Too many priorities (e.g., more than 10) means no priorities and leads to bad or under investment

● If planning is a huge exercise then you waste efforts that could be used to implement. This will lead to dangerous lags in reaction to opportunities and threats

● More investing and doing based on realistic plans

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● Plans need to be easily explainable, flexible and monitored. Do not be afraid to change or drop key pieces that you know are not wise to continue – that's why its called a “plan”

● All employees should be able to see their part and impact. Take time to discuss at regular intervals and look for input and ideas to improve what and how things need to be done along with who should do it

● Resources should be used for more than one priority, but must be managed to achieve results. Decide and invest early; late year spending can be ineffective

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● Take every opportunity to hone your communication skills: for example, putting it into a deck that “sells” is a major advantage

● You need the ability to condense and explain complex ideas so that people can understand the decisions and actions required – tell them the how and why of what you will do or what needs to be done

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● You need to be an agent of change: make it happen, make sense of it to yourself and others, cannot wait for everyone to be on board

● Change involves loss, transition, and acceptance: people, organizations and processes go through it at different rates. Need to influence the rates to bring about effective change. Too much time leads to even more difficult impacts on the organization and people

● As per William Bridges, learn how to “Manage Transitions: Endings, Neutral Zone, New Beginnings”

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● The Sigmoid Curve and Charles Handy: knowing each part will help you move things along and know when to move on

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● Understand and accept that good leadership requires effort, time, and commitment above the norm: while others are at home barbecuing or downloading videos you maybe on your computer or smart phone putting out fires or keeping things going

● We all find our balance differently and may have periods of being out of balance to the demands of leading – have this conversation with yourself and those who matter to you

● Make your organization “your” organization, it will help to strengthen your commitment but do not forget the other items in your life that are “yours”

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● There are many leadership models to emulate, take the best from various sources that work for you and your situation

● We cannot all be Mahatma Gandhi or Joan of Arc, they were in a period in time and situation, but we can learn

● Single-mindedness and purpose with the ability to recognize when change and adaptation is crucial

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● The secret of getting things done is to act!

Dante Alighieri

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Disclaimer

● The data and information provided in this presentation is for informational purposes only. The author makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information in this presentation and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

● The data and information in this presentation is provided with no warranties, and confers no rights.

how to be a productive leader

Leadership & Management