By: Greg Gaughan, CEO, Tempus Innovations
The transition from individual contributor to people leader is tough, and so is becoming an effective leader. I’ve been around great leaders my whole career, and they all taught me something different. Here are the 5 most valuable lessons I learned. When combined with some grit and self-awareness, these tactics will help you become a successful leader.
1. Have a purpose. Don’t start a new job or stay in a current one without a clear purpose. If you do not manage yourself effectively, it’s difficult to effectively lead others. Purpose needs to be visceral, not just more money and responsibility. A passionate leader with purpose is remarkable. There is no such thing as status quo in leading. If you are not assessing, creating and changing, you’re losing.
2. Have a plan. Always know your top 3 priorities and what you need to do to win. A good plan with great execution will always beat a great plan with good execution. By the time your plan is “great” the circumstances have changed anyway. Pareto is key here as the 20/80 rule works every time, just make sure you have the right “20”. Quick test - if you come to work and do emails for most of the day, you may lack both a purpose and a plan. You need to play offense and defense, don’t just react to everything.
3. Don’t confuse strategy and execution. Strategy involves doing different activities than your competitors to achieve a competitive advantage. Operational excellence is doing the same thing everyone else does, but better. If it were a cookbook I’d say add ½ cup of strategy and 2 cups of execution. Too many teams lack focus and screw up the easy stuff that customers want, like answering the phone and doing stuff on time.
4. Hire smart people that get stuff done. Smart means intellectually curious, energetic, resourceful. Don’t get hung up on which schools or how many degrees. Guide people, don’t micromanage, and make sure your A players know they are A players.
5. Celebrate small wins. If you keep waiting for that “big win” it will never happen. Goals change as you achieve some success, and the goal line keeps moving back with new expectations. Stop and celebrate small wins and recognize efforts and contributions. Success is dynamic and thrives in a culture of recognition. My happiest moments come from watching others succeed. I wouldn’t have said that when I was 25, but something happened over time in my career as a leader, and it changed my life and made the struggles of becoming a better leader all worthwhile.
We’d like to hear your comments and questions. Leadership is a journey and we can all learn from each other. Interested in learning more about us or a career with Tempus? Please reach out!