This leadership blog is dedicated to sharing specific ideas and actions to help lead and manage people more effectively. I believe that continuous learning from the ideas of others and reflecting upon your own experiences are critically important to your success as a leader.
This is not intended to be an academic exercise, although such books and studies can be highly useful. Don’t expect lofty prose or eloquent reports on management or leadership theory here. What you should expect is common sense wisdom gathered from experience and my own share of mistakes. What you will find is a practical review of management and leadership strategies and actions that have been proven to work over time.
I have seen extraordinary results come from ordinary people who were well led. Leadership is not a one-person, only from the top effort. The real leader knows the difference between “I” and “we.” He or she builds a team that moves together in a common and well-understood direction. Results and success come from many leaders throughout the team who work together to get the job done.
Leadership is about people, and leading them effectively. How effectively people are organized and managed, their commitment and passion for the organization’s purpose, and how they are motivated and led makes a huge difference in their individual and collective performance.
Good people – and by this I mean top performing managers and employees — can work just about anywhere. They will choose to work for a company based on its vision and purpose, and the quality of leadership provided. Yes, compensation and benefits are important, but they also want to be part of a team where they are recognized for their contributions.
I have learned over the years that almost all employees want to do well at work. When I first owned my own business, I came in at 6am and left at 8pm. I wondered why others didn’t put in the long days that I did. Now, I certainly needed to learn the meaning of a “balanced life.” But I also needed to recognize that for my team, the number of hours they put in weren’t as important as expecting them to work hard and effectively during their “normal” working hours.
I believe that when employees go home at night and are asked by those that care about them “how was your day,” they don’t want to report that it was another lousy day at the office. They want to feel pride in what they are doing. They want to deliver on what’s expected of them, and to be recognized for those efforts.
Managers must learn how to bring people together to do good and sustainable work, every day. Creating this environment is the heart of good leadership.
It is my hope that, by sharing my own experiences and strategies with you through this blog, you will be better equipped to lead your own team of people.
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Tags: Culture, Performance, Recognition, Vision
Jerry Baker began his career in the management development program at Ford Motor Company, later became a manager of budgets and analysis for Northrop Corporation, then furthered his management development as Deputy Director for the California Department of Commerce when Ronald Reagan was Governor.