It's that time of year when almost everyone sets a few resolutions they would like to see happen in their lives this year. While most of these have to do with our personal life, it's always a good idea as a leader to set at least resolution pertaining to your leadership. We never want to stagnate and stop growing so pick one area of your leadership that you want to see change and go for it.
Here are some ideas of leadership resolutions you may want to consider.
1. Spend more time recognizing good work.The studies are everywhere, people thrive on praise and appreciation for a job well done. Too often as leaders we are always on the hunt for what's wrong and what needs to be fixed. While these are worthy pursuits, they can sometimes blind us to the equally important task of noticing and rewarding what's good. The solution? Place on your to do list everyday to find something right around the office and hold it up as an example.
2. Spend more time fostering vision. People want leaders who are visionary. Employees want to know they are heading somewhere. A great leader is always thinking ahead into the future, charting a course, and bringing others in on it. The enemy of visionary leadership however is management. When we get caught up in the day-to-day routine of work and fail to plan time to think, our vision begins to fade. The solution? Schedule in a regular time every week or two weeks to get away from the office to do nothing but think and brainstorm. The time away will do you well and the vision you foster will both inspire you and motivate your people.
3. No doghouses. Doghouses are for dogs, not people. This year vow that if you need to talk to an employee about their poor performance, you will do it right away. Otherwise you risk coming off cold and edgy around them until you have things settled. They know what's going on because your actions and demeanor speak louder than your words. Bring some closure for your sake and theirs. Vow to never leave a reprimand until Monday. Do it before the weekend so everything has been dealt with before everyone goes away. This is especially important for those of us who hate conflict. Remember it's nothing personal, just business.
Whatever you choose to change this year, work extra hard on it for the first three months until you have established some new habits that will carry you through the rest of the year and beyond. Anytime we grow as leaders, we become more inspiring to be around, and that makes a huge difference for our people.
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