Don’t Manage ’Em—Lead ’Em!: A Briefcase of Practical, By-The-Numbers Approaches to Leading Associates in the Workplace

By Michael L. Ryan

You’re holding a briefcase full of practical tools that can boost your leadership skills and help you identify and develop associates who can move the organization forward.

Author Michael L. Ryan is president and CEO of Human Resource Professionals, which helps agencies, companies, and other organizations boost leadership skills and cultivate top talent. In this guide, Ryan leads managers on a quest to become leaders. Through case studies, statistics, and secrets he discovered during a fifty-year career, you can learn how to

recruit, attract, and retain excellent employees;
create a workplace that encourages employees to motivate themselves;
counsel, coach, and constructively resolve conflicts;
stay out of trouble with lawyers and government agencies; and
communicate effectively in writing, orally, and nonverbally.

He also offers insights on becoming a better listener, balancing work and life, and implementing the necessary change to accomplish your goals. While books and manuals sit on a shelf and collect dust, a briefcase is kept handy and carried around. Wear this one out and keep it near you at all times, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a leader and accomplishing business objectives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: May 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491726143

Michael L. Ryan

Michael L. Ryan is the founder, president, and CEO of Human Resource Professionals, which serves leading organizations in government, health care, and the private sector. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial relations from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and served five years as a US Army artillery captain. He also graduated from the executive program at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. He lives with his family in Lady’s Island, South Carolina.

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Copyright © 2014 Michael L. Ryan.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-2612-9 (sc)

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2014903423

iUniverse rev. date: 5/27/2014

CONTENTS

The Promise

The Ground Rules

Introduction

Preface The Human Resources Department

I        What is a Leader?

The 18 Characteristics of Effective Leaders

One Associate’s View of the Perfect Boss

Enclosure I-1: Project Matrix

II        Satisfaction and Motivation

Satisfaction Factors

Motivation Factors

III       Fair Employment Practices

The Discrimination Scenario

Employment Law 101

Enclosure III-1: Sexual Harassment Avoidance An Outline for Associate Education

IV        Recruitment, Selection & Retention

Recruiting

Selection

Retention

Enclosure IV-1: Transfer Request Form

Enclosure IV-2: Direct Mail Letter

Enclosure IV-3: Personal Interview Action Plan

Enclosure IV-4: Applicant Evaluation

Enclosure IV-5: Telephone Employment Verification

Enclosure IV-6: Employment Verification

Enclosure IV-7: New Associate Orientation Checklist

V        The 3 Isms

Absenteeism

Tardeeism

Presenteeism

Enclosure V-1: Attendance Policy

VI        The 12 Rights of Associates

Avoid the Wrong Ways to the Right Associate Relations

Employ the Right Leaders

Select and Retain the Right Associates

Have the Right Policies and Procedures

Discipline & Discharge Right When Necessary

Communicate Right

Offer the Right of Review or Appeal

Protect & Provide Basic Associate Rights

Sweat the Right Things

Have the Right Stuff

Mirror the Right Images

Have the Right Leadership Style

Enclosure VI-1: Just Ask Them

Enclosure VI-2: Exit Interview Questionnaire

VII        Communications

Methods of Communications

Face-to-Face

Meetings

Written Communication

Speech Making

Telephone/Cell Phone/Smart Phone

Email

Grapevine

Communications Tools

VIII        Listening

The Self-Check

Methods of Becoming a Better Listener

IX        Talent Leadership

Why Effective Performance Appraisals Matter

What Performance Appraisal Is Not

What Performance Appraisal Is

Performance Appraisal Policy & Procedure

Planning and Leading the Performance Appraisal Conference

Enclosure IX-1: Performance Evaluation Form

Enclosure IX-2: Associate Feedback

Enclosure IX-3: Leadership Feedback

X        Talent Development

Implementing a Talent Development Program

Talent Development Resources

Talent Development Program Administration

The Secret to a Successful Talent Development Program

Enclosure X-1: Leadership Development Needs Analysis

Enclosure X-2: Leadership Institute

Enclosure X-3: Education Evaluation Form

Enclosure X-4: Leadership Development Record

XI        The 5 C’s

Counseling

Coaching

Constructive Criticism

Conflict Resolution

Change

XII        Policies & Procedures

Advantages of a Personnel Policy Manual

Disadvantages of a Personnel Policy Manual

Personnel Policy Manual Format

Suggested Topics for a Personnel Policy Manual

XIII        Compensation

How Much Is Enough?

Compensation Defined

Elements of a Compensation Plan

Enclosure XIII-1: Compensation Philosophy

Enclosure XIII-2: Compensation Policies and Procedures

Enclosure XIII-3: Questionnaire: Job Description/Job Analysis

Enclosure XIII-4: FLSA Checklist: Overtime Exemption

Enclosure XIII-5: Compensation Grade Table

Enclosure XIII-6: Position Evaluation Points

Enclosure XIII-7: To Merit or Not to Merit…That Is the Question

XIV        Economic Benefits

Economic Benefit Leadership

The Cost

What Associates Want

Understanding Economic Benefits

Mandated Benefits

Social Security

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Voluntary Benefits

Medical Insurance

Paid Time Off

Retirement Plans

Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance

Long Term Disability Insurance (LTD)

Other Benefits

Associate-Pay-All Supplemental Benefits

Communications

Differentiation

Economic Benefit Reduction

Enclosure XIV-1: Policy and Procedure: Paid Time Off (PTO)

Enclosure XIV-2: Policy & Procedure: Paid Holidays

LEADERSHIP FILE XV Discipline & Discharge

Effective Discipline System

Administering Discipline

The 7 Deadly Sins of Reprimanding

Involuntary Termination

Enclosure XV-1: Policy & Procedure: Guidelines for Discipline

XVI        Unionitis Disease

Why Your Organization Should Remain Union Free

Why Your Associates Should Want to Remain Union Free

Why Some Workers Join Unions

Labor Law 101

Have You Caught Unionitis?

How Severe Is Your Unionitis?

What Happens If You Catch Unionitis?

The Leader Is the Doctor

The Election Process

Enclosure XVI-1: Position on Unions

XVII        The Human Approach to Time Management

The Lifestyle Scenario

Enter Traditional Time Management

1st Prioritize Your 2do’s

Getting Things Done Without Undue Stress

The Time Management System

Time Management Strategies

Procrastination

Live Like You Were Dying

The Facts of Time

Adjournment

Tool Inventory

The Leader’s Prayer

If you’re not leading, the best you will ever finish is 2nd place.

For the Leaders of yesterday, I hope this is a confirmation.

For the Leaders of today, I hope this helps you improve.

For the Leaders of tomorrow, I hope this helps you get there quicker.

I dedicate this Briefcase to you all. I hope you open it. If not…

While I wrote this for you, I also wrote it for myself. The blame lies not with those who never learned, it lies with those who never taught.

Acknowledgments

To all my bosses of all my professional years…

The good, the bad, and the evil.

Some exemplified how to,

Some, how not to, and

Some just didn’t have a clue.

I learned from each of you.

Mr. Gerald Turner, Big Chain Grocery Store Manager

Mr. Leverette Ryan, Ironworker Foreman and Father

Coach Charlie McClendon, LSU Head Football Coach

Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Robichaux, US Army Professor of Military Science & Tactics, LSU

Captain Jess Reeves, US Army Battery Commander

Major John Boggs, Jr., US Army Battalion Commander

Major Paul Walker, US Army Battalion Commander

Captain Warren Copenhaver, US Army Company Commander

Major Raymond Fleigh, US Army Battalion Commander

Colonel Frank Livermore, US Army Battalion Commander

Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Meadows, US Army Battalion Commander

Major Ronald Burton, US Army Battalion Executive Officer

Major Donald Edwards, US Army Battalion Commander

Lieutenant Colonel Alcee Peters, Jr., US Army Deputy Brigade Commander

Colonel Norman Salisbury, US Army Brigade Commander

Lieutenant Colonel James Colebank, US Army Brigade Commander

Mr. Jack Crabtree, Fieldcrest Mills, Inc., Personnel Manager

Mr. Jim O’Neal, Fieldcrest Mills, Inc., Regional Personnel Manager

Mr. Bob Moore, Fieldcrest Mills, Inc., Regional Personnel Manager

Mr. William Mewborne Jr., Adams-Millis Corporation President

Mr. Jim Millis, Sr., Adams-Millis Corporation Chairman and CEO

Mr. Jim Millis, Jr., MIG 90 & Amos Hosiery Mills Owner

and

Long Term Clients:

Mr. Bruce Behrens, City Manager

Mr. David Brown, Healthcare CEO

Mr. Robert Bundy, Textile Sales & Manufacturing Owner

Mr. Doug Burns, County Administrator

Mr. Larry Chewning, Healthcare CEO

Mr. Ed Duryea, USMC Contractor Owner

Mr. Jon Godfrey, Healthcare CEO

Mr. Kevin Griffin, County Administrator

Mr. Gary Keller, Healthcare CEO

Mr. Mac Ramsey, Textile Sales & Manufacturing Owner

Mr. Bernie O’Neal, Healthcare Consulting

Mr. Dick Stanley, Healthcare CEO

Ms. Dina Swinehart, Building Supplies Sales & Manufacturing Owner

Mr. John Thompson, Fire Chief

Mr. Barry Turner, Fire Chief

and

1,415 Past & Present Clients and counting

The Promise

The perceived value of any education is directly proportional to what you paid for it.

– Michael L. Ryan

There are 2 reasons why I hope you purchased this book. The first is obvious…I want your money. The second is a bit more obscure. If you invested your money or that of your organization in this educational pursuit, there is a very good chance you will study it and hopefully, find some value in what it offers. If it was free, you probably wouldn’t even open it. I’m glad you are here. I sincerely want to help you become a better leader.

But for this education to be of any use to you at all, you must promise to follow the advice of Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BC – 65 AD); the Roman Stoic philosopher who said that for any education to be of value you must promise to do 4 things with it…

1.  You must WANT to do it,

2.  You must then LEARN how to do it,

3.  You must then PRACTICE what you have learned, and finally

4.  You must SHARE your knowledge with others.

I can only help you with steps 1 and 2. Steps 3 and 4 are up to you.

DO YOU PROMISE TO TRY?

What is spoken, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand.

- Confucius

The Ground Rules

If you have ever watched a baseball game, you probably noticed that before the game the managers of the opposing teams and the umpires assembled in a small group at home plate. The purpose of the meeting is two-fold. First, each manager presents the umpires with their starting lineups. Then the umpires review the ground rules that will be followed throughout the game.

The work world is a little like a baseball team. There is the owner; that is your organization. There is the manager; that is you. There are the ballplayers; those are your associates. There are the bat boys; the unessential members of your team. Can you name them? You may find them identified in this Briefcase.

This meeting at home plate is what we want to do with this Briefcase. You and I are standing at home plate. You are the Manager and I am the Umpire. Your starting lineup consists of all your associates. As the Umpire, it is my job to share the ground rules with you. Here they are:

This is not a book. It is not a manual. It is a Briefcase. It contains important information that we need to be effective leaders. Books collect dust on the shelf. So do manuals. Briefcases don’t. We keep them handy, carry them with us, and open them when we need them. Wear this out with use just like you have done with your old leather Briefcase.

You will notice I don’t spell out the numbers when used in this Briefcase. Business is quantifiable. So is leadership. Think of this Briefcase as leadership by-the-numbers.

Consider this Briefcase as something of a leadership toolbox. I recommend you scan it cover to cover so you will know what is in your toolbox. Then go back and read it, really read it, 1 file at a time. You don’t have to memorize any of the files; just know they are in your Briefcase. Then, when you need one of the tools, simply open the Briefcase, look up the tool by subject matter in the Tool Inventory at the back of the Briefcase and turn to it for advice.

When I use the word organization, I am talking about the entity for which you work. It may be a company, a corporation, a department, a division, a platoon, a staff or any other term you may use to define your workplace. It might even be a gang.

When I use the word associate, I am talking about the people you lead. You may call them employees. That is okay, I just prefer associate because the term tends to remove the subservient connotation and reminds us that we are all in this together as teammates. You are simply the leader of the team. Mainly I want you to understand that your teammates are not your employees, your associates or any other term you wish to use. They do not work for you. They work for a paycheck. If you don’t believe me, take away the paycheck and see how many of them still come to work.

You may be called many things in the workplace. It may be manager, supervisor, coach, department head, vice president, president, owner, and, at times, words that are inappropriate for this Briefcase. Whatever your title, you are a leader and that is the term I prefer to use. Wear this title with pride. You are the backbone of your organization.

This Briefcase is intended to provide an awareness of effective techniques of leadership and should not be construed as legal advice on any specific facts, circumstances, or practices. If you need legal advice, consult a qualified lawyer. I do not assume responsibility for any decision you may make which may violate local, state, or federal law. I do not practice law…I practice common sense, and that is what you will find in this Briefcase.

For over 50 years I have collected a large file of information. Some of it is in this Briefcase just as I read it or heard it. In many cases the source is obscure or unknown. I apologize if I do not always give proper credit. Even though I don’t know who some of my sources are, I hope they will take pride in knowing I value their words enough to make them a part of these leadership files. Professionally, I am the combined result of my education, experience, and all these valuable resources.

Are you ready? Let’s PLAY BALL!

The education of a man is never completed until he dies.

Robert E. Lee

Introduction

This Briefcase is all about starting to understand that the assets of an organization consist of only two things: human resources and everything else. Human resources make up about 60 to 80% of the total assets of the organization. They are the most important resource in the organization’s asset mix. They are not resources we should use up and throw away like we tend to do with everything else. They are unquestionably the single most important force affecting the success of our organizations and must be treasured and nurtured.

The bad news is that these resources are the most difficult of all the resources to utilize. The good news is that the potential of these resources in most organizations is largely untapped. It is there for the leading.

The winners will be those organizations who understand that what they invest in their human resources today will provide a significant return on that investment tomorrow. They will understand that now is the time to stop managing their human resources and start leading them. To do this they must…

Find Them,

Recruit Them Quickly and Effectively,

Select Them,

Retain Them,

Educate Them,

Nurture Them, and

Help Them Manage their Lives and Careers.

Just as you put items in your Briefcase to use later, this Briefcase has been filled with lessons I have learned in over 50 years of leading people in every segment of the work world to include for profit manufacturing, sales, and service organizations and the public sector of military, governmental, and healthcare. Most of the lessons are learned by my own trial and error and some are learned from others. Most of the words and phrases are mine and some are those of others whose wisdom I respect. Regardless of the origin, what you will find in this Briefcase are proven methods which will enable you to lead your associates in such a way that your organization will maximize the productivity of your associates and allow you to do the same.

I promise!

Preface

The Human Resources Department

Fire the whole personnel department.

– Robert Townsend 1970

INTRODUCTION

When Robert Townsend, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Avis Rent A Car, made the above statement in his 1970 book, Up the Organization, I had just resigned my commission as a United States Army Captain and accepted my first private sector position as an Assistant Personnel Manager for a large Southern textile corporation. Being uninitiated to the business world, I couldn’t understand why he would say such an awful thing about my chosen field of work. I proceeded to devote the next 15 years in the corporate world trying to prove Mr. Townsend’s advice was wrong.

You know what? He wasn’t wrong…He was right! About the only progress the function has made in the last 40 years is changing its name from personnel to human resources, and that was a mistake in itself. The Human Resource department has never been an important part of the management team and it never will be. It has spent more time trying to justifying its existence than contributing to the success of the organization and is working its way into oblivion.

I know my comments won’t make many friends in the human resources community (and certainly won’t sell many books there either) but the reality is that your organization should abolish the human resources department, give you the opportunity and responsibility to stop depending on others to manage your associates, and allow you to start leading them in the ways they deserve.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT

Your understanding of why the human resources department should be eliminated will help you understand what is wrong in the workplace and how you can fix it. Here are 11 reasons why HR should go:

1.  We never should have changed the name of the field from personnel to humanresources. Just like we are doing with our natural resources, it seems the overriding result of human resource management in the last 40 years has been to waste the organization’s best resources, its human resources.

2.  The human resource department has long been a crutch for managers and supervisors. Rather than assuming responsibility for the satisfaction of associates and the creation of an environment that allows them to motivate themselves to greater productivity, management has been content to depend on human resources do it. With few exceptions, the results have been unsatisfactory. Since 1985, I have, as a management consultant, made a nice living out of trying to fix the human resources department. I regret to say that some management has been unwilling to step up to the inadequacies of the function and continued to follow the road of mediocrity. Most of those organizations are gone.

3.  Human resources managers don’t understand why they are there. If you asked 100 human resource professionals what their mission should be in the organization, maybe 1 would get it right. When you ask them the question, and I always do, they start expounding about all the programs and activities they are doing. They bring the watermelon to theorganization’s annual picnic. Never do they seem to understand they are there to maximize the productivity and profitability of the most important asset of the organization…the human asset. On the contrary, their programs and activities, again in the words of Robert Townsend, stifle people and strangle profits.

4.  Beginning with top management, the associates of the organization don’t understand why the Human Resources department is there. The most common answer when asked what they do is hire and fire, something they most certainly don’t do and, if they are doing it, they shouldn’t. Basically, the organization views the human resources department as a burden they must tolerate because someone said there should be a human resources department in every successful organization.

5.  Again, beginning with senior human resource management, most human resource people are not the star performers in the organization. They don’t understand business and therefore don’t have a real seat at the table with the movers and shakers of the organization. Most of them claim they chose human resources because they like working with people or they want to help people. These people are in the wrong field. They should have become social workers and this is, in fact, where most of them belong.

6.  Many of the human resource managers at the higher levels have legal backgrounds and are attorneys. If they aren’t attorneys they wish they were and act accordingly. Attorneys are trained to tell you what you can’t do in the organization, not how to maximize the productivity of the workforce by telling you how you can legally do what you know needs to be done. Because of today’s myriad of legal and governmental regulations, attorneys, either staff or retained depending on the size of the organization, are necessary to the organization, but they don’t belong in human resources. Attorneys in human resources are usually there because they are incapable of practicing the law they were trained to do.

When unions and the threat of unions began to decline, the labor lawyers were no longer in demand so they began to convert to employee relations consultants and seminar/workshop speakers. I challenge you to find a labor lawyer speaker that won’t spend most of their time telling you what you can’t do.

Note: With these words I am sure to lose another potential readership and loss of revenue from the legal community. If this doesn’t do it, wait until you get to the Fair Employment Practices Leadership File III.

7.  Related to the above, human resource managers often see themselves as the enforcers within the organization. They hide behind a poorly written policy and procedure manual and devote an inordinate amount of time telling managers and supervisors what they can’t do. Again, they are attorney wanna-be’s.

8.  By far, the largest number of so-called human resource professionals are in their positions because they were anointed. Their original positions in the organization were administrative in nature such as clerks, technicians, secretaries, or administrative assistants. Someone in management decided they needed a human resources manager and anointed them as such because they were there and didn’t require much salary. Remember, most senior managers don’t know what human resources is supposed to do so they place these incompetent associates in a position in which they can never succeed. The next thing these former clerks do, realizing that they don’t know a hoot about human resources, is join the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), go to unnecessary human resources networking meetings and conventions and, if they’re really ambitious, become certified by SHRM as human resources professionals by completion of a series of cookbook human resource courses. A lot of expense and no return on investment.

9.  Many human resource managers, particularly at the senior level, were appointed to their positions because they were underperforming in their positions elsewhere in the organization and the organization didn’t have the leadership ability to terminate them and send them on their way. As a historical note, the original Personnel Managers were well-known former athletes in the community. Their job was to shake hands, slap backs, and make speeches to the local community service groups. And bring the watermelon to the organization picnic.

10.  Most human resources managers have had little real work experience similar to that of the associates they serve. Their training has been in administration and paper pushing. They do not understand the issues and challenges of the jobs of their organization.

11.  A large majority of human resource managers are either females or minorities. If they were qualified, this would be a wonderful statistic, but most of these managers were placed in their positions so the organization could improve its female/minority utilization statistics and not because they were the right people for the job. Again, they are not the movers and shakers of the organization and are simply put on display to show the world that the organization utilizes females and minorities in management.

THE SNAKES IN THE GRASS

Do any of these human resource snakes look familiar to you?

The HR Generalist. They got where they are by office politics instead of producing measurable results. They are incapable of thinking like a business professional. They love meetings. They don’t have a clue as to how to read a P&L statement but read useless HR publications religiously and are eager to try every new fad that comes along. They have lost their perspective and have forgotten their role and purpose in the organization.

The Administrator. They never leave their office. They fail to connect with the people who are getting things done. They try to fix things without any regard to strategic thinking.

The Recruiter. They don’t really recruit talent. They are more concerned with paperwork and telling you what you can’t do to recruit real talent. They hire overpriced Search Firms instead of doing the work themselves. And then they hinder the Search Firm’s efforts.

The Compensation and Benefit Cutter. They are more concerned with equal pay than with recruiting and retaining quality associates. They cut benefits to make themselves look good without considering the impact of the changes on associate performance, recruiting, and retention.

The Technologist. They love to form task forces to consider and purchase technology that hinders the productivity of the HR department and the organization it serves.

The Employee Relations Specialist. These snakes avoid conflict. They love to prevent terminations of non-productive associates.

The Incompetent. Their own HR department is a malfunctioning mess yet they think they can help other departments function. If they can’t manage their own department, how can they help others?

The Know-it-All. They truly think they know everything there is to know about managing human resources. If they read this Briefcase, they will say, I already knew that. Then why didn’t they apply the knowledge? Why didn’t they impart it to you?

These are just a few. Recognize them? You have probably seen more. The HR snakes are simply pursuing their individual objectives with no regard to productivity and decision making.

Please don’t misunderstand me. Some human resource managers are good people trying their best to serve their organization in the best way they know how. They are simply caught in a situation where they don’t understand their role and they’re not trained or experienced in how to identify or carry out their real function. Accordingly, because of these shortcomings, they are not appreciated or understood by their organization. They are tolerated because someone said a human resources department is necessary.

WHAT SHOULD THE ORGANIZATION DO?

The answer is obvious. The organization should follow Mr. Townsend’s advice and abolish the human resources department. It should take the following 6 steps:

1.  Understand that human resources as a department and function is dead. Discontinue the department and its staff.

2.  Where possible, transfer former human resources associates to open positions elsewhere in the organization if and only if they are qualified to perform the essential duties of the position. If no such positions exist, and they probably won’t, wish them well and sever their employment with the organization.

3.  Stop using up the human resources of the organization and understand they are no longer a cost…they are an asset. To recognize this, the organization must

•  Rid itself of the underperformers,

•  Find the Stars, recruit them, and do it quickly,

•  Retain them,

•  Retrain them,

•  Deploy them, and

•  Manage their career paths.

4.  Create an Associate Services administrative function reporting to the chief financial officer of the organization. The coordinator should perform the following duties and responsibilities:

a. Maintain the official personnel files. These files should be automated using Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS).

b. Coordinate the enrollment of new associates in the organization’s associate benefit plans and coordinate with providers and participants as necessary.

c. Coordinate an Associate Assistance Plan, as outlined elsewhere in this Briefcase.

d. Receive, file, and distribute Applications for Employment to the appropriate hiring authority

5.  Create a Talent Leadership department reporting to the chief operating officer. The department should perform the following functions:

a. Recruit all new associates.

b. Coordinate the interviewing and selection procedure for the hiring authority and assist where necessary.

c. Conduct and coordinate orientation of all new associates.

d. Coordinate the organization’s Talent Development Program as outlined elsewhere in this Briefcase.

e. Coordinate the organization’s Talent Leadership program as outlined elsewhere in this Briefcase.

6.  The staffing guidelines for the above should be as follows:

Associate Services Coordinator

Organizations consisting of:

Talent Leadership department

Organizations consisting of:

What should you do?

That’s what this Briefcase is all about. Stop depending on the human resources department to do your job. Take charge of your job and start leading. Open this Briefcase, and use the information in the files to begin to maximize the productivity of the most important assets of your organization…your associates. In other words…

DON’T MANAGE ‘EM! LEAD ‘EM!

LEADERSHIP FILE I

WHAT IS A LEADER?

18 WAYS TO LEAD, NOT MANAGE, ASSOCIATES

Leaders get results by leading. Managers try to get results by issuing orders and using fear and punishment to get compliance.

Leaders lead. Managers nag. Associates have a way of becoming what they are led to be, not what they are nagged to be.

Leaders focus on human resources. Managers focus on material resources.

I am always amazed and amused by the number of how-to management books that have been written and continue to be written each year. I guess this is 1 more of those efforts but I hope it serves a more practical approach to how to best perform your job. Strange as it may sound, I want you to stop managing. I want you to start leading. This Leadership File is intended to help you do just that.

1st understand that the definition of a leader is one who has followers and, through these followers, gets results in whatever their particular mission may be. That’s it. It can’t get much simpler than that. Now comes the hard part. What do you have to do to be a leader? Most of those how-to books I just talked about offer you a magic formula. While some of them provide excellent advice, the one thing of which I am certain is that the advice differs from book-to-book and it is usually ignored during the heat of organizational battle. What that tells me, and what I have learned through the years, is there is no 1 formula for becoming an effective leader. Most managers don’t even read the book(s). They attempt to lead through the hit-and-miss method they learned from some other ineffective manager. As such, more than 50% of the time, they fail to achieve the desired results. They never become leaders. Just nagging managers.

I can’t give you that 1 magic formula for becoming a leader and neither can anyone else. You are all different and, as such, so are all leaders. What I can give you are 18 characteristics of effective leaders. You will then have to decide which of these characteristics you already possess, which ones you don’t have but would like to have, and which ones are not you and never will be. With your inventory complete, begin to practice the wonderful art of Leadership. As someone once said…It ain’t easy, but it ain’t rocket science either.

The 18 Characteristics of Effective Leaders

(In no particular order)

As I have said, Leaders have followers. Some people are thinkers. Some are prophets. Both these roles are important and needed, but without followers, there can be no leaders. Effective leaders aren’t necessarily loved and admired. He or she is someone whose followers do the right thing. Popularity is not leadership – results are. Here are 18 ways to achieve those results from your followers.

Look over your shoulder now and then to make sure someone is following you.

I. Leaders don’t motivate associates. Leaders create the environment in which associates motivate themselves. They do this by…

1.  Describing how a job is to be done and then having the associate do it that way.

2.  Using lots of positive reinforcement and personalizing it to each associate.

3.  Respecting the individuality of associates and trusting their intentions.

4.  Understanding the associate’s point of view by active listening. If they don’t understand what the associate is saying, they repeat the information for clarity.

5.  Through their actions, showing associates that the job matters, quality is important, and deadlines are real.

6.  Refusing to accept poor performance. It’s better to aim for excellence and hit good, than it is to aim for good and hit average.

II. Leaders understand the needs of their associates. They understand the 5 I’s of High Performers:

1.  Independence

2.  Information

3.  Incentives

4.  Individualism

5.  Innovation

It is important to allow high performers to walk their own path because it is just that, their own path.

III. Leaders follow 3 Dozen Principles of Leadership.

1.  Leaders know themselves and seek self-improvement.

The 4 Stages of Leadership Self-Improvement

Stage I

You don’t realize you aren’t a good leader.

Stage II

As you learn, you realize you are not a good leader.

Stage III

The more you learn the more you will think of yourself as a good leader, until

Stage IV

You are a good leader without even thinking about it.

2.  Leaders are technically proficient where their area of responsibility is concerned.

3.  Leaders seek responsibility and take responsibility for their actions.

4.  Leaders make sound and timely decisions.

5.  Leaders set the example.

6.  Leaders know their associates well and look out for their well-being.

7.  Leaders keep their associates informed.

8.  Leaders develop a sense of responsibility in their associates.

9.  Leaders insure that the task is understood, supervised as appropriate, and accomplished.

10.  Leaders develop teams. They are able to merge different personalities into a cohesive unit.

There is no I in team, but there is a me if you rearrange a couple of the letters.

11.  Leaders deploy their associates in accordance with their capabilities.

12.  Leaders shape the opinions of their associates and win their enthusiasm.

13.  Leaders practice counseling, coaching, constructive criticism, conflict resolution, and change implementation.

14.  Leaders show respect for others by not wasting their time with useless meetings.

15.  Leaders plan and put the important things first.

16.  Leaders provide a vision. They set goals that are simple and easy to understand.

17.  Leaders communicate clearly.

18.  Leaders help others improve. They are not afraid to develop their associates.

19.  Leaders trust their associates.

20.  Leaders lead with integrity. They are honest and fair. They live by a value system.

21.  Leaders set high standards. Good enough is not good enough.

22.  Leaders always seek opportunities for improvement.

23.  Leaders are not afraid to assume responsibility and accountability.

24.  Leaders give credit when and where credit is due.

25.  Leaders are loyal to their superiors, their organization, and their associates.

26.  Leaders respect authority.

27.  Leaders don’t yell, scream, belittle, and use fear.

28.  Leaders make sure they are understood. They give definite guidelines and deadlines and they never assume anything.

29.  Leaders are not afraid to take risks when necessary.

Sometimes you have to turn your back on the crowd if you want to lead the orchestra.

30.  Leaders look toward the future.

31.  Leaders have high standards of performance for themselves and their associates.

32.  Leaders take the lead in evaluating situations and offer guidance, constructive input, and encouragement.

33.  Leaders stick by their decisions.

34.  Leaders are not afraid to admit their mistakes.

Back of every mistaken venture and defeat is the laughter of wisdom, if you listen.

– Carl Sandburg

35.  Leaders have a good understanding of their weaknesses and accept them without being defensive. They work through their weaknesses and play on their strengths.

36.  Leaders have a sense of humor. They smile a lot. They help people relax and feel comfortable in their presence.

Make sure your people understand their jobs and what is expected of them. Then wander around and try to catch them doing something right.

IV. Leaders are Courteous. They…

1.  Are always on time.

2.  Keep appointments.

3.  Return phone calls.

4.  Write clear memos that are not intimidating, but encouraging.

5.  Give credit where credit is due.

6.  Keep promises.

7.  Are fair. They accept responsibility even when an associate has made a mistake.

8.  Never take sides. They take time to listen to all sides and makes decisions based on facts, not favoritism.

V. Leaders are effective Negotiators of sensitive situations by…

1.  Biting their tongue.

2.  Being sensitive to the other person’s point of view.

3.  Thinking outside the envelope and looking for insights and solutions in unexpected places.

4.  Negotiating face-to-face. Any other contact cuts out about 70% of communications effectiveness.

5.  Understanding that it takes time to reach a consensus. Leaders are willing to negotiate solutions until all involved parties are satisfied. This is often called negotiating for a Win-Win.

VI. Leaders follow the 12 Principles of the Art of Persuasion. They…

1.  Win respect.

2.  Avoid arrogance.

3.  Don’t shout down the opposition.

4.  Pick the right time to present a proposal.

5.  Don’t oversell.

6.  Pitch to the positive.

7.  Don’t apologize or express a lack of confidence.

8.  Don’t try for a snow job.

9.  Are well prepared.

10.  Are ready for questions.

11.  Are prepared for objections.

12.  Keep their cool.

VII. Leaders handle Emotional Outbursts by…

1.  Calmly acknowledging the associate’s behavior,

2.  Telling the associate how the behavior affects them and the discussion or situation at hand,

3.  Deciding whether or not the discussion can continue or if it should be postponed to a better time,

4.  Suggesting a way to resolve the issue, and

5.  Offering support.

VIII. Leaders are characterized by the 3 F’s…

1.  They are Friendly

•  Greets and speaks to all associates, on and off the job.

•  Knows all the personal facts they can about each associate such as family status, hobbies, ambitions, etc.

•  Improves communications by giving information that is of interest and concern to associates.

•  Earns respect and confidence by showing it to others.

•  Is pleasant and cheerful in all situations.

•  Encourages all associates to advance to his or her maximum potential.

•  Promotes an atmosphere of teamwork and pride in all jobs.

•  Commends, when appropriate, for a job well done.

2.  They are Fair

•  Never shows partiality toward any associate.

•  Is always truthful even though it may be