Dr. David Rafeedie

It is a success story. Fred is a team leader who motivates and inspires his team. His superiors often recognize Fred and his team for their productivity. They are the highest performing team in their organization, and they have been for the past five years. It is no coincidence this became a performing team when they hired Fred five years ago. He had the qualities that allowed him to excel and made those around him better. His team had truly achieved synergy and are a high performing team. They are flexible and smart. Under Fred’s leadership, the team takes the initiative and stays aligned with the vision and the mission of the organization. His superiors cannot say enough good things about Fred. He is the rising start in the organization.

An example of what Fred and his team could accomplish happened about a year ago. His organization needed a quick turnaround to receive, repair, and reship thousands of parts. Fred asked his team to go above and beyond. They worked around the clock. They divided into two groups, and each group worked 12 hours. A day shift and a night shift working 24/7 for three weeks straight until they completed the task. It was a record volume and a record time. The team was tired but felt fulfilled at a job well done. For the next two weeks, because of the results of their efforts, Fred allowed them to be flexible with their time. They had more time than usual at home and for breaks, if the job was still getting done. Fred’s superiors and his team showered him with kudos him. He made everyone around him look good.

Fred is not just a lucky leader. He is an intentional leader. He knows how to lead, and he knows how to lead teams. He practices some specific principles that move his team toward excellence in performance.

The principles of a strong leadership below are not exhaustive by any means. But they are the principle practices that characterize Fred’s leadership of his team. These same practices are the characteristics that can help elevate any leader’s performance regardless of the position in the organization. Whether you lead paid employees or have oversight of volunteers following these principles will make you a better leader and your team a better performing group of people.

Strong leaders inspire and motivate their teams

Many people find themselves in a position of leadership due to their role in the organization. Though they are in a leadership position does not necessarily mean they can lead. Being in leadership and leading are two different things.

At the beginning of his book, Start with Why Simon Sinek says this, “There are leaders, and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power and influence. Those who lead inspire us. Whether individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead not for them, but for ourselves.” (Sinek, 2009)

It isn’t a sin to not have leadership skills. But wise women and men who do not and find themselves in a leadership role will put people in place around them who mitigate their weaknesses.

Strong leaders put the right people in the right place

Everybody has strengths and weaknesses. Everybody has a limit to their capacity, even if that capacity is great. Strong leaders put people in place who bring strength in their area or areas of weakness. Whether that strength is a matter of skill set or the ability to think strategically, a strong leader builds a strong team for the good of the organization.

However, the right people in the right place is not just about skill. The right people in the right place also means time was taken to determine if there is a good match with the rest of the team at the time of hire. I can’t say enough about that. The wrong person on a team can make the team culture toxic. For a team to perform well and achieve synergy and not be distracted by infighting, territorialism or other distractions the team members must be able to function well together.

Strong decision making is a characteristic of good leaders

• Strong leaders make decisions quickly. They realize they don’t have to be perfect or even make the right decision every time. Mistakes can always be corrected. The truth is, the longer a leader or an organization takes to decide things the more opportunities they miss. Miss enough opportunities and growth is slowed to a crawl or comes to a dead stop.

• Strong leaders make decisions about the right things. Every organization has decision making taking place at every level of management. But the team leader must be focused on what is strategic for his or her team. That focus will help determine what must happen now.

• Doing the right thing is a characteristic of strong leadership. That is the first consideration. When a leader is first concerned with what a decision looks like, or what the resistance will be, then the progress of the team and organization will always be hindered. The decision maker must be courageous enough to take a calculated risk and not be slowed or immobilized by fear.

• Strong leaders also realize how they make decisions is important: the right decision-making framework can help change a culture for the better. Effectiveness in accomplishing the organization's mission is either mitigated or facilitated by the right decision-making framework. More about this in an upcoming blog.

Clarity of expectations characterizes good leadership

 In his excellent book, The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni, devotes 3 out of 5 chapters to clarity. He makes the point that a strong leader creates, communicates, and reinforces clarity. I love the statement he makes about leaders reinforcing the direction of the organization; “Great leaders see themselves as Chief Reminding Officers as much as anything else.” (Lencioni, 2012, p. 142)

Here are four critical factors to be clear on with your team and organization:

• Quality—lack of clarity may be the biggest hindrance to being effective and achieving excellence.

• The bigger picture—the responsibility of the leader is to ensure clarity about where an organization is going and how the team contributes to that vision.

• What is most important now—what do you want them to do?

• On SOP – How are we going to get there? If some practices are outside the culture of acceptable organizational behavior or culture, it is important for everyone to be aware of what those are.

A strong leader knows her team members, and she shows appreciation for a job well done.

Good leadership recognizes achievement. Leaders are pro-active in looking for it. They reward success, and they do so in ways that are meaningful to the individual or team—they put thought into it and show creativity. The team members see this and are inspired to achieve. Recognizing achievement or a job well done is a morale booster.  

Strong leaders know the importance of team development and professional development

• A leader facilitates and insists on professional development for the team and the individuals on the team.

• She makes sure the team is well equipped for the job.

• It is a win-win investment in resources.

Strong leaders focus on results

Good leaders don’t play the blame game when someone makes a mistake. They assess and discuss what should be done differently in the future. They come up with solutions and move forward. It could be a teaching moment and a time for growth for the individual and the team as a whole.

One good idea during meetings one administrator instituted in her administration team meetings is the “mulligan moment” where an employee would share how they dropped the ball, what they learned, and how they addressed the situation. The administrator then gave out a gift card to a popular coffee shop.

Strong leaders are secure enough to give away credit—not hollow platitudes, but credit where credit is due

As you can see, Fred’s success was not magic. In fact, anyone watching how Fred lead and managed could predict the outcome. Fred’s team always hit the target. They did so with enthusiasm and joy. They love working for Fred, and he loved his team. Hey, what’s not to love!

What is the most important aspect of leadership? You are! The leader is the key to success of any team or organization. As the leader goes so goes the team; so goes the organization. Leadership is an art and science. It is something that can be learned and practiced by anyone. It is true, some people are more natural leaders than others, but it is also true everyone can learn to lead. Don’t be fooled into thinking only certain personality types can lead. If you practice the leadership principles mentioned in this article, you will develop into a strong leader. Working with the right coach can help you improve your leadership and focus on the most important aspect of leadership—you.