Here are 20 steps toward being a successful manager. Though you may already have mastered some of these, they always deserve a second look. Have the right attitude.
Be supportive of others, happy with what you're doing and proud of the organization. Herb Kelleher, CEO of Southwest Airlines, says their best company slogan is "We smile because we want to, not because we have to." Attitude management is simple. Instead of lying awake at three in the morning worrying about whether or not you're capable of doing some project, switch your self–talk from "Can I do this?" to I can do this.
Show self–confidence.
Act secure in yourself. This doesn't mean you won't have moments of insecurity, but in general you must feel and act up to the job. An uncertain, apprehensive boss will not inspire greatness in anyone else. Unless you respect yourself, you're unlikely to get respect from others.
Improve yourself.
Always try to better yourself. If you want improvement from your people, you have to set the example. What to work on: executive presence, organization, financial skills, confidence, time management, listening, delegation, public speaking, technological skills, knowledge about your industry.
Think before you talk.
Slow down and literally rehearse in your mind what you're going to say. Think about the reaction you're going to get and then choose whether to say it or not. Thinking before you talk will also help make you a good listener. You'll have to listen to what's being said in order to decide how to answer.
Be original and creative.
If you're not, your staff won't be either. As a boss, you have more luxury to be creative than anyone else. How can you do it? Do what others don't do. Mike Wilfley -- CEO of the family business A.R. Wilfley & Sons, manufacturers of industrial pumps -- keeps a pile of pump parts in his office. Wilfley looks at them several times a day and constantly asks himself: How could we improve this equipment? Could they be made smaller? Could we use different material? Wilfley, who is a lawyer and not an engineer, is original in his thinking and his company's success is testimony to his originality.
Be aware of your style.
Not your clothing style, but your leadership style. We all have a predominant style, whether it is "analytical," "amiable," or "expressive." You have to determine what your style is before you can understand how best to deal with other people's styles. But don't assume you are stuck with just one style. Although your tendency might be "expressive," you should also practice being "amiable" and "analytical." Once you know your style, you can formulate a fallback position and figure out what you'll do under pressure.
Be gutsy.
Don't be afraid to be a little wild. It takes courage to do things when you're not certain you've earned the right. List what scares you the most and start doing those things.
Pay attention to details.
As much as you may be the big picture person, you also have to be detail–oriented or you will miss important signals and lose focus. A former editor of Cosmopolitan said of Helen Gurley Brown: "She knows exactly what she wants in everything. She taught me that unless you're highly involved in details, it won't turn out like you want."
Be publicly modest.
Don't be the arrogant, grandstanding, grandiose type of boss. Modesty doesn't mean you have to be meek, weak and insecure, though. It does mean you should share credit when it's due. And you should let the right people know what your contributions are, but not in an obnoxious way.
Have a good sense of humor.
Or at least a willingness to see humor. Life is full of irony. If you find everything deadly serious and don't appreciate life's absurdities, you'll be a bore no matter how smart you are. Deadly serious bosses aren't liked, and if you aren't liked, your staff won't support you when you're down. On the other hand, if you are liked, even when you make mistakes, they'll be behind you. You do not have to be a stand–up comic to be humorous. For instance, Yap Lim Sem is the managing director of an international commercial construction company. His name is difficult to spell so he helps his American clients by saying with a friendly wink, "My first name is Yap -- pay spelled backwards." The comment isn't rip–roaringly funny, but it brings a smile when making a business point.
Be nice.
You can be pleasant and still be assertive. You can be both affable and strong. Being a total jerk, even if you're right, will not build leadership. The more power and prestige you hold, the more important it is to be nice.
Fight for your people.
If you want them to back you, back them. Spread loyalty and credit downward.
Admit your mistakes.
Whenever you recognize that you've made a mistake, publicly admit it. Confessing an error shows you are wiser today than yesterday because you've seen your error, you're humble enough to admit it and potentially correct it. Dead people are the only ones who don't make mistakes. General Johnson, the founder of Johnson & Johnson, once called James Burke, who eventually became CEO, into his office to congratulate him for making a mistake that cost the company $865,000. Johnson said, "Nothing happens unless people are willing to make decisions and you can't make decisions without making mistakes. If you make the same one again, you're through, but that doesn't mean you should stop making mistakes."
Be straightforward.
Don't beat around the bush. People have to know you'll level with them in order to trust you. James Burke says that his people can tell him he's wrong because he has a candid manner that encourages others to be frank with him.
Be inquisitive.
The CEO or boss should ask questions in order to lead, to manage, to negotiate, to persuade. If you tell people what you want, they'll do it begrudgingly. If you ask intelligent questions and direct them to come up with answers, they'll own what they do.
Stay competitive.
There's no avoiding it -- competition is a good thing. When you have to struggle, you learn. When you have to sharpen your skills because of competition, you grow.
Be flexible.
You have to be able to stand out from the crowd and take on a leadership role, but also fit in and be a team player. You have to both admit your mistakes and be self–confident. If your attitude is, "I made this decision and will stick with it no matter what," you're too rigid to be a great boss.
Hold on.
Keep going until something stops you, and then continue going. If there is one quality that nearly 100 percent of CEOs have, it's tenacity. Tenacity means not giving up when everyone says you should. It is keeping on your path even if you feel in your heart that you might get pushed back. Accomplishing worthwhile things takes time.
Be honest and ethical.
People will not follow you for the long run if they think you lack honesty and integrity. One of the reasons people admired Lee Iococca was because of his honesty after his dismissal from Ford. Iococca took with him the customer research on the minivan, but only after William Clay Ford gave him permission.
Tell a good story.
Being a good storyteller doesn't mean lying. It means you can illustrate points with an anecdote, story or analogy -- preferably a humorous one. Storytelling makes you believable, interesting, charismatic and easy to understand. For example, when asked why he was a success, CEO Bill Reagan answered, "Success is like leaning on a gate. Some people have all the traits and attitudes to succeed, but they just picked the wrong gate to lean against. If you know for sure the gate will open in exactly three hours, you'll likely lean in three hours. But what if it doesn't open? You decide to leave. At three hours and two minutes it swings open. Success is a combination of picking the right gate and judging how long to stick with it. I was lucky enought to pick the right gate. Some lean their whole lifetime and it never opens."
Source:
The Working Communicator
NBA boss
Jul/Aug 2000
Vol. 1, No. 3, Pg. 8
