Dear Bill,

Great advice. I agree wholeheartedly with your 5 Questions. I would add a 6th:

How do you create a learning environment for your Team?

I believe that the foundation for growth, innovation and change is learning. I have practiced law for 30 years. Every day there are new cases, statutes, and changes in the law that effect you and your clients. A lawyer must stay abreast of these changes to fulfill his professional responsibities.

In business, there are new ideas, new processes, and a wealth of information that must be digested on a regular basis to grow in your chosen field. I suggest that learning and personal growth should be rewarded, especially sharing knowledge learned.

For example, I would work with my Team to identify 2 or 3 relevant issues that must be learned and shared every month. I would develop a metric to measure the learning that occurs, and how it is applied to help my team win. This would be evaluated during employee reviews and make up part of the bonus structure.

As Jack Welch said on page 50 in his book, "Winning: The Answers", "When you become a leader, success is all about growing others."

No sooner you becomes a boss, it is time to reflect upon yourself to ensure that you have the good of your bosses in you and you are devoid of the bad in them . Every adult was a child once and every child shall be an adult some day, yet the gap in perspective continues. Like most adults carry their childhood orientations, so do most bosses carry a bias towards their earlier functions. Every one on top heading an organization was once a functional head. Even after rising to the postion of general managment, the bias towards his initial function and specialization continues. As a result of which he does not accord relative merit to other functional heads.

Let's say the the CMD of an organization was once heading production. He now sees his business more from the point of what is easy to produce than the recommnedations from the marketing head wrt market need. Product portfolio in such company could be production driven rather than market driven. Bosses should learn to shed such biases.

Energetic freindly environment permitting wierd suggestions, initiatives and experiments makes work place fun for all. Most subordinates once told what needs to be done just want space for themselves without interference. Some need to know the how of their function. Education, culture, challenge and recognition if provided timely make one a good boss. Everyone needs the two - care and acknowledgement.

I believe that is very important for a new boss to be a good leader, following the answers given for each question above is very essential for each one of us.
First of all, the new boss should not motivate his employees finacially by giving them money to prform better for example, the bos should reward them by encouraging them that the work is well done, giving them advices indirectly, let them feel that they are a part of the project and they are involved and responsible for each specific task they do!Employees feel that they are excited to work, they are encouraged to start the day at work, feeling that challenging non- routine tasks shall be finished on time through their knowledge, experience and skills.
Second, a good leader shall select the right people for a project,in order to get a good team. However in this case i think that assigning responsibilities is very essential. before doing so, the leader should compare the tasks and look in what job each employee fits! thus the leader can now find employees who can complete the group and who can share work together efficiently and effectively.
Third of all, leader should look for people who are motivated to do the job, they are active and always add velue to the tasks assigned for them.They are challengersand seekers. Moreover, it is very important for the leader to persuade his employees that they are not working for him, but they are working with him and covince them that he is appreciating any improvement that add value to the work, thus the organization. Also he should set a clearly vision and set the goals with them, thus each employee will be cnvinced and involved better in the job.
Fourthly, employees should share their understandings with each others especially with their leader. In this case, the leader shoul teach his followers on how the work should be done in a better way, where they can improve the most and how. The leader should always give feedback for employees, convince them that the business they are working in is improving over the years, and thats due to the hardwork of the followers and their improvements during those years for example.
The leader should be talented and ambitious who can handle any kind of challenges and who could cope with any changes in the envirinment that can affect the business.
I can add that the leader should build a good relationship with his followers, communication is very important between members of the group, he could ensure and watch closely how the members are communicating, how they are following up the work, satisfy their needs especially monitoring the socio-emotional needs of the team members to guarantee more productivity.
So when you become a boss, you should be a good leader. Each individual shoul appreciate you, respect the way you think and work, follows your guidelines, norms, and rules while doing the job, and the most important thing to be convinced by the whole work in order to perform effectively and efficiently, thus reaching organizational goals.

Echoing Lawrence Berezin's sentiments above, I think adding a question on creating an inspired learning environment rounds out your elegant equation. Today's top movers in the talent pipeline have a need to see the next passage ahead as they perform their current role. Giving stretch assignments and providing constant learning support tells a star, "I see you rising, and I'm going to help you elevate to your next level."

Thank you for your great ideas.

Seems to be a heavy focus on finding "great people". However...
a quote from a post above... "When you become a leader, success is all about growing others." seems to be more relevant...

A great leader CREATES great people.

I agree with the article and many of the prior comments. Having been in both positions - leader and follower and both simultaneously I feel that the two most important things are communication -- honest communication - and the building of a team.
I am in sales, and stress constantly to my gtoup that we are a team. It is important that the leader create an atmosphere where each member of the team feels comfortable in expressing their feelings. Open and honest communication is the backbone of teamwork.
Openly expressing pride in a member of the team's accomplishments (and not necessarily through dollars or awards) can go a long way - especially in building a young team into a mature one.
Lastly, a good leader shares knowledge constantly but does not take the credit for the knowledge learned or the accomplishments. Always allow your team members to be the heroes -- after all that is how you got to that leadership position -- someone saw that you were one.

A lesson I learned years ago may be more relevant today than ever: Leaders have to know when not to lead. A young manager may feel that he or she must demonstrate leadership by making all the decisions and charting every course. However, perhaps the worst disservice a leader can do to the great people who work with her is to deny them the opportunity to contribute their leadership to hers. Taking the reins away from other smart and capable "great people" will only frustrate them and cause their existing leadership skills to attrophy. Hire great people and enable them to become greater.

When I think of leaders, I think of people who should have two areas of prime focus:
1. To live in the future

and

2. Pick the right people.

Dear Bill, that is succinct and high impact advice, particularly to young leaders. Another element that I would emphasize, which would be particulary valuable for young and or entrprenurial leaders is that people want to count on their leader. They want to have faith that their leader's passion and excitment is grounded in integrity. Leaders need to, as a fundamental characteristic of their leadership, "do what they say they are going to do."

Nice job. Thank you.

Hi Bill. I agree with this article. I believe that self monitoring yourself on a routine bases is an essential trait. Treating yourself the same as everybody else will make you a more respected leader. All of the great Kings in history were out there in the battlefield with their soldiers.

great recipe for creating team of giants.

leaders can also ask themselves, when was the last they did
what these questions are pointing towards.

Thanks
manoj onkar
09375970812
manojonkar@gmail.com

nice article

i think the current leaders should have a mix of

sensitivity and sensibility , i think these two qualities are something that is required but missing from the current generation.

thanks

Excellent thoughts, the modern leader needs to develop an empathy for staff that they inherit and take time to get to know people before making business / life changing decisions. If you are a new leader into a job, take time to study what goes on and why, only then can you make informed decisions about the future. Jumping in like a 'bull in a china shop' only makes people think you are an idiot and as you say 'stars don't work for idiots'

Great advice. I especially liked reading what Professor John
Sullivan of San Francisco State University said. Star's don't work for idiots. I so agree with that.

Well you all have good ideas for leadership in vertical systems...I am no longer interested in vertical systems of bosses. They represent a paradigm we need to leave. "Circles of responsibility"
"Circles of ownership" We really don't need bosses rather we need everyone to embrace the mission as equals and our roles are to lift each other up and support each others success as equals. Bosses can be replaced with facilitators of process trained in conflict skills like non-violent communication and modified consensus. This facilitator of communications can also be a coach working with each team member and their professional development.
This is a model to build a new more collaborative, productive, responsible and empowering world around.
Chuck Learned

Point '3' is a very powerful statement i.e " Can you find geat people who aren't looking for you". It encompasses so many traits of person who wants to be a young leader. However the traits of leader
are much more than what is covered in this five points. Personally
I feel though these points can be useful for an upcoming leader, what is necessary is to tread a path, which no body has travelled and achieve success. In this there are two points one is you will not have bias about your own back ground and second bias towards other depts, this also shows flexibility or verstality of the leader.

Like in Bhgavatgita Lord Krishna says - do your karma (work) without expectation and with all the devotion and sincertiy and chances of your failure are not there or you will not face failure

hello would love to suscribe news and articles from you
looking ahead

reagrds
eddna samuel

Thanks for your great advice,Bill!
Personaly speaking,as a leader,his hole job may focus on finding the right people,creating a comfortable atmasphere,and making them great ones who can also "create great people"(Eric Dawson ).

Dear Bill,
As I read this article you have opened my mind about many thing s in my life as i am currently living right now. Today I ended a relationship with the man I truely believed I was suppose to marry and be happy with for the rest of my life here on earth and than on. As I found out today things aren't always what they seem to be.
I am the type of person who pushs myself till theres nothing left of me and I can't even logically comprehend anything goin on outside of my head. My biggest aspirations in this lifetime is to be someone who postively changed the world(it may sound naive but that is what I have wanted since I was a child). So for a longtime I forget about all that I could do now/have done and lived in the future of all my possiblities. I am now starting to see that I made myself feel that because I was with someone I loved and cared about. I had to give up all the beautiful things that made me (ME!). So I did just that & now I work hard at a job where I have grow up and learned so much about myself as well as the industary that fuels the very passion I live to express which is music. I realize now I am only human but I also realize I don't have to throw away my independance for no one especailly if they feel like i'm not living according to what they believe i should be doing or be saying or thinking. People have put me in leadership positions for they believe I can lead, motivate and inspire others around me with only a smile or honest words of encouragement. as I grew up i stop thinking about who i affected people on my own individual level and now that I am single I feel i have now started to believe in my presence more as just me than just the supporting role in a relationship where i had to struggle for my own sense of being. Love should be an opportunity to want to be better not just for your other half but also for yourself with or without the support of your loved one. I always felt that I had something to prove to him but i really didn't & don't. I was in love with that fantasy love is always a good things. now I believe it depends on the type of love your receiving and giving. I need so much to believe in myself that I can longer be the person he wanted or needed because he did the same to me. I am a strong woman who needs to find the balance in wanting, doing, achieving, needing, emotions, and love(not only loving myself for who i really am, loving others for who they are but loving us all for what we are as imperfected humans). Now the hardest part is simply staying afloat to feel what real happiness can be or just is. that is now why i live my life starting today. no regrets no negatives no pity no fantasy no past mistakes, only moving forward is a must. may the lord bless us all and help us grow to bless one another for all times. thank you for helping me understand a little piece to the bigger picture we live.

Someone who has already made a difference
one peace one joy one love
Sincerely
Janet A.

Bill -

This was the first post of yours I have read and I must say, am very impressed.

I consider myself to be one of the young leaders you are addressing, and from that perspective, I think there was one question missing from your analysis: Are you able to continuously challenge those around you to achieve at a progressively higher level?

This is an interesting question from two perspectives:

1) New challenges are exciting to great people, whether in their area of expertise or not. Knowing they will continue to learn & evolve is a "must have" for any top tier talent. It creates a well-rounded, highly experienced workforce, who becomes your next round of leaders.

2) Young people (my generation - Gen Y) get bored very easily. Teaching them new things & challenging them is CRITICAL to having high retention rates for 27-33 year olds (often the "workhorses" in an organization) - even if it doesn't lead to promotion by the typical means (money & title).

I've bookmarked you and will be reading going forward.

Steve

Wonderful article. Its really a challenge to new and talented bosses who want to hire, work and retain the best people. Thank you so much

I look forward to being a member...

Bill,

Enjoyed your commentary. I am wondering: Does a good leader have to have demonstrated the ability to be a good follower?

Samuel