Be A “Taker” and Take That Next Promotion

Take That PromotionWe are all looking for opportunities to advance our career and earn more money.  Waiting on that well deserved promotion can be very frustrating.   You cannot control the timing of when a position becomes available.  However, you can make yourself the obvious choice when it does.  Here are 3 ways to be a “taker’ and take that next promotion. 

Take Care of Your Company

Senior leadership searches for talent that will look out for the best interest of the company.  Ensure the daily decisions you make have a positive impact on the organization as a whole.  When facing important decisions reflect on each option and how it will move the organization closer to fulfilling its mission statement.  You will be promoted based on your decision making ability and how you take care of the company.

Take Care of Your Team Leader

When you have an opportunity to be considered for a promotion the person who will have the most influence will be your current team leader.  Make their recommendation a lock by taking care of them.  Your team leader reports to someone. If there is one thing team leaders hate it is surprises.  If there is a potential problem make sure your team leader knows about it first.  Do not let them hear it from the big boss.  Take care of them by ensuring they look good in front of their team leader.

Take Care of Your Team

It is very difficult to earn a promotion without team building skills.  You build a strong team by first earning their trust.  Trust is built over time and through experiences.  When someone on your team makes a mistake use the opportunity to coach and mentor.  When they do a great job make sure to recognize and reward them publicly as well as in private.  Once your team understands you have their best interest at heart they will take care of you and each other.

Usually when we refer to someone as a “taker” we are saying they will use and abuse others in order to get what they want.  In this instance we are taking care of others above ourselves.  A truth of this life is if you want something for yourself then make it happen for someone else.

Integrity: Doing What Is Right

IntegrityOver the Memorial Holiday my family traveled to Florida.  During our trip we stopped at a Chick-Fil-A in Tifton, Georgia for dinner.  This Chick-Fil-A, like most, was very busy.  As I waited in line I observed a teenage young lady making her rounds to customers at each table.  She would engage in small talk as she cleared used napkins and empty food containers.  It was obvious from her interactions with the families this was not her first visit to their table.  I continued to watch this young lady as she went about her work with a smile enjoying her time with each customer.  As one of the families was preparing to leave a father said thank you for her great service and placed some folded bills in her hand.  She looked down and immediately handed the money back.  “Sir thank you but I cannot accept this.  It was my pleasure to serve you today.” she said with a big smile.    The father stated, “No, I want you to have this. You did not have to treat us the way you did.”  The young lady repeated herself, “No Sir, it was my pleasure to serve you and I cannot accept this.”  I am sure that Chick-fil-a has a policy against accepting tips from customers.  Since there was not another employee around she could have easily taken the cash and said thank you.  However, her integrity would not allow her to do so.

As a leader there is not always a clear-cut answer to every question.  There will be decision points that will cause you great stress.  Every decision you make will testify to your level of integrity.  In the story above the young lady made an immediate correct decision.  There may be times that your immediate decision is wrong.  If you make a wrong decision, go back and correct it.  It can be very difficult, even embarrassing, to admit you made a bad decision, but those around you will gain the utmost respect when you admit you were wrong and make it right. 

Integrity is about doing what is right.  When you find yourself thinking through an important decision, contemplate how you want others to see your integrity.  As a leader what example do you want to set?  Ask yourself if you would be proud if your action was videotaped and played during a company meeting.  Consistently having integrity is no easy feat but it is a rewarding one!

Six Things The Best Leaders Do…

How do the best leaders get optimal results out of their team? Below are six things great leaders do to engage their teams toward success.

Inspire:     The best leaders inspire us to stretch to reach our full potential. Most people have an innate desire to be better. The best leaders tap into that desire by inspiring us not to settle for average but to push toward greatness. In order to inspire others you must take the time to understand what motivates them. It may be a promotion, public recognition, financial incentives, or learning a new skill. Once you discover their motivation, use it to inspire great performance.

Coach:     The best leaders coach us to be better. When someone makes a mistake or fails to reach a goal the best leaders see an opportunity to coach. Keep in mind coaching requires that each team member has the desire to succeed and the skills/experience necessary to do the job. As the leader your goal is to get the best performance from each team member. When you formally address a performance issue it is still a coaching session. Have the mind frame of not punishing but using the discussion to help the team member improve.

Clearly communicate the vision to your team.

Clearly communicate the vision to your team.

Communicate:     The best leaders communicate the vision and goals to their team members. These leaders ensure everyone understands how important their role is to the success of the team. The best leaders set clear expectations and provide continuous feedback. Make time to discuss with your team the vision you have and the important role they play. Provide them with the information they need to successfully reach your expectations.

Listen:     Listening may seem that it should go along with communication. In reality it should. However, some leader’s idea of communication is telling others what to do. The best leaders excel doing more listening than talking. It is vital for leaders to listen to their teams for two reasons. First, team members who are carrying out an important task will have input on how to make procedures more efficient. Second, listening to your team will help you discover communication breakdown. Take time to ask team members questions about their work experiences. Ask the questions and then listen. You will reap vital information that will help you improve.

Trust:     The best leaders hire the right team and trust them to do the job. They communicate the goals, set the rules and guidelines, and monitor progress. They allow their teams to perform. You cannot micro-manage your team and then complain no one takes initiative. Build a strong team by creating a frame work of trust that allows your team to take initiative and have ownership of their work.

Recognize and reward great performance.

Recognize and reward great performance.

Recognize:     The best leaders understand that if they desire great performance repeated then they must recognize and reward it. On the contrary challenged leaders see their job as seeking out poor performance and punishing it. The problem with that view is you never get around to communicating what constitutes great performance. The only feedback your team receives is what not to do. This does not mean ignore a performance issue. (Refer to coaching section above.) One of your primary functions as a leader is to recognize great performance. Recognizing others in front of peers rewards them and communicates to others the standard of excellent performance. Look for opportunities to recognize and reward great performance.

Take time to think about how you are doing in each of these areas.  Incorporate each one into your leadership style.