Leadership, the key to individual, team, and organizational success, rests with the ability to influence, empower, and inspire a team to achieve its goals. It’s that simple, and that complicated! The simplicity lies in the basic premise that we need to move forward towards a goal. The complexity, in the ways to do so with the people who we intend to lead. Through my years of research, working with clients across various industries, teaching countless students, and engaging with individuals at all levels, I've identified a new model, simple in nature, but deliberate in execution, to be an effective leader we need to follow the 5Gs of Leadership! We need to Get Up, Get Out There, Get to Know Our People, Give Them What They Need, and Get Out of the Way!
Get Up
The first step for any leader is to ‘Get Up’. As leaders, we often forget about ourselves and focus on solving the issue of the day. What I stress to my clients is that we need to be more reflective and work on ourselves daily, and by doing this, we will have less issues to deal with later! It’s important that we also recognize that we are all leaders, no matter our position, industry, or organization. During my workshops, I often ask attendees to stand up if they consider themselves leaders. Most do, but occasionally there are a few who remain seated. These individuals often believe that because they don't hold a formal position of authority, they shouldn’t stand with those around them. This is an important first lesson as leadership isn’t about authority; but rather about influencing others. It involves bringing people along toward a shared goal and inspiring them to contribute willingly and excitedly. We all do this in parts of our lives, and once we find our purpose, we can do this in many more.
When we Get Up, we become mindful, self-aware, mission-driven, and goal-oriented. It’s crucial for us to understand who we are and what it will take to achieve our aspirations. Only after we do this can we truly lead others.
Get Out There
Once we’ve gotten up, we must then ‘Get Out There’! There's an old management theory I often reference: Management by Walking Around. It’s simple yet effective, leaders shouldn’t be confined to their offices but should engage with those around them, making themselves available for questions and concerns, and showing their team that they are there to support them each step of the way. Being approachable to our team is key here, and something that is developed through the next of our ‘Gs’.
We often hear about the open-door policy, and managers often brag about providing this for their people. Well, here’s my take on this. If we have an open door for our people all day long it’s going to be quite difficult to get our own work done (we all have that too, right?), and so what I promote is a modified open-door policy. Something that my clients have had great success with. I recommend having designated times for open communication and interruptions, and designated times for getting our own work done. For example, we might allocate Mondays from 3:00 to 4:00, Tuesdays from 11:00 to 1:00, and Wednesdays from 9:00 to 10:00 for our own focused work, at which time our people understand that if they have a matter that is not urgent, it can wait. If a team member needs to discuss something of great consequence, they know that they are always welcome during our ‘work time’; otherwise, they learn to respect our work time and wait. This type of process fosters mutual respect for all of our necessary work while still building relationships and encouraging accountability. Get Out There doesn’t mean that we have to always be there, but rather we need to interact with our team in meaningful ways whenever we are.
Get to Know Our People
Our team is all unique, they have different ideas, styles, experiences, and drivers. The leaders that are most successful are the ones who pay attention and learn these differences, learn the motivators, and learn what makes each team member ‘tick’. To be successful we need to understand what drives our team members and understand their preferred communication styles. While the golden rule suggests treating others as we wish to be treated, and the platinum rule suggests treating others the way they want to be treated, my rule takes this a step further, we need to treat others the way they need to be treated. The way to determine this is to ‘Get to Know Our People!’
Getting to know our people will help us to develop a relationship with them, which, as leaders understand, is at the core of inspiring them to give their all for us and our initiatives each step of the way. If we want to lead a successful team or organization, we need our people to want to work for us, not just have to work for us. When they have to work for us, they will do just enough to keep working for us, whereas when they want to, they will give their all to us and our project…and isn’t that what we all want?
Give Them What They Need
An example I often refer to in terms of knowing our people and then giving them what they need comes from my first book, Lead Me Out to the Ball Game, in which my co-author and I interviewed over 100 Major League Baseball players, managers, and executives. One of my favorite interviews, and the one which demonstrates this point very well, was with Hall of Famer David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox.
When I spoke to Ortiz, I asked him what his manager did to get the most out of him, how his manager would lead him and his team to success. He shared a story from earlier in his career when he was in a slump and struggling to hit the ball. He told me that he went to his manager, Terry Francona, and said, “Tito, I can’t hit the ball. What should I do?” With a smile, he told me that Francona responded, “Papi, when I played baseball, I hit .125,” which, for those of us who may be unfamiliar with baseball, is not good. He continued, “You’re David Ortiz; go out there and hit the ball.” Ortiz told me that after that conversation, he went out and started hitting again. Sometimes, our people just need a little extra support or validation to remind them that they are in their positions for a reason. Others, alternatively, may need a bit more direction and a stronger approach to succeed. We must ensure that our communication and message don’t get mixed up because when it does, we won’t get the results we desire.
Giving our people what they need goes beyond understanding, it also includes placing them in the right positions within our organization, ensuring they receive proper training, providing mentorship, and offering constructive feedback each step of the way. Think about what the people around you need. How can you be an even better resource for them?
Get Out of the Way
Sheryl Sandberg has a great quote: "Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence." While I’m not advocating for absentee leadership (and neither is Sandberg), I do believe in enabling our people to flourish while we are there and when we are not. Leaders must create a culture of support, positivity, and development. They also need to create a climate built on accountability, decision making, and confidence so that their people know how to think, act, and perform when they are on their own. A focus on winning for the team and the organization, one centered on the goals and mission of the organization and encouraged through supportive leadership and practices, will lead the individuals and teams that work with us to greater success.
Get to Work!
For those of you counting, you may realize that I’ve already hit my 5th G! Well, in my book, Leadership in 5G: Practical Strategies for Individual, Team, and Organizational Success, I share a ‘Bonus G’, we need to ‘Get to Work’. Leaders never stop. It’s that simple. Leaders continue to read, to learn, and to grow. It’s a never-ending process, and one of the reasons you are reading this, and the many other insightful articles in the Human Capital Leadership Review. We need to continue to develop ourselves, find ways to best connect with those around us, and continue to develop the leaders around us!
For over twenty years, Dr. Howard Fero, The Leadership Doc, has inspired and educated leaders through stories, exercises, and the application of theory to practice. Dr. Fero holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Claremont Graduate University and has focused his research and practice in the areas of leadership, motivation, and team dynamics. Dr. Fero is the Director of Graduate Leadership Programs and a Professor of Management and Leadership at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT. Through his work as a speaker, facilitator, consultant, executive coach, and professor, Dr. Fero has inspired and educated countless leaders in the business, non-profit, government, and law enforcement sectors to cultivate their leadership and have an even greater impact on their teams. Dr. Fero is the author of Leadership in 5G: Practical Strategies for Individual, Team, and Organizational Success and the co-author of Lead Me Out to the Ballgame: Stories and Strategies to Develop Major League Leadership. An accomplished speaker and facilitator, Dr. Fero incorporates the stories and strategies from his books, book chapters, articles, and experience, to present inspiring, engaging, and practical keynotes and workshops. For more information follow him on social media @theleadershipdoc or go to his website www.theleadershipdoc.com.
