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The  10 Rules of Leadership

By Eric Harvey and Steve Ventura

Having a leadership position and being a leader are not one and the same. Your position is something you were appointed to . . . something you became eligible for by being a good performer. In all likelihood, what you did yesterday, as an individual contributor, helped you get the title you hold today. And that’s exactly what your position is: a classification, a title. Being a true leader, however, is significantly different. “Leader” is a descriptor – a designation you must earn through specific actions and behaviors. It’s based on what you do today and what you will do tomorrow – not what’s printed on your business card or engraved on your name tag. Simply put, to be a real leader you must do the things that leaders do, and you must do them well. Those “things” can be summed up in the 10 Rules of Leadership:

 

1. Make What Matters Really Matter.

Jot down the things that are important in your organization. Chances are your list will include words and concepts like policies and procedures, customer service, quality, profitability, teamwork, responsibility, ethics and integrity. Next, circle the items on your list that really matter. (It’s okay to circle all of them.) Finally, review your list, do a little self-reflection and answer the following honestly: Would an outsider who was unfamiliar with your organization know what truly matters to you merely by watching you? What behaviors could you cite as evidence?

 

2.  Practice What You Preach.

Practicing what you preach means that you do what you expect from others. Your team members know that although they are employed by the organization, they really work for you. So they look to you and at you for guidance and direction. Just as you have expectations of them, they have expectations of you. They expect you to be trusting and trustworthy, careful and caring, respectful and respectable, competent and committed. They expect you to walk the talk.

 

3.  Communicate with Care and Conviction.

To be an effective leader, you must be an effective communicator. That means paying careful attention to what you say (the words you use and information you include) and how you say it (your tone, style and delivery). Also, you must confirm that others have heard the message correctly and then monitor their reactions (what they think, feel and do in response). It adds up to being considerate of your team members’ concerns and expectations. And it means communicating with others thoughtfully and respectfully.

 

4.  Create the Involvement You Seek.

If you want team members to act more like partners, treat them more like partners. It’s just common sense. People tend to act according to how they’re treated – according to what they perceive they are. It’s simple: Expect team members to check their brains at the door, and that’s precisely what many will do – they’ll respond as mere “cogs in a wheel.” But provide them with real opportunities to participate and be involved – give them more of a voice in your daily operation – and they’ll take more ownership.

5.  Do Right by Those Who Do Right.

When team members meet your expectations or go beyond the call of duty, make sure there is something in it for them. And that something needs to be more than just continued employment. Whether it’s a special reward or a sincere “thank you,” the act of recognizing team members sends two messages: Good performance matters, and their contributions are known and appreciated. You don’t have to be a psychologist to know that messages like those can positively affect employee motivation and satisfaction.

 

6.  Provide What They Need to Succeed.

With few exceptions, all team members want to be successful. It’s tough for people to do a good job – to do their best work – when they don’t have the tools (information, resources, training and support) they need. That’s something your team members may be facing more often than you think. And as a leader, you need to do your best to do something about it. You need to make sure your people’s achievements are happening because of how they are equipped, not in spite of it.

 

7.  Confront Challenges With Courage.

Leadership is not for the faint of heart. Along with your title come many awesome responsibilities – and an equal number of situations that can and will test your mettle. As a leader, you need courage to do what is expected of you, to do what you’re there to do. You’ll find temptations to take easier and less resistant paths. And you’ll find people who – either unintentionally or purposely – create obstacles that will challenge your tenacity and resolve. Even the very best leaders must occasionally pass the courage test. The true measure of your leadership effectiveness is the ability to look in the mirror and know that you had the strength and courage to do what you knew was the right thing to do.

 

8.  Let Differences Become Your Direction.

If everyone were the same, we wouldn’t have creative “oddballs” inventing new technologies and creature comforts to improve our lives; we wouldn’t have “foreigners” buying our products and services; we wouldn’t have the blending of cultures and ideas that afford us new and enriching experiences. And you wouldn’t have individual employees bringing the varied skills, ideas and strengths you rely on for your organization’s (and your) ongoing success. Diversity in the workplace (in all its forms) is not something to be feared or squelched – it’s an advantage to be nurtured and encouraged.

 

9.  Strive to Serve Others.

A “customer” is anyone for whom we provide goods or services … the target of our efforts and activities. In a nutshell, customers are all the people who depend on us. As a leader, you have as many, if not more, customers than anyone else in your organization. With leadership comes a great deal of power and authority – the ability to direct, control and decide. Each of us must choose whether we will use our influence to serve ourselves – or those with and for whom we work.

 

10.  Go Forth and Prosper.

Clearly, the ultimate responsibility of those in leadership positions is to help their organizations, and the people who comprise them, be more successful. Your job is to take those you lead and serve to heights they likely would have great difficulty reaching by themselves. Exceptional leaders encourage magnificence rather than settle for mediocrity. They work on today’s tasks with an eye on tomorrow’s possibilities. Things changed the moment you accepted your leadership position. The bar was raised. Requirements went up, responsibilities went up and expectations went up as well. You’re now held to a higher standard – which is exactly as it should be.

That’s not all. Along with your new title also came new functions, new tasks and a new definition of, and pathway to, “success.” Now you accomplish things through others. Now the way you make a difference is by helping your people make a difference …helping them be successful. Now you must be as proficient in the business of leadership as you are in the business of your business.

 

Eric Harvey and Steve Ventura are authors, educators and business professionals. This article is based on their book The 10 Commandments of Leadership – available at walkthetalk.com.