Tag Caring Leadership

How to Lead Your Leader

Steve Keating 1 Comment

Even good leaders needs a little help once in a while. Great leaders will accept that help from anyone, even the people who are more often following them. When you step up to “Lead Your Leader” you’re demonstrating not just your own leadership skills but also your willingness to do more than what’s required of you. You’ll be “leading up” in your organization.

Leading up can be dicey, especially if your leader isn’t exactly asking for help. Sometimes they may even resist your help. But your ability to navigate through those challenges will help prepare you for the next level of leadership in your organization. It’ll also help you stand out to the people in the organization above your leader. That will help you earn more, and better opportunities within your organization.

But understand this absolute fact… I am not suggesting you betray the trust of your leader. I’m not encouraging you to “go over their head” and I’m certainly not recommending that you do anything that would make them look bad or hinder their leadership in any way.

Leading up will at times require providing help that makes a positive difference without being noticed or receiving “credit” for it. It can’t always involve getting noticed or rewarded. Sometimes you’ll need to lead up for the simple reason that it’s the right thing to do.

Since few leaders ever reach the very top of their organization you will likely, sooner or later, find yourself in a position where the ability to lead up will be very valuable. To lead up in your organization requires that you understand the goals of your leader, their communication style, strengths, and weaknesses, and then using that knowledge to support and guide them effectively. Here are some steps to successfully lead your leader.

• Understand Their Vision. Take the time to understand your leader’s vision and goals. What are they trying to achieve, and why? Align yourself with their vision to better support them. If they don’t openly communicate their vision and goals then ask. In some cases merely asking the can help your leader crystalize their thinking and better communicate their expectations for the team.

• Build Trust. Establish trust with your leader by being reliable, transparent, and accountable. Show that you are committed to their success and the success of the team or organization.

• Communication. Communicate openly and effectively with your leader. Keep them informed about important developments, challenges, and successes. Understand their preferred communication style and adapt accordingly.

• Provide Feedback. Offer constructive feedback to your leader when necessary. This can include suggestions for improvement or highlighting areas where they excel. Be respectful and tactful in how you deliver feedback. This is where leading up can become dicey. This is why building trust with your leader is so important. When they know you have their best interests, and the best interests of the organization in mind, they are likely to be much more open to your feedback.

• Support Their Weaknesses. Identify areas where your leader may have weaknesses and offer support where needed. This could involve taking on additional responsibilities, providing training or resources, or offering assistance in specific areas of expertise. Offer support to your leader, don’t gossip about their weaknesses behind their back. Because if you do, you can forget about that trust you’ve been trying to build.

• Play to Their Strengths. Recognize and leverage your leader’s strengths. Encourage them to utilize their talents and skills to achieve their goals and the goals of the team.

• Be Proactive. Anticipate your leader’s needs and take initiative to address them. This could involve problem-solving, streamlining processes, or identifying opportunities for improvement. Do more than is required and do more than is expected of you. Don’t wait to be asked, offer to help instead.

• Lead by Example. Demonstrate leadership qualities in your own actions and behavior. Show initiative, integrity, and a strong work ethic, which can inspire your leader and others to do the same. This involves leading yourself exceptionally well. Remember, if you can’t lead yourself then you can’t lead anyone.

• Seek Collaboration. Foster a collaborative relationship with your leader, where ideas are shared openly, and decisions are made collectively. Encourage teamwork and cooperation among colleagues to achieve common objectives.

• Stay Flexible. Be adaptable and flexible in your approach to leading your leader. Recognize that leadership styles and priorities may evolve over time, and be willing to adjust your approach accordingly.

Leading people is very rewarding, that’s especially true when leading your leader. By taking these steps, you can effectively lead up. You can contribute to the overall success of your team or organization and you can develop your own leadership skills for the future.

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Consider buying my next Diet Coke(s)
Yes, I know it’s not the healthiest beverage but I kind of sort of live on the stuff… and the stuff is getting as expensive as gold. 😋
I’d appreciate any support but seriously, support or not, I’ll continue to try and write a blog that gives back, informs and sometimes even entertains.

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Listen to the Whispers

Steve Keating Leave a comment

Many CEOs around the world would be shocked to learn what is really going on in their organizations. Most know only what their direct reports want them to know. They receive “sanitized” reports on what’s happening around the organization. Those reports are rarely lies. But, they also lack the “color” that would greatly impact how the CEO receives the report.

The bigger the organization the less likely it is that the CEO will truly know everything that’s going on. It’s also likely that they don’t need to know absolutely everything that’s going on. But they would benefit greatly from knowing what’s being whispered in the hallways of their organization. In fact, it’s been said that if we listen to the whispers we’ll never have to hear the yelling. That’s because in organizations where the whispers are heard there is no yelling.

But hearing the whispers requires a connection that many people in senior leadership positions don’t have with their people.

Senior leaders can stay connected to their people through many strategies. These strategies aim to foster communication, understanding, and alignment within the organization. Here are some of the ways the most informed senior leaders stay connected to their people.

Regular Communication. Senior leaders should talk to employees often. They can use many channels such as team meetings, town halls, emails, blogs, and videos. This helps keep employees informed about company goals, strategies, and changes. It also gives a platform for feedback and questions. Just so we’re clear on this, “regular” doesn’t mean once a year during the holidays. When thinking “regular” also think frequent. Some form of communication weekly is not overdoing it.

Open-Door Policy. Senior leaders should keep an open-door policy. Employees should feel comfortable approaching them with concerns, ideas, or feedback. This accessibility fosters trust and transparency within the organization. A CEO’s door can’t always be open but scheduled open doors can be very useful. When people know their CEO is available to anyone from 1:00 – 4:00pm one day a week for example, it fosters a transparency that leads to truly open communication.

Employee Feedback Mechanisms. Implementing formal feedback mechanisms such as employee surveys, suggestion boxes, or regular one-on-one meetings allows employees to provide feedback directly to senior leadership. Actively listening to and acting upon that feedback demonstrates that their opinions are valued.

Employee Recognition Programs. Recognizing and celebrating employee achievements and milestones can help senior leadership connect with employees on a personal level. This can include shout-outs in meetings, awards, or personalized notes of appreciation.

Regular Check-ins. Senior leaders should check in with employees often. They should discuss the employees’ goals, challenges, and career aspirations. And I don’t just mean with their direct reports. An occasional random pop-in visit with lower level team members can be very eye opening for a CEO or senior leader. But understand it may take some time for team members to open up and give senior leaders the true “color” that’s often missing from their regular reports.

Transparency. Transparency about company decisions, performance, and challenges builds trust. It also fosters a sense of shared purpose among employees. Senior leaders should share relevant information. They should do so openly and honestly, even if it involves tough topics. Some information can’t be shared, especially in public companies. But, there is much more that can be shared than not. The best senior leaders share a much information as is possible.

Lead by Example. Senior leadership leads by example, whether they intend to or not. Their example should embody the values and behaviors they expect from their people. This includes demonstrating empathy, active listening, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Invest in People Development. Supporting people development through training, mentoring, and coaching programs demonstrates a commitment to growth and career progression. It also helps senior leadership stay connected with employees by understanding their skills, aspirations, and challenges.

Empower Middle Leaders. Senior leaders should empower middle leaders. They will serve as conduits between the senior leaders and frontline team members. Middle leaders can provide valuable insights into employee feelings and concerns. They also help spread strategic messages throughout the organization.

Social Events and Team Building Activities. Organizing social events and team-building activities creates chances for senior leaders to interact with staff. This happens in a less formal setting. This can help break down barriers and foster stronger relationships within the organization.

Above all remain visible. I know it’s super easy to fall into the trap called the “tyranny of the urgent.” We want to get the seemingly urgent tasks out of the way but we often do that at the expense of the important ones. As a leader, nothing is more important than the people you lead. When a leader forgets that, chaos ensues and yelling soon follows.

Put yourself in a position to hear the whispers and you’ll avoid the chaos and the yelling that goes with it.

Want more LeadToday? Many of you know I’m very active on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. I post a lot of free content there but I also post 6-10 minute videos two or three times a week. These videos are focused on principles of leadership and living your best life. They are “uncommon” common sense topics designed to help people push themselves to their full potential. Every video is available to subscribers who invest $4.99 a month for their future success. If you’re willing to push yourself towards the life you want and deserve my videos may just be the extra nudge you need to get there. Find your way over to X using a browser and follow me there. Once you’ve followed me you can subscribe on a month by month basis just by clicking the subscribe button. Remember, an investment in yourself ALWAYS pays dividends! You’ll find my timeline here: twitter.com/leadtoday

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Buy my next Diet Coke!

If you enjoy my posts and have benefited from them you can support me by making a one-time donation.

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

How to Develop Your Leadership Skills

Steve Keating 2 Comments

I talk to a lot of people who say they want to become leaders. Most of them don’t actually even know what that means. What many of them really want is a leadership position. They want the so called “perks” of leadership which of course frequently includes higher pay. They believe leadership is about them.

Authentic Leadership is about helping other people, often ordinary people, achieve extraordinary results. It’s about sometimes sacrificing what you want for the benefit of others. It’s about putting your own ego on the back burner so that the people you lead receive the recognition they need and deserve. Authentic Leadership is about truly, genuinely, and sincerely caring deeply for others.

Authentic Leaders don’t grow more followers. They don’t worry about building bigger departments. They don’t worry about more impressive titles or corner offices. They care about helping their people be successful, in their careers and in their lives.

Most of the people who say they want to become leaders fail to realize that they already have the opportunity to lead. They can and should be leading themselves every single day. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to lead other people if we can’t lead ourselves. Most everything that would one day make them an Authentic Leader they can “practice” with themselves.

If you are sincere in your desire to become an Authentic Leader, and not a leader in title only, then here’s some things you’ll need to know.

Developing oneself into a leader is a continuous and intentional process. A process that involves personal growth, skill development, and a commitment to leading others effectively. Here are some of the initial steps you’ll want to take on your journey to Authentic Leadership.

• Self-awareness: Understand your strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. Reflect on your experiences and identify areas for improvement. Self-awareness is the foundation for leadership development so you better be brutally honest with yourself here. If you’re not then your ability to lead others will likely be dead on arrival.

• Set clear goals: Define your long-term and short-term goals. This will give you a sense of direction and purpose. Break down larger goals into smaller, achievable tasks to make progress more manageable. Goals are the stuff success is made of and that’s as true in leadership as in any other part of life.

• Continuous learning: Commit to lifelong learning. Stay informed about industry trends, leadership theories, and new technologies. Attend workshops, seminars, and conferences to expand your knowledge. The day you know all you need to know about leadership is the last day you’ll truly be leading.

• Build strong communication skills: Effective leaders are good communicators. Work on your verbal and written communication skills. Learn to express your ideas clearly and listen actively to others. Communication is absolutely beyond crucial for building trust and collaboration. I just can’t say enough about the need for excellent communication skills when it comes to leadership.

• Develop emotional intelligence: Understand and manage your emotions while being empathetic towards others. Emotional intelligence helps in building positive relationships, resolving conflicts, and motivating team members. A high EQ will help you developing an understanding of the people you lead. It’s that understanding that will help you build your heart into the caring heart of an Authentic Leader.

• Take on leadership roles: Seek opportunities to lead others, even in small ways. This could involve volunteering for projects, leading team meetings, or taking on mentorship roles. Practical experience is invaluable for leadership development.

• Build a strong network: Connect with professionals in your industry and beyond. Networking provides opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and exposure to different perspectives. Build relationships with people who can support your leadership journey.

• Adaptability: Develop the ability to adapt to change. In today’s dynamic work environment, leaders need to be flexible and open to new ideas. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth.

• Decision-making skills: Hone your decision-making abilities. Leaders often face tough choices, and the ability to make informed decisions is crucial. Consider the potential outcomes. Consult with others when necessary. Take responsibility for your decisions.

• Lead by example: Demonstrate the qualities you expect from others. Be ethical, reliable, and accountable. Leaders must lead by example to inspire trust and loyalty from their team. And remember, loyalty is a two-way street. If you want people to be loyal, YOU must be loyal first.

• Seek feedback: Solicit feedback from peers, mentors, and team members. Constructive feedback provides valuable insights into your strengths and areas for improvement. Authentic Leaders are not afraid to seek that feedback even when they think it’s not going to be what they want to hear. They use that feedback as a tool for continuous improvement.

• Stay resilient: Leadership comes with challenges and setbacks. Cultivate resilience to bounce back from failures and learn from them. A resilient leader remains focused on long-term goals despite short-term obstacles. As “they” say, “if leadership was easy, everybody would be doing it.”

Authentic Leadership development is a lifelong journey, and there is always room for improvement. Be proactive, embrace challenges, and continually seek ways to enhance your leadership skills. When you do, you’ll discover the rich rewards of making a long-term impact on the lives of the people you serve as a leader.

That’s worth way more than the “perks” mere leader wannabes will ever get.

How to Demonstrate that You’re a Leader Who Cares

Steve Keating Leave a comment

One of the easiest things for someone in a leadership position to do is tell their people that they care about them. The reality is, many followers doubt the sincerity of those words. That’s why Authentic Leaders remove all doubt by demonstrating, on a consistent basis, that they do actually care about their people. Demonstrating that you’re a caring leader is essential for creating a positive and productive organizational culture. It builds trust among your team members and promotes their well-being.

There are about a gazillion ways to show you care, here are several that can have an immediate impact with your team.

• Pay close attention to your team members when they speak. Show empathy by nodding, making eye contact, and asking clarifying questions. This demonstrates that you value their thoughts and concerns.

• Encourage open and honest communication within your team. Create safe spaces where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas, problems, and feedback without fear of judgment or reprisal. By the way, it’s best if the entire organization is one giant safe space. People looking over their shoulder to see if it’s “safe” to say something are less productive than those who know their safety is assured.

• Put yourself in your team members’ shoes. Try to understand their perspectives, feelings, and needs. When they face challenges or personal issues, express empathy and offer support.

• Be accessible to your team. Make sure they know they can come to you with their concerns, whether they are work-related or personal. Maintain an open-door policy, or set aside regular times for one-on-one meetings.

• Acknowledge and appreciate your team members’ contributions and accomplishments. Recognition can be verbal praise, written notes, or other forms of acknowledgment, and it shows that you value their efforts.

• Invest in your team’s professional growth. Help them set and achieve their career goals. Provide opportunities for learning and skill development, and offer guidance and mentorship.

• Promote a healthy work-life balance. Encourage employees to take breaks, use their vacation time, and avoid overloading them with excessive work. Show understanding when they need to attend to personal matters.

• Be flexible when possible. Accommodate reasonable requests for flexible work hours to accommodate people’s needs. Things like family responsibilities or personal health issues matter and you should never ignore them.

• Address conflicts and disagreements within the team promptly and impartially. Encourage a resolution process that respects everyone’s perspectives and feelings. You’ll likely have to fight the normal human behavior of playing favorites but if you want complete engagement of your team you will fight that fight.

• Demonstrate the behaviors and values you expect from your team. Show that you prioritize caring and empathy in your interactions with others.

• Recognize that each team member is unique. Tailor your leadership style and support to their individual needs and preferences. Remember, the “one size fits all” leadership style generally fits no one.

• Continuously seek feedback from your team on your leadership style and areas for improvement. Show that you are open to making changes based on their input. Listen to them and implore as many of their ideas as possible and when you can’t implement an idea tell them exactly why.

There is no doubt that consistently demonstrating that you care for your people requires effort, sometimes even great effort. But the rewards make those efforts well worthwhile. It’s also possible your efforts at showing you care will spill over into your personal life as well and improve all your relationships.

So you see, showing you care won’t only change the lives of those you lead, it could very well change your life too.

How to Spot an Authentic Servant Leader

Steve Keating 3 Comments

In 2002 Pastor Rick Warren wrote an outstanding book entitled “The Purpose Driven Life.” I will always remember the very first sentence in the book… “It’s not about you.”

Every Authentic Servant Leader I’ve ever met, and I’ve been fortunate to meet a few, lived their leadership according to that simple sentence. They intentionally keep the focus on the accomplishments of the people they lead. They don’t simply share credit for success, they humbly give it all away. 

Authentic Servant Leaders measure their success by the success of their people. The goal of an Authentic Servant Leader is to grow people, to help them be “better” in every way a person can be better. 

They invest a piece of themselves in every person they lead. The do not prejudge anyone. They recognize that every individual has strengths and gifts. They work to make certain that their people are in positions where they can use their strengths. They do not set their people up to fail. 

Authentic Servant Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. They come in all colors and they can be a man or a woman. They can be old or young. They can come from the finest of formal educations or have a completely informal education. An Authentic Servant Leader could be almost anyone. But they are still easy to spot. 

You know one when you see one because they are they ones who through every word, every action and every interaction SHOW that they understand, without a doubt, that their leadership is not about them. It’s is always and only about the people they lead. 

If you aspire to be an Authentic Servant Leader then always always keep in mind, “It’s not about you.”

Are You a Doer Who Over Does It?

Steve Keating 2 Comments

I love people who have a “get it done” mindset. Nothing happens until someone makes it happen and I think the world would be a better place if there were a few more “doers” in it.

But I struggle mightily with doers who can’t turn it off and who expect everyone else to be a doer like them. 

Successful organizations need doers. But they also need talkers. Talkers are people who can communicate a vision with the passion to help others make the vision their own. Organizations also need thinkers. Thinkers are people who help create the vision. Thinkers see things that could be and think “why not.” Organizations need planners too. Although doers may not always realize it, the planners provide them with the path to getting things done. 

An organization with too many of any of those types of people will be unbalanced and that imbalance can cause problems.

Leaders are also made up of those four types of people, often possessing more than one of those qualities. But the “doer” mentality is most prevalent amongst leaders. That is often a good thing. Often, but not always. 

Being a doer can at times put a leader so far out in front of their people that the people “lose sight” of the leader. When that happens people can’t really follow anymore. The other negative is that the leader can expect their people to always keep up. Even if that means working nights and weekends answering emails and messages pretty much around the clock.

That is not realistic. That burns people out. If you’re leading a thinker then you must give them time to think. If you’re leading a talker then you must at times be silent to give them space to talk. If you’re leading a planner then they will need time to focus and build the plan that will help you get more done. 

I’m all for providing people a push now and then to challenge them to be better and accomplish more. It’s just that if the pushing never stops it’ll start to feel more like a shove and the place you’re most likely to shove them is right out the door.

As they say, too much of a good thing isn’t so good. That includes over doing it and trying to force others to be a doer just like you. 

A Failure to Care

Steve Keating 1 Comment

One of the most basic truths of Authentic Leadership is that you can care for people without leading them but you cannot lead them without caring for them. 

Attempting to lead people without caring for them causes the “leader” to actually manage people instead of leading them. Those leaders would tell you that they in fact do care about their people but their choice of words betrays them. 

We manage things. We lead people. We care about things, we care for people. The difference is not merely word games. The real difference is in mindset. The mindset of caring for others is the biggest difference between Authentic Leaders and those who merely have a title indicative of a leader. 

When you consistently demonstrate that you care for people the level of commitment you’re able to gain from the people you lead goes up. Way way up. People are not following you because of your title. They are following you because of what they have seen you do for others and what they have felt you do for them. 

When people feel better about themselves because of you then you are an Authentic Leader. 

I once had a person in a top level leadership position ask me how to fake authenticity. This was during a leadership workshop with his entire leadership team in the room. He said if I knew his people the way he knew his people I wouldn’t care for them either. Again, he said this out loud, with his entire leadership team in the room. I have done literally hundreds and hundreds of leadership meetings like that and I had never seen anything like that before. I’ve never seen anything like that since either. 

He was without a doubt the worst person I’ve ever seen hold a high leadership position. 

But he at least said what he thought out loud. I fear there are more people who think like him and indeed try to fake authenticity. They pretend to care. They think they are fooling people. They believe they are smarter than everyone else and that they will never be found out. 

But no one hides who they really are for very long. No one. People figure it out. If you’re in a leadership position then you must know that the people you’re supposed to be leading are almost always watching you. They are always evaluating whether or not your words match your actions. They want to know if you’re walking your talk. 

As I said earlier in this post, you cannot lead people without truly caring for them. That’s a fact. It’s also a fact that you can’t “fake care” for very long. When you suffer from a failure to care then the people you’re supposed to be leading also suffer. They suffer from a lack of true leadership. 

If you don’t genuinely care for people then I would submit that you are not qualified to lead, not even yourself.