Patience

I am very impatient. When I describe this for people, here is how it comes out: Good impatience. It’s my sense of urgency. However, I have also learned that patience is the most important attribute necessary for effective leadership, and it is rarely talked about. 

Here is why Patience (at the right time) is the effective Leader’s best choice: 

1. Too much speed, speed, speed. People and teams, like athletes, cycle through periods of great productivity and periods of recovery. Good leaders understand that recovery time is essential for speed in the next “sprint”, and they manage the pace and rhythm of their teams accordingly. 

2. Developing people takes time, deliberate effort, (and yes) a great deal of patience. While you as the leader might see pure raw potential in a team member, people develop at their speed, not yours. Your encouragement is appreciated, but display impatience (even good impatience) and you risk derailing and demoralizing the individual. 

3. People process change at different rates of speed. Some are quick to dive into waters they don’t yet understand, however, many others prefer to process on and internalize the issues around change at their own pace. Fail to show patience with those who are in mid-process, and you risk losing them. 

Most leaders I know, like me, are impatient for action. They are excited about helping drive people towards a destination and they often see the gap between today’s situation and tomorrow’s idealized state. The most effective leaders however, understand that patience, for all of the list reasons, can help everyone get there faster.

Accountability

There are many aspects of effective leadership: at times you need to be a guardian, protector, and advocate. Other times you need to be a coach, developing and inspiring your team. However, one of the most important aspects of effective leadership is holding people accountable. 

In your role as a leader, you need to get people moving towards objectives. Yet some people don't want to move. And when you hold people accountable, some people will push back. 

Why? It’s because we really don’t like to be held accountable. But here is a secret: Most people need it, even want it, from their leaders. Most bosses don't even try to hold people accountable. I said "bosses" and not "leaders". Bosses micromanage. Leaders hold people accountable. There is a HUGE difference. 

Imagine lying in bed and trying to shut off your alarm, but it won't shut off. The alarm just keeps beeping and beeping and beeping. THAT'S micromanaging. Effective leadership makes a contract with you (sets the wake up time), monitors the progress of that contract every so often (checks the time), and goes about its other duties until the contract is complete (waits for the alarm to go off), then creates a new contract with you. 

Here is the lesson for leaders: make agreements with your people, and then trust them to get the work done. Check with them at your agreed-upon times. And, by all means, if they're not delivering, hold them accountable. The rest of the time, focus on what you need to do.

Fear: Not A Way to Live or A Way to Lead

Have you ever run into someone who is afraid they are going to lose their job? Or who is afraid of failure? Or who is just plain risk averse? Are they successful? In my experience, they are generally not successful or at least not as successful as they could be. 

Leaders must understand risk and be able to accept risk. While there are courses in risk management, the important thing to remember is that there is always risk. Everything we do comes with some risks. Driving to work in the morning has risk (Actually a very high risk). If leaders are unwilling to accept risk, they will be ineffective. 

Someone who is so afraid of losing their job that they refuse to take a risk, may lose their job because they are ineffective. Think about it. 

Leaders must be able to adapt to the situation and be willing to accept the risk of failure in order to be successful. Leaders who are unwilling to accept risk must be satisfied with mediocre performance from their teams, their organizations, and themselves.

Dealing with People Problems

People problems are inevitable on teams. One person, consistently acting inappropriately can destroy the fabric of a team. They can reduce productivity, destroy morale, and sabotage the working relationship between the leader and the team.
 
What is a leader to do when confronted with this situation?
 
1.    Don’t get so wrapped up in the problem that your relationship with other team members suffers. Continue to relate to everyone. They need to continue to see you and to have open communication with you. They also need confidence that you are actively working to enforce standards.
 
2.    Second, work one-on-one directly with the problem and the person. Nothing in the world is more demoralizing for a team than to have a leader send a blanket email stating the policy and trying to solve a problem involving only one person. Usually the person with the problem doesn't know it's meant for them (so they ignore it) and everyone else is insulted that the leader isn't dealing directly and personally with the issue. Hiding behind blanket emails sent to everyone about every transgression is a sign of weakness and insecurity. It sends a message to the team that you are unwilling to engage and you don't understand the dynamics of the team.
 
This is a time for the leader to be involved and engaged. Get to the bottom of the issue. There are established standards being violated. Leaders also need compassion. It is important to assume "noble intent" on the first meeting. Some people just don't see how what they are doing is divisive or contrary to the team.
 
Dealing directly with people shows the team that you are engaged and willing to take care of the "tough stuff" personally. It demonstrates that you have a good knowledge of the team dynamics and reinforces to the team that you care about each of them and understand their contributions.

Leaders must act when confronted with people problems. And they must act personally and directly to resolve the problem.