One of my absolute favorites in the leadership and management learning area is Peter Drucker. His wisdom in "The Effective Executive" and other publications is astounding. It's as relative today as it was when they were first published.
As arguably the father of modern management, Drucker's thought leadership has influenced countless professionals around the world. The idea is that despite all our unique personalities, talents, and ways of interacting with the world we can all learn to become "effective" in our contributions. He states:
"Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things."
This famous quote explains the difference between how well we do something (efficiency) and choosing to do the right things (effectiveness).
Often deciding to do the quick and easy thing causes problems in the future while taking time to reflect on the right course of action supports long-term success.
Later in his career, he was one of the first to help us differentiate management from leadership by substituting those words in his quote. It then becomes:
"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."
Effective leadership is essential to focus on the right things and not simply keep everyone busy with activities that aren't leading to meaningful results.
Here are some reminders:
Team focused goals
Strive to make decisions that are best for the team. They won't always be good for every person on the team. If they are best for the team at the time they will be the best decisions. Go for alignment, not consensus.
Stay with your strengths
Periodically assess how tasks are delegated to team members. Ensure they are assigned to improve employees' strengths, passions, and interests. This one aspect will help team member engagement, efficiency, and productivity.
Communicate for clarity
Clarity fades quickly in today's environment. Overstate for clarity why you're doing what you're doing. When you feel tired of saying the same things, that's the time to double down on communication efforts. This helps team members stay connected to how you're helping make the world a better place with your offerings.
Inspire
The Wright brothers were inspired to "fly" that's why they were successful in being the first to accomplish such a monumental task. If you're using the motivation technique of "stick and carrot" you're leading through a degree of fear. To get the best out of everyone, we must pump fear out of the room. This is everyone's job!
What's rewarded will be repeated
We all desire to be seen, heard, and valued. To do this, we need to make appreciation and gratitude the most abundant resource on your team. Model this in informal and formal recognition efforts and you will begin to see engagement soar.
Your efforts to become effective will enhance your leadership and the experience others have with you. Remember, we manage resources and lead people!
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