The 4 D's Of Effective Leadership

In today's business world, there is a unique blend of management styles. Society (and the rules that govern society) have changed dramatically in the past 20 years; and the expectations in the workplace are no exception. Gone are the days of the "old style" manager, who sat in his ivory tower and dictated to his employees. Today's worker expects different things from the people who lead them. The "4 D's" listed below are essentials in today's managers.

Decision-Making
I have been witness to managers who took forever to make a decision, to those who made choices at the drop of a hat, and everything in between. Neither of the two extremes mentioned were effective: those who do countless hours of research, afraid of making a false step, usually wind up missing deadlines and opportunities. Those who make hasty decisions usually regret their choices soon afterwards and may even change their minds, causing chaos among the staff who are counting on what they heard yesterday.

Take the time necessary for the subject matter - for example, deciding what product should be merchandised on a shelf for the weekend will not take the same amount of time to research as planning out your expense budget for the upcoming year. Don't get bogged down in the details, though - choose the relevant information but set a deadline for when the decision will be made and stick to it. Once your choice has then been decided, treat it as written in stone. There is nothing that frustrates a worker more than walking in to the workplace every day to find the rules have changed.

Delegation
Despite the statement that the days of the "ivory tower" management style are gone, an effective manager does have to delegate part of their workload in the course of a day. With the massive amounts of work being done by managers in today's economy, one person can not do it all and still have a life outside of their job. At the start of your shift, make a list of the items that need to be done for the day and then see what can be distributed out to others. You don't have to do it all - nor should you. Your employees want to feel useful - develop them in ways where they contribute meaningful work and they'll thank you for it.

Further to that impression, you have to be able to do the jobs you're asking your employees to do - how can you delegate a task if you can't show someone how it's done? And it never hurts to roll up your sleeves once in awhile and help them accomplish a task. You should be able, yes - and willing at times to get dirty on the front lines - but that doesn't mean you have to do it all the time.

Develop a Rapport with Your People
It's been said a thousand times before but the fact remains: your people must know you care if they're going to cooperate with you and follow where you lead. Take the time necessary to ask them questions about how they're doing, sincerely listen to suggestions they make, and give them feedback to let them know you heard what they said. You don't necessarily have to implement everything they suggest, but be willing to show them the "bigger picture" so they understand why you won't implement it.

I have seen managers who intentionally dropped garbage on the floor to see how long it took employees to pick it up. If you don't think they're aware of how you're testing and using them in such a way, you're disillusioning yourself. If you're going to encourage them to act as a team, you must be a part of that team and treat them with the respect you expect for yourself.

Differences Need to Be Recognized and Allowed
The best managers out there know that everyone is different and use those things that make people unique to their advantage. They also know that their workers are not them - your minimum-wage employee has a completely different agenda in the course of the day than what you do. Do not expect them to care about the business in the same way that you do - they are not privvy to the information you have and may not even want to know what you know. That doesn't mean they don't care about the success of the business - it just means their focus is different. Most employees I've talked to "in the trenches" just want clear direction and a "job well done" from you at the end of the shift. That's all. Don't make it complicated or expect too much.

Most importantly, remember that the majority of your employees are not getting paid what you are to be selfless and dedicated to the organization. Their quality of life is going to be important to them and they will expect you to play by the employment standard rules of your region. Immediately assuming the worst of them and questioning absences or requests for time off will not win you a dedicated employee. It may, in fact, create someone who is resentful and loses interest in the company's goals.

Great Managers Are Not Born - They Make Themselves
The companies that are going to be a success in the 21st century are those that have managers that can lead them in a new direction. By making timely, effective decisions; delegating tasks accordingly; developing a strong team; and using the differences of that team to ultimate success, you're on your way to being a great manager.