Jamie Notter tagged me in the leadership meme he inadvertently started with his post on becoming a leader.
If I had to pick only 3 tips, here’s what I’d recommend:
Praise in public, correct in private.
This encompasses a number of things – catch your people doing good stuff. Make sure the people “above” you know when the people “below” you think of or do something great. Remember that good ideas can come from anywhere. There’s no such thing as too much praise. Saying thank you is free. Make sure your people know that you have their backs.
Be willing to take risks.
Refusing to make a decision IS a decision. The only decision you’ll ever make in life that you can’t change later is the decision to have kids. Whatever you’re considering is probably not *that* serious. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that could happen if we do this?”AND “What’s the worst thing that could happen if we DON’T do this?”
Behave with integrity.
People have to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can trust you. That doesn’t mean you’re never going to screw up. But when you do, own it and FIX IT.