The Recipe of Good Leadership

I came across this amazing Udemy course by Chris Croft: “Leadership: Practical Leadership Skills”. I am not into a managerial role. But I wanted to have knowledge about the essentials of leadership. So I took up this course and I was very impressed by all the points which were put across during the course. Sharing some points which I had taken while pursuing the course. I hope you find it useful :)

Leadership skills:

leader vs manager

• [-] Leader more about getting things done
• [-] Manager more about motivation and knowing what ppl wants etc.
• [-] A good manager needs to be a good leader and vice versa

A Leader’s responsibility

• [-] Do the main work for sure. Anything else is good to have.
• [-] Train ppl for tasks which are not necessarily to be done by the captain
• [-] Have a system in place
• [-] Keep the ppl appreciated and motivated
• [-] Make sure to check on quality from time to time
• [-] A good boss is the one who is in control, builds a machine of people
• [-] Got to work in 3 areas: people, systems and vision
• [-] The manager is always responsible for everything that happens in the team

Everything is management’s fault

• [-] Management is responsible for any and every mistake/actions knowingly/unknowingly committed by the employee.
• [-] If you have the right people and the right monitoriting in place, you are okay.

Methods of Monitoring

• [-] Management by wandering about (MBWA). Walk around the whole office every day. Have a real feel for what’s happening. Communication is very important
• [-] Back to the floor: For a stipulated time per year, try to go back to the basic job and try doing it. No need to be secretive. Better decision making due to this experience.

Communication

• [-] Information cascade: Pass down at every level
• [-] Team meetings
• [-] Addressing the troops: Eg. All hands. Makes ppl feel part of something big.
• [-] He who communicates, leads

Leadership: born or made?

• [-] Depends on what you do, not what you are.
• [-] Anybody can be a good leader if you know the right thing to do
• [-] Action centered leadership:
• |==== (1) Work gets done
• |==== (2) Team is happy
• |==== (3) Individuals are happy
• [-] Stages in which tasks need to be done:
• |==== (1) Setting objective
• |==== (2) Planning
• |==== (3) Briefing
• |==== (4) Action
  

MOTIVATION:

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

• [-] Physiological Needs
• [-] Safety/security
• [-] Belonging
• [-] Esteem/status
• [-] Self actualization

The Management Potato

• [-] Thanking people is very important
• [-] Potato of performance:
• |==== (1) Good performance
• |==== (2) expert
• |==== (3) needs improvement
• [-] Manager should focus on all the areas
• [-] Can use shit sandwich while talking about improvement
• [-] Good-bad-good news
• [-] Help them what can be done differently next time for the “needs improvement” areas. Be positive about it.

People Matrix:

      ---------|--------------------------|------------------------|
        Task   |                          |                        |
        Facts  |    ANALYTICAL            |      CONTROLLER        |
        Logic  |                          |                        |
      ---------|--------------------------|------------------------|----
        People |                          |                        |
       Feelings|    AMIABLE               |      ENTHUSIAST        |
       Emotions|                          |                        |
      ---------|--------------------------|------------------------|----
               |    Quiet                 |    Assertive           |
               |   Careful                |      Quick             |
               |   Thoughtful             |    Decisive            |
               |Take their time           |    Outspoken           |

Types of people

• [-] Personalities vary.
• [-] Need to adapt to the different personalities
  
• [-] Manage people depending on which type they fall into
  
  

[1] Analytical:

• |==== (1) Intereseted in some amount of security.
• |==== (2) Likes rules, processes, system in place.
• |==== (3) Plenty of explaination of whats going on in the company.
• |==== (4) Keen on self-actualization.

[2] Controller:

• |==== (1) Hard to manage.
• |==== (2) Easy to motivate, since they are very driven.
• |==== (3) Intereseted in status and self-actualization.

[3] Enthusiast:

• |==== (1) Much more socially driven.
• |==== (2) Like to be important.
• |==== (3) Have lots of strengths: Creative, Energy, excitement.
• |==== (4) To manage these kind of people, give them an exciting vision of the future.
• |==== (5) Such people needs controlling so that they stay on tracks.
• |==== (6) Moody.

[4] Amiable:

• |==== (1) More concerned with social and security side of things.
• |==== (2) They want to be a part of team. Like to feel the sense of belonging.
• |==== (3) They want to feel looked after. Want to feel that you care.
• |==== (4) Managers need to give time and nurture.

How will these types of people be in case if they are the managers?

[1] Analytical:

• |==== (1) Very fair boss and a good communicator.
• |==== (2) Not a natural communicator.
• |==== (3) More of a 1To1 communicator.
• |==== (4) Won’t enjoy giving inspirational talks.
• |==== (5) Need to work on vision.
• |==== (6) Not a risk taker.
• |==== (7) They do like to have a plan.
• |==== (8) Sensible and a nicely organised leader

[2] Controller:

• |==== (1) Very dynamic leader.
• |==== (2) Lead from the front.
• |==== (3) Solve problems as they go along.
• |==== (4) May not be a very sympathetic leader.
• |==== (5) May leave people behind, if they cant keep up.
• |==== (6) Need to make an effort to be caring.

[3] Enthusiast:

• |==== (1) Very good leader.
• |==== (2) Naturally enthusiastic vision.
• |==== (3) Must remember to communicate enough details to people like Analyticals.
• |==== (4) An inspirational Leader.

[4] Amiable:

• |==== (1) Probably not going to push themselves forward to be the leader.
• |==== (2) Can actually make a very good senior manager. Because, at that level, quite a lot of job is actually about judging people.
• |==== (3) Moving people into the right kind of jobs.
• |==== (4) Not a pushy thrusting type of manager. Hence, may never become a top boss.
  

Is money a motivator?

• [-] Mostly No
• [-] Self-actualization and status has nothing to do with money, even though it may bring security
• [-] Money is a push motivator, not a pull motivator. i.e. It will make you do things, but will not make you want to do things
• [-] Below a point it works
• [-] Pay increase has only a short term effect. It makes an individual think that they got it just because they must be doing a good job.
• [-] Praise + Money is more effective than just Money
• [-] For creative tasks, more money == Less output. Thats because money distracts you from the task. It replaces the motivation.
• [-] Money matters are always unfair
• [-] Better to motivate people with other factors than Money
• [-] Worth thinking: Will you do a better job at work if you are silently paid more?
• |==== YES: That means you are not performing your best currently
• |==== NO : That means money is not a motivator for you
  

20 Motivational essentials

• [01] Give everybody ownership of something
• [02] Involve people as mush as possible
• [03] Challenges (give them to everyone)
• [04] Let them Set their own objectives
• [05] Do appraisals
• [06] Make people feel secure
• [07] Give out praise
• [08] Thank people
• [09] Coach & support
• [10] Know your people
• [11] Offer learning
• [12] Show progress
• [13] Co-develop (growth & career)
• [14] Reach potentials
• [15] Help to grow
• [16] Keep things varied
• [17] Create a social environment
• [18] Build team spirit
• [19] Make money adequate
• [20] Set an example (be positive)
  

Leadership Styles

• [-] It’s all about control.
• [1] Tells:
• |==== Just telling what you want.
• |==== Not so motivational.
• [2] Sells:
• |==== Telling what you want and why.
• |==== Quick and a bit more motivational
• [3] Consults:
• |==== Tell what you want and ask for their thoughts about it.
• |==== More motivational.
• |==== Slower ad less control.
• [4] Shares:
• |==== Not much control
• |==== Time consuming
• [5] Delegates:
• |==== Instead of sharing, delegate
• |==== Ask to check with you first before going ahead.
• |==== No control
• |==== Just monitoring
• |==== Quicker for you
• |==== Motivational for them
• [6] Abdicate:
• |==== Delegate.
• |==== Similar to sharing, but here you don’t care about the decision.
• |==== So you don’t monitor
• |==== Don’t give support
• |==== More likely to go wrong
• [7] Empower:
• |==== Extend support
• |==== Give them full control
• |==== No monitoring

Delegating

• [-] Trusting and supporting
• [-] Empower others
• [-] Extend help when needed
• [-] Spend time adding value
• [-] Keep your word when u trust others
• [-] Use a sliding scale to make sure that people are keeping up the trust
• [-] Trust leads to ownership. People will take more care.
• [-] Advantages of Delegation:
• |==== (1) Motivation
• |==== (2) Better work
• |==== (3) Learning
• |==== (4) You don’t have to do it
• |==== (5) Less risk
• |==== (6) Promotions loom
• [-] Objections to Delegating:
• |==== (1) Fear of unknown (can be solved by monitoring)
• |==== (2) Fear of overtaking
• |==== (3) Too busy to explain
• |==== (4) I like the work (Have to let it go, pass it down)
• |==== (5) I may run out of work
• |==== (6) My team are already too busy
• [-] Would you be missed?
• [-] What if I wasnt here?
• [-] Create a system, make someone responsible
• [-] How to delegate:
• |==== (1) Delegate at 80% (even if they can do 80% good job)
• |==== (2) How will they get to 100%?
• |==== (3) Should you challenge people? (If not time bound, give to new people)
• [-] Words to use while delegating
• |==== (1) What you want
• |==== (2) Why its important
• |==== (3) Why them?
• |==== (4) What the limits are
• |==== (5) Reporting processes
• |==== (6) Offer support
• |==== (7) Check if they are okay
• |==== (8) “You can do it”
• [-] Taking the monkey
• [-] Don’t accept what u cant do
• [-] Don’t take the monkey
• [-] Ask what have you tried so far?
• [-] Follow up
• [-] Ask them to go and come up with a plan
• [-] Which one do YOU think will work?
• [-] Get them to do it and follow up
• [-] It’s a failure to take it
• [-] Pass on the authority

Leadership Styles Part 2

Competencies:

                                    Competence
                            LOW                   HIGH
                    |-------------------|---------------|---|
                    |       (1)         |       (2)     | --|---> Empower (No monitoring, 
                    |  Enthusiastic     |   Experienced |___|      Ask for support if needed)
              HIGH  |      new          |       and         |
                    |    learner        |     Fulfilled     |
         Commitment/|                   |                   |
         Motivation |-------------------|-------------------|
                    |       (3)         |        (4)        |
              LOW   |    Lacking        |   Bored           |
                    |   Confidence      |   Misdirected or  |
                    |  or interest      |   misunderstood   |
                    |-------------------|-------------------|

• [1] LOW Competence/ HIGH Motivation
• |==== Not sustainable.
• |==== Eg: New employee. Move across once you learn.
• |==== Need Teaching/KT
• |==== Give instructions.
• |==== Tell what and how.
• [2] HIGH Competence/ HIGH Motivation
• |==== Empower them.
• |==== No issues with such people
• |==== Delegate
• [3] LOW Competence/ LOW Motivation
• |==== Everything’s management fault.
• |==== May be in the wrong job.
• |==== May need coaching.
• |==== Pull information in. Praise.
• |==== Coach
• [4] HIGH Competence/ LOW Motivation
• |==== Bad management.
• |==== Try to motivate.
• |==== Involve in decision making
• |==== Pull information out. Thank.
• |==== Involve
  

The Freedom Ladder (Highest to lowest)

• [5] Free to act. Routine reporting only
• [4] Report afterwards
• [3] Suggest- Check before acting
• [2] Ask what to do next
• [1] Wait until told
  
• [-] Try to move people higher up the ladder
  
• [-] Decide the amount of control which you want in “Plan” and “Do” parts
  

Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly

• [-] Daily:
• |==== (1) Management by walking about
• |==== (2) Thinking/vision
• |==== (3) Jobs “to do” list at EOD
• [-] Weekly
• |==== (1) Thank everyone who works for you
• |==== (2) Team meetings
• |==== (3) 1:1 coaching of one person per week
• |==== (4) Time planning
• [-] Monthly
• |==== (1) Review each person’s progress relative to the goals set at their appraisals
• |==== (2) Project progress review meetings for each project
• |==== (3) Do a motivation review of each person
• |==== (4) Are they motivated
• |==== (5) What challenges have they been given
• |==== (6) Do each one have ownership of something
• |==== (7) What are they learning
• |==== (8) What coaching might they need?
• [-] Yearly
• |==== (1) Appraisals
• |==== (2) Ask people about feedback for yourself
• |==== (3) Address teams on past, present and future
• |==== (4) Do between a day and a week of “Back to the floor”
• |==== (5) Review your personal goals and life quality
• |==== (6) Go on a course of some sort - get new ideas
• |==== (7) Read a book on the subject of your work
  

I would really recommend everyone to opt for this course. You won’t get the whole picture just by looking at the notes :)

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