You can tell how exceptional a leader is by looking at those they lead. The more impressive the team, the more impressive the leader.
So, if you want those you lead to display the right attitude, behaviours, passion and performance, they’re going to have to see it in you.
And that means they’re going to have to see you.
Here are some quick questions (answer them honestly!):
- How often do they see your face?
- Hear your voice?
- Do you see each other enough, so you know each other’s objectives, hopes and fears?
- Their current priorities?
- Their preferred communication styles?
And now a very quick, simple exercise:
- Give yourself a mark out of ten for how visible you think you are to them (your answers to the previous bullets will help you do this)
- Give yourself a mark out of ten for how visible they think you are to them
- Identify a simple action you could take, to boost both scores (this could well be the same action for both)
- Identify how you will remember to keep doing this action – regular diary reminders, ask your colleagues/coach to remind you etc.
Even better, do these four steps with your team. You can either do it together at the same time; or separately, then compare notes.
Both will highlight simple ways you can be more visible, and therefore impact each other more.
Exercises like this help transform the performance of those you lead. And therefore your effectiveness as a leader.
Action point
Simply spend a few minutes doing these four steps with your whole team (or at least 1-2 of them).
Most importantly, do the action you both agree on. Not just as a short-term nice-to-have. But embed it into how you lead them in the long-term.