I read a great item on a discussion group (The Emotional Intelligence Network) this morning which asked people for the best leadership lessons they learnt. I thought I would share my top 5 with you from this list:
- Understand your values and lead by example.
- Surround yourself with smart people and listen to them.
- ‘Shoe Leather’ – lead by walking around. By doing this you see, hear and learn so much.
- Be specific in asking for deliverables so expectations are clear, but focus on the outcome not the task. Their way of delivering may be better than yours!
- Appreciate the differences in people.
Finally, I would add that it is useful to understand what motivates (and de-motivates) each person on your immediate team. By understanding this and acting on it (where possible) we have a better chance of working well together and allowing each individual achieve their potential within the context of the team.
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eadinehickey 
2 responses to “Leadership Lessons”
Hi Eadine
Yes I agree that it really critical for the leader to really engage with the team members and to understand that often their values and motivations may be entirely different to our own: therefore it is essential to really understand what makes each individual “tick”.
Best regards
Deirdre
PEOPLE RESOURCES
Thanks for your comment Deirdre.
I really like your book on Emotional Intelligence. I found it to be a really practical and easy read. Well worthwhile!
Eadine