Develop A Leadership Compass

You survived the latest round of management cuts but you’re not out of the woods yet. Better keep your head down and tow the company line, right? Wrong, say Dennis Haley and Ed Ruggero, co-authors of “The Leader’s Compass: Set Your Course For Leadership Success.”

Instead, develop a leadership compass to guide you during the toughest economic times—and make you indispensable to your organization. This entails:

• Developing a personal leadership philosophy. This is a written document outlining your personal values, priorities, how you’ll carry out your responsibilities, and your expectations of employees.
• Familiarizing yourself with your company’s goals and values. How do these goals mesh with your leadership philosophy? Ponder your company’s mission statement and decide whether it’s for you.
• Sharing your philosophy with your team. Explain the connection between your philosophy and the company’s goals.
• Holding people accountable. You owe your team 100%; expect the same.
• Living your leadership philosophy. Lead by example, and live your leadership philosophy with passion. “No one ever inspired a team by being half-hearted or wishy-washy,” Haley notes.
• Building your bench. Leaner corporate structures require critical decisions to be made at lower levels. Ensure that your subordinates have the ability to make these decisions.
• Making tough decisions. The decisions you make at work directly affect the organization’s vitality—even its existence. The right decision isn’t always the popular one.
• Working with others. If you can’t delegate, you can’t lead.
• Embracing diversity. Don’t favor people just because you feel more comfortable with them. Embrace people with a wide range of skills and backgrounds.
• Looking ahead. Don’t get stuck in survival mode. Step back periodically to reflect on the big picture.
• Growing continuously. Take risks and don’t be static.