By Ward Morrison
Charles Ochsner has been a role model of mine throughout my career. My professional relationship with him spans decades and has revealed a man who cares about his people, the community and his industry. Until recently, Charles ran the successful RE/MAX Alliance out of Arvada, CO. He was a stalwart business leader in the area and continues to be a respected community member.
What always stood out to me was how Charles treated people. Whether it was the janitor or the COO, each staff member got a hearty hello and an inquisitive conversation about how they were doing. This self-made man lead with diligence, ethical intuition and a deep care for each person he impacted. His sustained combination of friendliness and professionalism never failed to impress me.
I’m sure you have a role model in mind as well: someone who inspires everyone around her/him. It’s easy to spot a great leader, but how do you become one? I’m certainly not perfect, but I can say that I lead an amazing team. So, if an efficient, energetic, and productive team is what you’re after, here are some leadership best-practices to guide you (in guiding them).
Create and communicate a direction
If you don’t know where you’re going, how will a team of people effectively follow you? Define your destination with clear mission, vision, value, and belief statements. Make sure your staff is aware of each of these and top them off with short-term goals that you can refer back to. I close each staff meeting with a review of our goals so that the entire team is on the same page.
This step is an important component of charting a path to success and getting your people behind you. If you do this from the get-go, everyone will have the luxury of a birds-eye view as they navigate toward your company’s desired outcomes.
A work-life balance you can live by
Your team will look to you as a workplace example. If you flaunt workaholic tendencies by missing family events and all but sleeping at the office, they’ll infer you expect the same of them. Lead by example and head out of the office early for parent-teacher conferences or take a morning to go fishing.
If you do, your staff will not only understand the importance of work-life balance, they’ll also see that seeking it is encouraged. Show them through your own actions that what you do for pleasure is just as important as what you do at the office. When you and your team stay engaged with family, friends and hobbies, you will all be constantly reminded of why you come to work. And as a leader, a team that comes to work feeling invigorated by their purpose is exactly what you want.
Support their career goals
It may seem a bit counter-intuitive, but it’s essential that you support the career goals of each of your staff members. This holds true whether they’re looking to evolve at your company or elsewhere.
Honestly, churn can be good – especially if those employees are off to bigger and better things. You won’t stop ambitious people, so you might as well be their springboard. You’ll ensure that they continue doing their best for you (in the short-term) while expanding your network of allies (in the long-term). Really, it’s a win, win.
Find your sounding board
As a leader, you need someone to keep you in check too. This clearly can’t be a subordinate. So, look to another branch of your company – or even outside it to find someone whom you trust.
This person will be your go-to when you’re unsure of a judgement call or for advice when the going gets tough. Believe me, that time will come.
Spread the cred
“There’s no limit to what a person can do or where they can go if they don’t mind who gets the credit.”
I live and work by this old saying. It compels me to delegate anything I can then celebrate the accomplishments achieved by my team through that delegation. I’m already the leader, which means my success is implicit in the success of my staff. In other words, you should delegate both responsibility and acclaim. Never be a credit-taker.
One final note on delegating: if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you’ve hired the wrong people.
Practices to avoid
1. Group-think
Leading by committee isn’t efficient or effective. It’s not even enjoyable. As a leader, you must be comfortable making the tough decisions.
2. Keeping bad employees
Office culture is all-important. Don’t allow the wrong people to stay and tarnish the success and/or wellbeing of your team.
3. Becoming stagnant
Never decide that you know it all. Continue learning, challenging yourself, and listening to the people around you.
4. Getting in the way of ideation
Leaders tend to be energetic – I am. I’m excited about what we do at Motto Franchising, LLC. While I wouldn’t have it any other way, I have to keep my ardor in check during brainstorming sessions. If you get excited about an idea and jump in, you’re stopping the flow of ideas from others. Over time, your staff might learn to be trepidatious during ideation and could even stop contributing.
How to know when you’re a great leader
Becoming a great leader takes dedication and contemplation. If you’re successful, you’ll have fostered a team of people who are excited to come to work and who respect each other. But, I believe the true hallmark of outstanding leadership is a staff who is willing to disagree with you. If you begin to hear contradicting opinions (that are free of emotional turmoil), your leadership is likely top-notch. Perhaps your thoughtful approach to leadership will inspire someone else one day, just like Charles Ochsner inspired me.
Published on November 18, 2019
