The 5 Ultimate Responsibilities of Leadership
Frantic leaders manage too much and lead too little. Doing it all only works on TV commercials and in the movies.
Engage in fewer activities – behaviors that matter most.
You must know what matters, before you can do it.
The 5 ultimate responsibilities of leadership:
#1. Define and focus on what matters now.
The delivery of value requires the elimination of irrelevant behaviors and low-value activities. Distraction is more than a nuisance. It’s a subtle enemy that crushes organizations.
Never dance with distraction – defeat it with merciless focus.
#2. Develop and maximize talent through coaching.
The real product of leadership is achievement through fulfilled people.
Coaching enables ownership, fulfillment, energy, and learning for teammates with aspirations to grow.
Coaching-leaders get out of the way, while staying connected.
#3. Get out of the way while staying connected.
- Connect with the people who are getting the best results.
- Connect with under-utilized people who aspire to add more value.
- Avoid getting sucked into urgent trivialities. Quickly delegate easily solved issues.
- Help others improve their own work. Don’t tweak.
- Honor behaviors that align with organizational values.
- Walk around.
- Say thank you everywhere you go.
#4. Smooth the path to achievement.
Successful leaders minimize the resources and energy it takes to run organizations while maximizing positive outcomes.
- Eliminate duplication of effort.
- Minimize paper-work.
- Create systems and structures that strengthen team camaraderie.
Make hard work as effective and efficient as possible. First, do what matters most. Second, improve the way you do it.
#5. Lift people out of the weeds.
Busy people always end up lost in the weeds.
- Connect team members with other insiders and outsiders.
- Explain the big picture.
- Narrow scope.
- Focus on solutions.
- Ask, “What matters now?”
Bonus: Deal with tough issues others avoid. Others are waiting for you to call-out the elephant in the room.
What are the ultimate responsibilities of leadership?
How do leaders best fulfill their responsibilities?
“Never dance with distraction” is one of those pan-applicable phrases that is simply worthwhile to remember in any context. After all, distracted dancing could cost a relationship. Cheers!
Thanks Steven. Great hearing from you. It’s odd that distraction is so seductive when it causes so much damage.
Dear Dan,
Many thanks to you for exploring the various dimensions of leadership in very precise manner.
1. As I have seen today leadership undergo under five beautiful words like 1. Where 2. Why 3. What 4. How .
Leadership as I understand that it’s a deadline TO A GOAL which align to personal goal of people , goal of team aligned with the goal of the organisation with emotional intellect as I have said earlier without EIC – EMOTIONAL INTELLECT COMMA.
If no EIC , automatically leadership comes with a positive reason. Leadership doesn’t ensure profit but ensure growth of organisation with people and ensure manifold development of people.
Whenever organisations in a developing mode and really looking for hypergrowth then create profit centers means create departmental coaches. These coaches must be connected with upper authorities and keep providing feedback to core of organisation.
Feed back must be provided on a routine because it’s a biggest asset of coaches and leaders.
And no chance of EIC – EMOTIONAL INTELLECT COMMA
CRAZY
I already printed to place in a regular reading pile
Hi Dan, I can certainly resonate with “Others are waiting for you to call-out the elephant in the room.” Especially true for a newly appointed leader. Thanks!
Great stuff as usual. I have found saying “thank you” for pretty much everything goes a long way.
Great points! And it all starts with prioritizing tasks. In my programs, I try to remind leaders that they should not get bogged down by trivial matters and “busy” work. Delegate those things so they have more time for coaching and mentoring. THAT’S real leadership!