Are you as a leader failing your team? One of the most compelling aspects of leadership is leading others. We often envision success, or victory, as a leader as standing with the team holding the trophy in celebration. But what happens when there is no trophy or victory… What happens when you fail your team? In this post we’ll explore if you are as a leader failing your team and share two principles.
Is your strategy, tactics, exercises, policies, or overall goals being counterattacked by your team? Do you find yourself in a feedback loop of continually defending your strategy while your team fails your objectives? Do you find yourself taking on unnecessary tasks to accomplish your goals? Are you failing at communication because you are not communicating and doing what you say you will do?
Principle #1: Strategic Direction
All goals and missions should be part of a grand strategic vision. If you cannot define your strategy, then it is not a strategy. For example, if your company is building new facilities in an area that you feel may need a lot of growth, but you are not communicating with your team about the strategic directions you want to take, you are not implementing a strategic plan for growth. If you have a vision, but it is not a strategic vision, it is called a vision or a goal, but not a strategy. All goals and tactics should be part of a grand strategic vision. If you cannot define your strategy, then it is not a strategy.
Principle #2: Communication
One of the biggest reasons for strategies and tactics failing is lack of effective communication. Leaders and managers need to communicate frequently to stay on target with their teams and stay focused on the mission. Leaders need to be clear, optimistic, honest, and supportive. Leaders and managers need to define each team member’s role and responsibilities. Develop and implement processes for continuous communication between team members to assure that all understand what is expected of them and to ensure that all are acting according to the strategic plans and visions of the company.