Return to flip book view

30 Tips for LeadersPart OneTips 1-10QPSATake stock,right now!by Graeme RobbHave a GrowthMindset!"ElevatorTalk” yourPurpose!EarnRespect,Don’tDemand it!Lead withHumility!Accountableor ResponsibleLeadership?

WHY READ THIS EBOOK?“INTELLECTUAL GROWTH SHOULDCOMMENCE AT BIRTH AND CEASEONLY AT DEATH.”Albert EinsteinYOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER, BUT YOU CAN'T MAKE IT DRINKin Supervisor rolesin Front Line Management rolesin Mid-level Management rolesin State Manager rolesin C-Suite rolesin Training and Development roles I've been fortunate enough to have been in theleadership and management space for over 30 years:In that time I've realised that "Street Smarts" are great -it's always good to see someone who's been there, donethat, and learned from it. However "Book Smarts" are asimportant - learning from others who've been there, andthen chronicled their learning, can save us from"reinventing the wheel" or repeating previous mistakes.Over the past few years I've been sharing my thoughtsabout Leadership on LinkedIn. This e-book bringstogether the first 10 of my posts on 30 key Leadershipsubject areas.Whether you're new to a leadership role, or you've beenin that role for a while, I hope that the information willhelp you to becomea better leader. You'll find problemswith suggested solutions; tools to use; questionnaires,quizzes, and surveys; as well as articles from writers onleadership.Ultimately though the quote above says it all - you're theonly one who can make a change. Having access to Streetor Book smarts is great - using them is what will makeyou a better leader.Graeme RobbFO R MOR E LEAD E RSHI P REFL E CTIO N SFO L LOW M E ON L INKE D IN OR VISI T THE W EBSI T EWW W .SKI L LINGU P .ONL I NEGR AE ME RO BB (FAI M) www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb/“LEARNING IS A MATTER OFGATHERING KNOWLEDGE; WISDOMIS APPLYING THAT KNOWLEDGE.”Dr Roopleen

Take Stock, Right Now Have a Growth Mindset Understand your Unconscious Biases Develop Your “Big Picture”Thinking Align Your Workplace and Personal Values Elevator Talk Your Purpose Earn respect, Don’t Demand it Lead With Humility Accountable or Responsible Leadership? Be Authentic1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.CONTENTSFO R MORE LEADERS HIP R EF LECTI ONSFO LL OW ME O N LIN KEDIN O R VIS IT THE WEBSI TEWW W. SKILL IN GUP.O NLINEGR AE ME RO BB (FAI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

QPSA refers to the structure used to presentthe tips in this eBook:Q - The QuestionP - The ProblemS - Solution(s)A - ActionIn this format, the quick tips provided willhelp to move you forward in your leadership journey.WHAT ARE QPSA TIPS?FO R MORE LEADERS HIP R EF LECTI ONSFO LL OW ME O N LIN KEDIN O R VIS IT THE WEBSI TEWW W. SKILL IN GUP.O NLINEGR AE ME RO BB (FAI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

TAKE STOCK,RIGHT NOW!QPSA LEADERSHIP TIP 1"WE LEARN BY DOING, BUTWE LEARN MORE BYREFLECTING ON WHAT WEHAVE DONE.” Sanfelippo and SinanisTHE QUESTIONWhen did you last "honestly" take time to reflect onwhat you've been doing?THE PROBLEMAs leaders we often get stuck in the present (what do Ihave to do now) or the future (what do I have to donext), without taking time to reflect on what we'vealready done (and what can we learn from what we'vedone).A SOLUTIONBlock out one hour at the end of each week to reflecton what you've done during that week and what youcan learn fromwhat you've done.ANOTHER SOLUTIONTalk to people you've interacted with this week and askthem for their feedback on your recent performance.TAKE ACTIONWhile it may not be fun thinking about what wentwrong, use this activity as a tool to get you fired up.Schedule an hour for weekly reflection in your diaryright now.FO R MOR E LE A DE RS HIP R EF LEC TI ONSFO LL OW ME O N L IN KED IN O R V IS IT TH E WEB SI TEWW W. SKI LL IN G UP .O NLI NEGR AE ME RO BB (F AI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

HAVE A GROWTH MINDSET!LEADERSHIP REFLECTION 2WHY WASTE TIME PROVING OVERAND OVER HOW GREAT YOU ARE,WHEN YOU COULD BE GETTINGBETTER?” Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology Of SuccessTHE QUESTIONDo you have a Growth Mindset (“the understandingthat abilities and understanding can be developed” -mindsetworks.com), or a Fixed Mindset (the belief that“intelligence cannot be enhanced, or that you either‘have it or you don’t’ when it comes to abilities andtalents” - mindsetworks.com)?THE PROBLEMIntelligence and talent don’t guarantee success as aleader. In fact, many writers on leadership say thatsuccess is less about intelligence and talent, and moreabout a leader’s mindset – their belief, their attitude, ortheir outlook about themselves.A SOLUTIONStay open to feedback. If you stay open to feedback,you're inviting others to be truthful with you in regardsto what's going well and, more importantly, what isn’t.ANOTHER SOLUTIONAdmit when failures occur, and capitalise on thosefailures. Remember, failure is just part of the journey tosuccess - embrace and use failure to improve, ratherthan "sweeping it under the rug".TAKE ACTIONFollowing on from Leadership Reflection 1's "TakeAction" point, make time this week to seek feedbackon how you and your team are perceived by others(internally and externally). Treat the feedback as anopportunity to learn new things, to develop andchallenge yourself and your team.FO R MORE LE ADERS HIP R EF LECTI ONSFO LL OW ME O N LIN KEDIN O R VIS IT THE WEBSI TEWW W. SKILL IN GUP.O NLINEGR AE ME RO BB (FAI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

UNDERSTAND YOURUNCONSCIOUS BIASES!LEADERSHIP REFLECTION 3“I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S HUMANLYPOSSIBLE TO BE FREE OF BIAS.”Robin DiAngeloTHE QUESTIONHow often have you thought/said this: "Who me?Biased?? No, you’re talking to the wrong person!"THE PROBLEMMany writers on this subject say that bias is wired intoour DNA. Research indicates that we perceive anyonedifferent from us as a threat, because our brain has anevolutionary requirement to do so – the “fight or flight”response. Unfortunately, that brain activity which keptus humans alive for so many years, also keeps us fromachieving equality today.A SOLUTIONAs an effective leader we need to understand that weall have biases and that we need to ensure that theydon’t negatively influence the way we lead. The firststep is awareness, and a great way to start is tocomplete an Unconscious Bias Quiz/Assessment suchas Harvard’s 'Implicit Association Test” or MediaPartners “Bias Reality Check”.ANOTHER SOLUTIONOne of our greatest qualities as a leader is to be a rolemodel, often defined as someone who is worthy ofimitation. Use the Johari Window Model to get an ideaof how others see your leadership in terms of theunconscious biases they believe you have.TAKE ACTIONAfter completing the assessment, make a list of thebiases you have identified with and how you canrespond more appropriately.FO R MOR E LE A DE RS HIP R EF LEC TI ONSFO LL OW ME O N L IN KED IN O R V IS IT TH E WEB SI TEWW W. SKI LL IN G UP .O NLI NEGR AE ME RO BB (F AI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

DEVELOP YOUR “BIGPICTURE” THINKINGLEADERSHIP REFLECTION 4“HOWEVER TIGHT THINGS ARE,YOU STILL NEED TO HAVE THEBIG PICTURE AT THEFOREFRONT OF YOUR MIND.” Richard BransonTHE QUESTIONAre you a big-picture or detail-oriented person?THE PROBLEMAs you move into leadership roles you need to not onlysee the day-to-day details of your job, but to alsoconsider the larger impact on the overall plans of yourorganisation. You need to recognise and eliminateextraneous factors from your daily workflow, so thatyou don’t end up stuck in an endless data-gatheringand analysis mode.A SOLUTIONMake sure that you put a few hours a week into yourcalendar specifically forplanning and strategy. This canbe alone time or time with others. Make it a habit to settime aside for big-picture thinking.ANOTHER SOLUTIONDevelop your team to a level where you can trust themto deliver quality results without micromanagement.This allows you to invest your time and energy on abroader focus and higher value tasks.TAKE ACTIONIf you have a Mentor (if not, you could use yourManager or a trusted colleague), ask them about theirview on areas you can work on to improve your big-picture thinking abilitiesFO R MOR E LE A DE RS HIP R EF LEC TI ONS FO LL OW ME O N L IN KED IN O R V IS IT TH E WEB SI TEWW W. SKI LL IN G UP .O NLI NEGR AE ME RO BB (F AI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

ALIGNYOUR WORKPLACE ANDPERSONAL VALUES!LEADERSHIP REFLECTION 5“IT’S NOT HARD TO MAKE DECISIONSWHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR VALUESARE.”Roy DisneyTHE QUESTIONIf you were asked you to list your personal values, whatwould they be? If you were then asked to list your workplace values,would they be the same? What else might be in thatlist?THE PROBLEMWhen you're working out of alignment with your corevalues, you may be unable to pinpoint exactly what it isthat’s making you feel undervalued and unappreciated.Working in an environment that goes against your corevalues can be frustrating, and can potentially lead toserious health issues, as both mental and physicalwellbeing are affected by stress.A SOLUTIONRecognising a misalignment of values and failing to actdoesn't resolve the issue. Treat conflicts between yourpersonal and workplace values as an opportunity - takeaction to address the misalignment.ANOTHER SOLUTIONOur values can change over time, so it’s crucial toreassess them on a regular basis – by knowing yourvalues, you're in control of your personal brand. TAKE ACTIONAnswer the questions above to ensure that you haveclarified your personal values, to help you betterunderstand and trust those gut feelings that arisewhen you’re in misalignment. FO R MOR E LE A DE RS HIP R EF LEC TI ONS FO LL OW ME O N L IN KED IN O R V IS IT TH E WEB SI TEWW W. SKI LL IN G UP .O NLI NEGR AE ME RO BB (F AI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

"ELEVATOR TALK”YOUR PURPOSE!LEADERSHIP REFLECTION 6“HE WHO HAS A WHY TO LIVE FOR CANBEAR ALMOST ANY HOW.”Friedrich NietzscheTHE QUESTIONWhat is your organisation's purpose? What is your purpose?THE PROBLEMAn organisation should have a purpose – the “Why” we exist. Thisdiffers from Vision – the “Where” you want to get to; and Mission –the “What” you should do to get there. Effective leaders should have a purpose too. President John F.Kennedy was walking around NASA in 1962 and saw a janitorcarrying a broom. He asked the man what he did. The janitorreportedly replied “Well, Mr. President, I’m helping put a man onthe moon.” How’s that for a powerful purpose?A SOLUTIONKnowing your values (see Leadership Reflection 5) canhelp answer “What is my purpose?” How can you knowwhat you want out of life if you don’t know what'simportant to you? Knowing what your values aremoves you that much closer to an answer. ANOTHER SOLUTION“Elevator Talk” your Purpose. If you’re not familiar withthis concept, it’s about making things short and snappy– the janitor said his purpose in 11 words! You don’tneed to make your purpose into a novel – just anhonest, succinct statement of why you exist in yourrole. With this in mind, you may have a better focus onthe Where and What, as well as the How.TAKE ACTIONTake a look at this short YouTube video to get somegreat examples to base your Elevator Talk on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyxfERV5ttY FO R MOR E LE A DE RS HIP R EF LEC TI ONS FO LL OW ME O N L IN KED IN O R V IS IT TH E WEB SI TEWW W. SKI LL IN G UP .O NLI NEGR AE ME RO BB (F AI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

EARN RESPECT,DON’T DEMAND IT!LEADERSHIP REFLECTION 7“RESPECT IS EARNED. HONESTY ISAPPRECIATED. TRUST IS GAINED.LOYALTY IS RETURNED.”AnonymousTHE QUESTIONWhy don't they respect me?THE PROBLEMHowever much you may think it's true, you don’t deserve respectjust because you have a title! Respect is built up over time - it’searned, it’s gained.A SOLUTIONIf you want others to respect you, you have to respectothers - respect is 2-way. As a leader this relates tobeing able to “walk the walk”, not just “talk the talk”. Torespect others we need to listen and learn, to besincere, and be prepared to give and receiveappropriate feedback.ANOTHER SOLUTIONSmall actions, such as acknowledging an achievementthat one of your team members has made, can go along way towards strengthening your relationship withothers. People might notremember what you say tothem, but they always remember how you said it.TAKE ACTIONThink about the people at work who you haverespected in your career. What did you learn fromthem? What did they do that you could emulate? Thisarticle has some practical tips.FO R MOR E LE A DE RS HIP R EF LEC TI ONS FO LL OW ME O N L IN KED IN O R V IS IT TH E WEB SI TEWW W. SKI LL IN G UP .O NLI NEGR AE ME RO BB (F AI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

LEAD WITH HUMILITY!LEADERSHIP REFLECTION 8“HUMILITY IS NOT THINKING LESS OFYOURSELF, IT'S THINKING OFYOURSELF LESS.”Rick WarrenTHE QUESTIONWhich type of leader do you prefer - a leader who is fullof themselves or one that listens deeply, has respect fordiverse views, and welcomes feedback and suggestionsfrom others?THE PROBLEMMany leaders believe that being a humble leader means thatyou’re weak or indecisive; whereas others believe that humility,combined with authority, is extremely powerful (do a Googlesearch to find views on the strength of humble leaders).A SOLUTIONThink about the leaders you've known - many of themwould have had humility as part of their leadershipmakeup; they were the truly inspiring leaders! Create alist of what they did to demonstrate their humility,then work on the attributes that you believe you'recurrently missing.ANOTHER SOLUTIONLeave your ego at the door! As Ezra Benson said, “Prideis concerned with WHO is right. Humility is concernedwith WHAT is right.”TAKE ACTIONFind articles on Leaders with Humility and identifywhat you can do to emulate them. FO R MOR E LE A DE RS HIP R EF LEC TI ONS FO LL OW ME O N L IN KED IN O R V IS IT TH E WEB SI TEWW W. SKI LL IN G UP .O NLI NEGR AE ME RO BB (F AI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

ACCOUNTABLE ORRESPONSIBLELEADERSHIP?LEADERSHIP REFLECTION 9“WHERE THERE IS NOACCOUNTABILITY, THERE WILL ALSO BE NO RESPONSIBILITY.”Dr Sunday AdelajaTHE QUESTIONWhich would you prefer to lead your team from –a base of accountability or responsibility?THE PROBLEMAccountability and responsibility, are often usedinterchangeably, but they have distinct meaningswhich separate them in the workplace. What do yousee as the difference?A SOLUTIONWhat is your organisation's culture in regards toresponsibilityand accountability? Read through thisarticle for more information and tips on how todevelop managerial responsibility and accountabilityhttps://indeedhi.re/463WEBY ANOTHER SOLUTIONCommon PurposeClear ExpectationsCommunicate and AlignCoach and CollaborateConsequencesThere are said to be 5 C’s of Accountability:Read any articles that discuss the 5 C’s and compareyour performance with each C.TAKE ACTIONComplete this Self Accountability Quiz. Review thefeedback and think about what you can do better, aswell as where you can help others. Then, of course, dothose things you've identified!bit.ly/accountselfFO R MOR E LE A DE RS HIP R EF LEC TI ONS FO LL OW ME O N L IN KED IN O R V IS IT TH E WEB SI TEWW W. SKI LL IN G UP .O NLI NEGR AE ME RO BB (F AI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

BE AUTHENTIC!LEADERSHIP REFLECTION 10"AUTHENTIC LEADERS ARE NOTAFRAID TO SHOW THEIR EMOTIONS,THEIR VULNERABILITY, OR TOCONNECT WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES.”Kevin KruseTHE QUESTIONWhat does authentic leadership mean to you?THE PROBLEMUnfortunately, authenticity means different things todifferent people. Before you can be an authenticleader, you need to know what authenticity means toyou. You can’t apply the concept of authenticleadership, until you clearly define it for yourself.A SOLUTIONWhilst some theorists have different viewpoints on theconcept, most agree that authentic leaders focus onthe long-term; are self-aware and genuine; are missiondriven and focused on results; and lead with theirheart, not just their minds.Create a plan to improve on any of these elements ofAuthentic Leadership that are not current strengths foryou.ANOTHER SOLUTIONThink about somebody who you look up to as anauthentic leader. What is it about them thatdemonstrates their authenticity?Identify ways inwhich you can model yourself on that person.TAKE ACTIONComplete the Authentic Leadership quiz to determinehow well you understand Authentic Leadership. https://bit.ly/authentictestFO R MOR E LE A DE RS HIP R EF LEC TI ONS FO LL OW ME O N L IN KED IN O R V IS IT TH E WEB SI TEWW W. SKI LL IN G UP .O NLI NEGR AE ME RO BB (F AI M)https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb

I trust that the ideas in this eBook have got you thinking about how you canimprove as a Leader. There are plenty of actionable ideas, but that’s allthey’ll be if you don’t actually put them into action.Don’t let barriers stop you from implementing the actions you need toimplement. One way to think about those barriers is to think about them aspassengers on the bus of your life.As the bus driver, you make all the decisions about the bus you’re driving.You're in charge. But then come the passengers.Passengers tend to come into our awareness whenever we need to movetowards something important to us (like the changes you want to makefrom reading this eBook). They make us uncomfortable when we becomeaware of them, and so we adopt certain emotional habits – ways of thinkingand behaving – to ensure that these passengers stay at the back of the busand out of our awareness. However, as the road of your life changes, or you over-use the emotionalhabits that you’ve adopted, they begin to become less effective.The key to moving forward is to decipher what is the passenger you’refacing, and to then drive (behave) as skillfully and effectively as possible tomove past that passenger and reach your ambitions!You can make the changes you want - don’t let your passengers hold youback!Graeme RobbYour Leadership CoachFO R MOR E L EAD E R SHI P R EFL E C TIO N SFO L L OW M E ON L I NKE D I N OR V ISI T T HE W E BSI T EWW W . SKI L L I NGU P . ONL I N ETHANK YOU FORREADING THIS EBOOK““YOU MUST ACTIVELY MANAGE YOURCAREER BECAUSE OTHERWISE THINGSWON’T JUST HAPPEN. HOPE IS NOT ASTRATEGY.”Binod Shankar,GR AE ME RO BB (F AI M) www.linkedin.com/in/graemerobb/“ACTION IS THE FOUNDATIONAL KEYTO ALL SUCCESS.”Pablo PicassoIMAG E BY R AWPIXE L.COM