Secret Entourage presents
The 16 Rules of
Leadership
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Table of Contents
2. The Human Connection, Expectations vs. Results
9. The Upside Down Pyramid Theory
10. Multi Level Action Planning and Alignment
11. The Communicator/Motivator
12. Manage Through Influence, Not Authority
13. Bringing it All Together Through Loyalty
BONUS READ: 5 Steps To Making It In Corporate America
At some point in our lives we have all worked under the supervision of top level executives ranging from a Supervisor to the CEO. As they are considered our superiors, we refer to them as The Manager or The Boss. We often criticize the individuals we work for when things do not go their way and who rapidly forget the good-quality of executive role they carry and that is expected of them. However, reality remains that there are more frequent individuals who are within leadership roles and yet know very little about the basis of leadership and what it is all about. Apparently, there is a disconnection in society that does not seem to evaluate the difference between managing and leading. There seems to be less and less true exemplary leaders that can carry the title and role.
Being in a leadership role entails many responsibilities—many of which are often not spoken of or discussed, as they have nothing to do with the corporate priorities of your employer. These responsibilities can be life-changing for those that work beneath you or for you, as their lives are very much in your hands.
Many of us have had the unfortunate dissatisfaction of working under improper management or leadership. We have experienced the dramatic difference it can make in our day-to-day lives and its effects, though there has been times which we perceive management to be terrible or leadership to be incorrect on the basis of what we know or believe in. This perception is often made based on misinformation or emotional detachment from that individual. Now that the tables are turned and you are in the position of Owner, CEO, Manager, or Supervisor, this is the moment where you have to become the role model and example and not fall under the category of defective leadership, which can create a disconnection between you and your employees.
I have put together the main core competencies and the different leadership traits you need to display on a day-to-day basis to ensure you are living up to your title and responsibilities, as well as to exceed in your business results.
I have been asked if I knew the difference between a leader and a manager? If I thought every manager was a leader? During those moments, these questions would make me analyze and think about the difference between the two. I would look at their job descriptions and research the leadership qualities that existed in each title and position. My friend, who at the time was my manager, never gave me a direct answer but expressed that in due time it would make sense. It took me a few years to understand exactly what he meant. Finally, when it all came together it opened my eyes and perspective to a whole different level.
I want you to take a moment to really think about the one thing that differentiates a manager from a leader…
I also want you to think about the level of responsibility you take with each role…
Still cannot figure it out? It can be summed up in one word: ownership. Ownership is the main driver that differentiates the roles and responsibilities of a leader. Leadership exists in all of us in various scenarios or for various reasons.
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• Example: You are a car expert and decide to purchase a car for your mother. You will not stop until you have the perfect car at the perfect price. You simply will not buy the first car offered without analyzing the offer further and in more detail. In other words, you do not stop at the first possible solution but are in the constant pursuit of perfection until you feel the results you have obtained are as perfect as it will get for you.
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Ownership has plenty to do with being considerate and generating more than just results that you are asked to create. Taking ownership in the world of business means owning your business to its full potential, to go above and beyond for your business in order to succeed, and recognizing those that will work for you which will make your business a success. When you calculate the amount of hours worked or the minimum/maximum goals that were or were not obtained, all of that will no longer have value as long as you feel that your business has and always will deliver its best to its customers. Those facts are what come to mind when thinking of ownership.
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• Example: You are the manager, and you have a party to attend to Saturday at noon, though you know business is open on Saturdays to service customers. The individual you had assigned to provide coverage in your absence as manager for the day called out sick, and the place is left without any management. You are now left with the choice to call and see what corporate wants you to do, and whom they can send to replace you, or simply do not make a move as it is not your turn to work Saturday. Yet, as being chosen for this role you immediately become the leader and have to reflect on it. Therefore, you cancel your plans, rush to work, and manage your business until it is closed and do not worry or question why someone was not available to replace you.
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As a leader, you have to understand and take the initiative to keep your business running and profitable, regardless, even if you are just a manager. You must also possess the mindset that you will have available at hand the reliable and growing talent that can replace you as you develop into the next role. Making accurate decisions and foreseeing the overall image differentiates the leader from the manager. In most instances, business owners and entrepreneurs are leaders as they take ownership of their own lives and choose to do something about their own success. Their roads are not always easy and may not be very experienced leaders, but nonetheless they showcase the traits that leaders acquire in their actions.
Are you leading or managing?
To answer this question, ask yourself if you have created a visualization for your business. A vision that is aligned to the corporate priorities that your organization is positioned to complete, yet one that is yours and yours only. If so, you are leading by owning.
2. The Human Connection: Expectations vs. Results
As mentioned above, the list continues on differences between leaders and managers. Ownership of the people and the business at hand are the dominant responsibilities for a leader. Employees that begin working for your business will not know who you are or your style of work but will be told what to do until they grasp and understand the concepts that make up their role. When you meet a new employee for the first time, it is equally important that you make a lasting impression as they are expected to do in their interview. This initiation sets the tone for what is expected from the potential new employee and from you as the employer.
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• Example: A potential employee walks in for their interview; however, you are not present and running late. You finally arrive and the interviewee sees you relaxed and joking with everyone. This employee gets the impression that there are no guidelines and that it is a very laid back environment which does not enforce goals. If he gets hired, it will be hard to change his perspective of the work place, perhaps making him disengaged when asked to do his job during down time.
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“If people believe that they can get away with just the bare minimum, they will do just that.”
It is human nature to get away with easy strategies unless they have to do otherwise. Therefore, from the first moment someone walks in and meets you, your image needs to represent a leader that is in control of his environment. Having clear expectations of those individuals and guidelines to follow, it ensures that you are aware of what people must do to be worth their salaries.
Set expectations for your employees, set the rules on how you expect them to do business, and HOLD ACCOUNTABILITY for everyone at all times. The instant you allow one or two rules to be broken, you are opening the possibilities for everyone to disobey your rules and structure their own way to run your business. It is very difficult to change someone’s mindset once they are used to looking at things a certain way, though it is very simple to mold them correctly right from the start and creating that human connection. This is actually impossible if you are the immediate Owner, as there is no separation between the business and you. Now, moving on to those that work in a corporation within leadership roles.
We often make the mistake of reverting expectations by expressing words like “we,” or “the company,” or “my boss” when it is all irrelevant. The individuals that are employed at your organization and under your leadership need to be at a level of perception and comprehend that they primarily work for you and that you are the originator of the regulations in the unit, region, market or wherever else you manage, lead, or control. Even by following under the company’s general guidelines, this does not take away from leading in your own individual capacity to allow those you manage to identify you as their “boss.”
The human connection is created when an employee chooses to believe in their leader’s vision and see value in their work. If you can create that through your words, vision, and guidance, then you are doing a great job at setting yourself and that employee up for success.
Corporate America can be nasty at times and very unfair. There is a significant link between corporations and people, though the link has been broken for some time. Corporate loyalty is obsolete and does not seem that it will be resuscitated at any point in time. Despite being broken from a corporate level, it is yet very possible for one to gain his employee’s loyalty through personal character. The link is broken primarily because of the lack in communication and the poor leadership that begins from the top executive level. The core problem persists in the fact that the management chain does not communicate precisely, all this leading from fear to lies and excuses, instead of the truth. Fear is the primary reason Corporate America will never understand the necessity of a connection it has to create for its employees in order to earn their loyalty. It will do what is best for itself and never take into consideration what and who matters most. This rule is not because the CEO is a heartless person but rather because these individuals are afraid to speak out to those that are the foundation of the organization.