While the practice of leadership can very from one supervisor to the next, there are a few basic assumptions about leadership that apply to nearly everyone.
People Want to Succeed:
I have met very few individuals that didn’t want to be successful at their job. Your task as a leader is ensuring they have the Authority, Knowledge, Experience, and Skill to complete the tasks you assign them. If a person’s performance is not meeting your expectations, ask yourself if you have covered the 4 needs above before you start blaming him.
People Want to Know How Their Doing:
One of the most importing things a supervisor can do is let her people know where they stand with her. Offering honest and detailed feedback in a timely matter goes a long way in building trust with your employees.
A Leader’s Impact on Morale and Performance is Greater Than They Realize:
I’ve had the displeasure of sailing with many captains who had the ability to crush the spirits of the crew just by walking across the deck. Don’t let your personal problems affect how you interact with your team. Although it can be difficult, making a distinction between your professional life and your personal life will serve you well.
The People Closest to the Action are Best Able to Identify Opportunities and Solutions:
Understanding this principle is what truly separates leaders from being a mere manager or supervisor. You can’t expect to do everything yourself. Encourage ideas from your people, they see things on the frontline of the operation that you never will. Write down every idea you receive no matter how ridiculous an idea may be.
When Captain D. Michael Abrashoff took command of the underperforming USS Benfold, one of the keys to his vessel’s turnaround was his active solicitation of improvement ideas from the XO down to the most junior seaman. Each suggestion was tracked and any actionable items were implemented after they were reviewed by senior officers on board the vessel.
This technique has proven effective not only in the military, but in civilian occupations as well. Chevron USA incorporates a similar “idea tracking log” among its fleet of offshore drilling rigs. Improvement opportunities are captured after nearly every task. At the end of the day, these ideas are reviewed by management and acted on if need be.