1. Put people first

People will respond in positive ways and everyone wins. This is a challenge with growing competition and the pursuit of profit.

2 .The goal at work should always be collaboration

Creating internal competition between people can lead to poor morale, low productivity and poor teamwork. This, however, is an assumed strategy for many leaders to increase productivity.

3. Enable people to find joy in their work

People find joy at work when abilities and interests are matched and work is challenging yet also matched with high skills. Stop silly rewards and contests to motivate although this is an assumed good strategy.

4. Communicate often

Keep all followers fully informed on all aspects of the business if you want them to feel like partners vs. just employees. This can be a challenge for some leaders who are reluctant to share all organizational information.

5. Enable development

Have the best interests and development of all followers a top priority. Areas like training and staff development are usually the first to be cut when the business is doing poorly.

6. Focus on positive and frequent feedback which is informal combined with a formal goal setting process and review

Many leaders focus instead on a rigid negative based form of evaluation which can cause people to become defensive.

7. Create a strong culture with clear vision, mission, values, and expected behaviors for the organization

Instead, some leaders do not act like a role model of what they expect which can cause conflict and confusion for followers.

8. Leaders should develop follower skills

It is important to be able to lead and also follow. Ego can get in the way of following.

9. Encourage people to develop self-awareness

When we are comfortable with ourselves we are available to listen and support others. If the leader is not self-aware, then having empathy and care for others is more difficult to achieve.

10. Leaders should be teachers

Leaders should guide and enable success. As a teacher leaders should set examples, provide support, experience and tools to enable success.

I’ll be cheering you on as you go!

Craig Nathanson

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