High Performance Leadership

Leading on the front lines can wear you down. The day-to-day routine with its reports and meetings can wear you down. That rut can take over just when you need to grow some wings and fly. High performance leaders works thru those ruts. They find time to grow, to learn, to develop their skills even as the demands of the every day wear them down. It takes resolve. It takes experience. It takes discipline. Successful supervisors value and develop discipline. In themselves, in their team members, and in their organization. -- doug smith

Successful supervisors solve problems -- even (especially) the ones that they caused. -- doug smith

If you want your team to be excited about your goals, you've got to set the example. Talk about them, promote them, staff them, resource them, and mainly keep your leadership focus on your goals. When they are important to you -- and obviously so -- they are much more likely to be important to others. Successful supervisors build enthusiasm for their goals. -- doug smith

Your first job as a leader is to be in charge of stuff you believe in, because unless you believe in the stuff that you are in charge of it's going to be very difficult to excel as a leader. Your first job, if that's not true, is to align that -- to make that true. If you can't do that in your organization, to show -- to demonstrate that you are a leader you may have to lead yourself someplace else. Otherwise, how will you ever have credibility as a leader? How will you ever have the authenticity to truly lead? How else will you ever really walk the talk, model the role of a leader unless you believe in what you're commanding, what you're directing, what you are, more importantly, facilitating? So that's it -- your first role as a leader is to be in charge of stuff you believe in. If you can't embrace what you're in charge of you could be in the wrong place. If you're not in charge of stuff you believe in, there is your opportunity for growth....

Give your front line supervisors two days of training that will pay off in improved performance, engagement, and motivation for years to come. Agenda: Developing leadership capacity, strength, and flexibility Ten keys to leadership success Achieving your supervisory goals Communicating for results Building your team Motivating yourself and others Manage your time without driving yourself crazy Coaching to improve performance Facilitating highly productive meetings Solving team problems collaboratively Supervisors are challenged in every direction. They usually don't get the training they need and end up with more problems and headaches than they'd ever imagined possible. It doesn't have to be that way. The key tasks of a supervisor can be learned. Our time tested and field tested training methods get your supervisors to explore, discover, and practice the key skills that will make a positive difference in their performance, their teams, and their lives...

High performance leaders surround themselves with positive people. They recruit and develop people who take positive actions instead of complaining or blaming. They set the example by modeling positive behaviors. They spot their counter-productive habits and redirect them to positive ones. Reading everyday. Developing collaborative relationships. Taking competition seriously without destroying anyone. Solving problems with the strength to create solutions that leave no victims and no losers. A positive leader builds a positive team. What you see may be what you get -- but it's also true that what your TEAM sees, from you, you will get. -- doug smith

If you've ever had a leader slow you down, you know how frustrating that is. Not enough resources, not enough support, even undermining your efforts. That's not leadership - that's obstruction. Leaders provide guidance. Leaders provide direction. Leaders provide training and inspiration. At some point, high performance leaders need the trust to delegate and stay out of the way. My limitations have no business slowing you down. How about yours? -- doug smith

Just because the boss is ready doesn't mean the team member is. The best supervisors meet people where they are. Do you know where that is? -- Doug Smith

Are you the hardest working member of your team? When I worked at Aon, the CEO Pat Ryan said that "the speed of the leader is the speed of the team." That made an impression on me then and it still does. Are you the kind of supervisor who sits back and waits for your team to do their job -- or do you set the pace? Do you show how important the work is to you? Do you demonstrate commitment to your customers AND to your team members? Set the pace. See what happens. You'll like the results. -- Doug Smith Need help getting your supervisors to set the pace in your organization? Bring our two-day workshop, "Supervising for Success" to your location. Contact me today: doug@dougsmithtraining.com

As frustrating as it is to encounter a problem that resists any solution, there could be a benefit. Stay mindful. Stay attentive. Stay alert. Imbedded in that big problem are lots of little problems. Maybe they need to be solved before you can move forward. Maybe solving them will lead to a break thru that helps you in other areas. The problems that we fail to solve sometimes lead to those we do. And, that's no little thing. -- Doug Smith Interested in developing the supervisors in your organization? Contact me today about bringing our two-day workshop "Supervising for Success" to your organization. And if you're really in a hurry, there's a one-day version available. doug@dougsmithtraining.com

There is a balance that leaders must find. Go too easy on your team and they will perceive that you don't care. You're not there to create a country club atmosphere. There are standards. There are goals. There are expectations. Your job is to communicate those goals and expectations and follow-up to make sure that your team is achieving them. That does not mean shouting, demanding unreasonably, or bullying. You know who works for a bully? Only people who have no choice, and then they deliver the bare minimum. The popular image of a yelling, demanding boss only works in the movies. In real life, people find ways to leave the bully flat. No one wants a weak supervisor. They want someone who has their back, who backs them up, who lets them know when they are delivering exemplary results and who also lets them know when they need to feedback. People want and need feedback. Just choose it carefully. Focus on the behavior, not the person. No one wants a bully, either. Yell at...

Are you a demanding leader? The good news is that people like to be challenged. They won't ever ask you for it, but they enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that is only obtained by tackling something tough. So you can be a demanding leader. As long as you are respectful as well. No one, absolutely no one, wants to work for a demeaning leader. Someone who insults your integrity or your character is no fun to be around -- and even worse, is not effective. As a motivator, demeanors diminish rather than build. No insults. No lost patience. No anger. Persistent, gentle prodding. Strong instructions and insistent follow-up, yes. Insults - no. Leaders can be demanding without being demeaning. Go for it. -- Doug Smith

Have you ever stopped to think how many lives you effect as a supervisor? If you've been supervising a while, the impact of your decisions, your coaching, your personality, your style, your goals -- nearly everything you do -- has reached many people. Dozens? Hundreds? Team members. Customers. Clients. Peers. Bosses. You are one influential son of a gun. And, like it or not, that influence creates impact in people's lives. Maybe they find better ways to perform. Maybe they find new relationships that encourage them. Maybe they correct nonproductive habits and begin to better achieve their goals. The work is never done, so the impact knows no limits. Supervising is such a big responsibility because it alters so many lives. Choose your impact carefully. You never know who will remember you as the rock star you are. -- Doug Smith

Do your team members know exactly what you expect? It seems like such a simple thing, and yet so many supervisors miss this opportunity. They expect people to know their expectations. We can do better. We can be clear about our expectations. Communicate to your people your standards, your criteria, your expectations. Let them know what you want. Who knows? They'll probably deliver. -- Doug Smith Are you looking to develop the supervisors in your organization? Bring our two-day workshop, Supervising for Success in to your location. Contact me for details: doug@dougsmithtraining.com

Do you like working for a leader who makes all the decisions? Important decisions, little decisions, scheduling decisions, work distribution decisions...one after another? I know I do not. I like to work for and with a leader who allows me to share in the decision-making. We talk about the details. We compare the options. We align our work to our goals. How involved is your team in your team's decisions? It can be a trap to justify a "decide-and-announce" approach when it feels like those same decisions are being handed down to you from your manager or above. But don't do it. Find the choices. Explore the options. Share them with your people and see what a difference it makes in their productivity and morale. Of course you're in charge. The bottom line likely does stop with you. But you don't need to make every decision. I'm going to work at sharing more decisions. How about you? -- Doug Smith

Just because someone tries to give you a problem doesn't make it yours. Leaders get shoved problems all the time. Because your good at solving things, people are inclined to help you with more work. Do you really want more work? One of the first jobs of a high performance leader is to develop the people on the team. Teach them to resolve conflict. Train them to solve problems. Help them achieve their goals (but don't achieve them for them). It takes more time. It takes more patience. It's the centered, high performance approach to leadership. Building your team frees you up to stay strategic. Building your team makes your team not only more effective but also happier. Isn't that what you want? So the next time you see a little reverse-delegation heading your way, cut it off at the pass. And pass it right back. -- Doug Smith

This is directed to all the front line leaders out there. It's a tough job. Having been a supervisor (both in an office environment and in retail) I know how tough it is. You're right there at the front, dealing with customers, team members, and bosses. Right there in the middle. It's a lot of pressure, isn't it? Today I want to point out some of the joys of supervising. It can be such a tough job that we forget what's good about it. But, it's not all stress. Supervising also provides these joys (and potential joys): Seeing someone develop their talent beyond their first expectations Collaborating to solve process problems and making jobs easier Bringing a smile to a customer's face Achieving your goals, even when it seemed impossible Growing as a leader Learning from mistakes and gaining the ability to smile at them Making a powerful difference in your organization Setting a positive example of shared, participative leadership Holding yourself...

Have you been through Leadership 101? There may be hundreds (maybe thousands) of courses, workshops, and trainings on Leadership 101 to prepare a leader for action and success. Many of them are useful. Many of them are not. If you are in preparation to become a leader or you are a front line leader just starting to figure it all out, here is my shortcut list to the skills you must develop to succeed as a leader: take charge build trust solve problems achieve your goals When new leaders work on and accomplish those things the chance for success are much greater - possibly even assured. Take charge: step up to your new responsibilities and accept the idea that you may no longer act like a victim in anything. You are in charge. Make decisions. Stay true to your word and tell the truth. Consult with people, collaborate with people, listen carefully to others and remember that there is no passing the blame for leaders. Whatever else happens it's up to you. Build tr...

What do you say if a decision you made turns sour? Some leaders are tempted to blame others. Some leaders simply stay quiet. The best leaders that I've worked with own their decisions, right or wrong. If things turn out less than they expected, they say so. If the decision was off the mark the high performance leader takes the blame. It doesn't fool anyone, anyway, to hide from a bad decision. Admit it, and move on. Successful leaders take responsibility for their decisions. How about you? Doug Smith Front Range Leadership:  High Performance Leadership Training doug smith training:  how to achieve your goals What have you learned today?

Photo by L. Scott Force How often does your team see you smile? I've known leaders who haven't been known to smile. They seem almost grim. They could be fine leaders, sincere and high performance in nature but for some reason they just don't smile. How do you think a team reacts to that? People like to see you smile. It puts them at ease. It creates a bond. It feels right because don't we all want to be happy? And, smiling is the most clear outward sign that someone is happy. When you're happy, it's easier for me to be happy. When I'm happy (and smile!) it sends a little but powerful signal to you that it's perfectly OK for you to be happy, too. Let's all be happy! There is something priceless about a leader who smiles. Smile! -- Doug Smith doug smith training:  how to achieve your goals Front Range Leadership:  High performance leadership training