A Quick Guide to Leadership

A to Z
A quick beginner's guide to
Leadership
Chad Blair

Copyright © 2016 by Chad Blair
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to
chadblair1@gmail.com
Printed in Aotearoa /New Zealand
First Printing, 2016

Acknowledgements
This book has been in the works off and on for the past 9 years. The fact that you are reading it is a
feat in itself.
I'd like to thank my family for their support and encouragement in getting this out there.
To those friends, leaders and mentors that offered advice and feedback, I thank you.
To you, the reader, thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you find something useful in
these pages to help develop your leadership.

Introduction
This book came out of many years worth of reading and research.
I found that there was always a lot of extra stuff in Leadership books that didn’t really need to be
there. And I also found that they pretty much said the same thing anyway...just in different ways.
This book is Leadership stripped down to the essentials. It is for those who don’t have enough time to
read ‘real’ books and just want the really important bits without having to read an entire book.
For some, this may seem too simplistic, offering only key words and their connection with Leadership,
but I feel it enables people to get the good stuff quicker (and in a way that is easier to remember and
refer back to).
I hope you enjoy this simplified version of Leadership and that it helps you on your journey to
becoming an inspirational leader for your team.

A
“A leader is best when people barely know he
exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
they will say: we did it ourselves.”
Lao Tzu

ATTITUDE, [at-i-tood, -tyood]–noun
Your attitude determines how effective you are at using your
leadership skills and influencing people. If you have a great attitude,
people will be attracted to you as a leader and will be more likely to
follow you.
Attitude is a choice. It is your choice. Will you let it empower you or
limit your success?

ACTION, [ak-shuh n] –noun
People do what people see. So your actions are incredibly important
as a Leader of people. Just like with attitude, a leader must act how
they want their teams to act. If you want your team to be inclusive,
creative and open, then your actions had better follow those same
ideals. If they don’t your team will receive mixed messages and fail at
the task given to them.
Do your actions match your words? Or are you sending mixed
messages?

“Leadership is practiced, not so much in
words, as in attitude and in actions.”
Harold Geneen
B

Read:
Blake: Leader
By Mark Orams

BELONGING, [bih-lawng-ing] –noun
Everyone loves to be a part of something. It is this sense of belonging
that is important when dealing in leadership. When a person feels like
they belong they are much more likely to work hard and succeed within
the group.
To cultivate a sense of belonging within your teams look at how you
recognise good work, how you reward your team for a job well done,
and how you deal with conflicts within the team. If you do these things
well (the best way to find out is to ask your team!), then you will have
something they want to be a part of.

BRIDGE, [brij] –verb
One of the more important aspects of a leader’s role is that of a bridge.
A leader is there to help bridge gaps that appear within the team itself
and also in the work the team is doing. When there are issues between
team members, it is the job of the Leader to enable these members to
work through these issues without it negatively affecting the remaining
team or its objectives. When barriers are introduced in the work being
done, it is the leader’s job to ‘build a bridge’ to get over them.
How are your bridge building skills?

Culture is “a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group
learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and
internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered
valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct
way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems.”
E. Schein
Organizational Culture and Leadership, 1996
C

CULTURE, [kuhl-cher] –noun
Culture is something that Leaders are taking more notice of these days. In order for an effective
leader to make changes happen within their teams (and for these changes to be integrated long
term); culture must be taken into account.
The definition on the previous page can be simplified to shared basic assumptions that have
been deemed to work well so are taught to new members of any team. Or simpler still, as the
way we do things around here.
If people are comfortable doing what they’ve always done, why should they change?
That is the problem faced by Leaders when introducing new initiatives into an existing team.

COMPASS, [kuhm-puhs] –noun
A Compass provides direction. It assists you in getting to where you want to go.
When a leader is able to provide clear directions, teams perform better. This is because
everyone is on the same page and understands what they need to do in order to get to where
they want to go.
Do you know where you are going? If you don’t, neither does your team.

COACH, [kohch] –verb
Coaching is what every leader needs to do to ensure their team members are able to do their
jobs effectively. Below are some tools to help you be a more effective coach;
Have a plan to help improve performance in all your team
Meet with team members regularly to ensure they know their role within the business and how
it affects the big picture
Delegate appropriate responsibilities to your team members
Chart their progression
Use S.M.A.R.T goals (see 'G' for Goals)
Don’t dictate the ‘How’ of the job
Reward good behaviour/ Change bad behaviour

CONSISTENCY, [kuh n-sis-tuh n-see]
–noun
A consistent leader is a reliable leader.
If you turn up the same every day and behave the same way every day, then your team will be
more comfortable and more confident in approaching you with issues.

DELEGATE, [del-i-geyt] –verb
Delegating is an essential part of Leadership. It gives you the opportunity to involve those
around you in tasks and also enables you to give out responsibilities.
Empower your team members with responsibility and watch them blossom, but beware…. Part
of delegating is knowing what your team members can do.
Don’t delegate a task to someone who obviously can’t do the job (e.g. the role of lookout to a
blind man).

E
“The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to
where they have not been.”
Henry Kissinger

ENERGY, [en-er-jee] –noun
Just like attitude, the energy you bring to your team is infectious.
If you come across as a high energy person who gets things done, then your team will work hard
to replicate this.
And, as always it works in reverse too. Come to the team with low energy and guess what you’ll
be getting back…
A little secret for energy is to be positive when talking with/to your team. You’ll be surprised how
energizing it is to have no negative, draining talk filtering down your team.

EXPECTATIONS, [ek-spek-tey-shuhns]
–noun
As the leader of a team you will have worked out your vision of where you want to go and how
you’re going to get there. You would have explained to your team their roles in this vision and
how they will affect the outcome. These are your expectations, and without them your team
would fail.
People need expectations. It shows them what actions are acceptable and clearly outlines the
consequences if these actions are not followed.
This enables them to function highly within your team.
No expectations = No results (no good ones at least)
For your expectations to be truly effective you must have consequences. This way the team
knows that if they don’t achieve they’re out the door and they won’t want to fail if they want to
part of the team.

EMPOWER, [em-pou-er] –verb
Having empowered team members is the mark of a great team and a truly inspirational leader.
By delegating responsibilities and trusting your team you will empower them to greatness.
The quote at the beginning of this book illustrates the concept of empowerment.
If you have empowered them enough, they will feel as though they did it all themselves – which
is what happens in a great team.

FUN, [fuhn]–verb
No one likes to be bored. Have fun with your team and show them that
it’s okay to laugh.
As a Leader there will be times when you’re not going to know whether
to laugh or cry, so a sense of humor is imperative.
But ensure that your team knows that there is a time and place for fun.
You can’t get work done on time if you’re all down at the local pub
drinking the night away.

FOCUS, [foh-kuhs] –noun
“The hardest thing about the job is staying focused”.
President Obama said this during an interview with Steve Kroft on 60
Minutes and he’s right. Staying focused is a difficult, but essential part
of leadership.
To help stay focused on the challenges at hand make sure you know
your strengths and your weaknesses. By doing this you can focus your
efforts on things that you can do and delegate those other things to
people who know more than you.
Sticking with your overall vision, or focus, is important. No matter what
challenges are put in front of you, all keep your focus on the end goal.

FAILURE, [feyl-yer] –noun
Don’t be mistaken, Failure is a part of being a leader. Failure happens
when you are attempting something difficult and there isn’t a lot you
can do about it…
Except LEARN from it.
If you don’t learn from your mistakes you will be doomed to relive
them over and over again. You don’t want to do that now, do you?

FEEDBACK, [feed-bak] –noun
When you have expectations of someone and communicate these
expectations to them, feedback becomes extremely important. How
else does your team know whether they are on track or off track?
Feedback need not be negative (if anything positive feedback works
twice as well) but it does need to be constructive.
This means no personal attacks on your team members – stick to the
facts and remain objective.
Another hint: Be quick to give feedback – whether it’s good or bad!
The faster you can let someone know something the quicker the result
is.

Ask your team what your vision is.
Do they know what it is?
Do you communicate it constantly?
Having a vision is the most important part of
leadership. If you don’t have one, get one
quick!
TASK ONE: your vision

Read:
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People
Will Follow You
By John C. Maxwell
G

GOALS, [gohls] –noun
Goals are important if you want to achieve something. They set the bar to which you will work
and measure the success of the work you have done.
As a Leader you must have an overall goal, or vision for your team to aspire to. Then you must
give each person in your team goals that match their responsibilities and empower them to
achieve. These must be tied into your overall vision and help your team understand why they
are doing their job.
When setting goals, ensure they are S.M.A.R.T. This means they are;
Specific
Measureable
Achievable
Relevant
Timebound
When goals are set out this way, it makes it simple for you and your team to understand and it
also makes it obvious what is needed for success.

H
“A leader is a dealer in hope.”
Napoleon Bonaparte

HUMOUR, [hyoo-mer] –noun
Having a sense of humour is essential when dealing with other people. If you can’t laugh with
your team, you won’t have a team.
But again, just like we mentioned in the “FUN” section, there is a time and place for humour and
it is your job as Leader to decide when and where that is.

I
Visit
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leader.html

INFLUENCE, [in-floo-uhns] –noun
Influencing people is pretty much what Leadership is all about. But how does one do this?
There are many ways to increase your influence as a leader, some of these include;
Doing what you say
Trusting your team
Being honest
Communicating your vision constantly
Being available
Rewarding and Recognising your team’s efforts
And the biggest thing you can do is….
Relinquish control.
Don’t micromanage or try and coerce your team into doing things!

INTEGRITY, [in-teg-ri-tee] –noun
Integrity is a must for leaders. If you have moral and ethical principles and always adhere to
them, you will boost trust and morale in your teams.
Your teams will feel safe in the environment you have created and this enables them to feel able
to express themselves freely.
Your integrity leads to stability. Your teams will know where they stand and what’s going on
because you will be a constant within the team.
By having integrity, you will do what is right no matter what. This helps give your teams a
reference point for acceptable behaviour.
You see, integrity is about what you do more than what you say. Are you leading by example?
And is it a good example?

INSPIRATION, [in-spuh-rey-shuhn]
–noun
Inspiration and Leadership go hand in hand these days. Any effective leader must be inspirational.
But how does one inspire others?

                       Be passionate about the vision for your team. Communicate it constantly and do it with
passion!!!
                          Listen to your team. Listen to their ideas and suggestions. Talk with them about
                             how you can incorporate these ideas or even why you may not be able to.
                          Include your team. Get them to join in the vision in a way that makes it real to them.
Act with integrity. Be honest and open and your team will follow.

Appreciation. Show your team that they matter. Reward and recognise them for their efforts.

IDEAS, [ahy-dee-uh s] –noun
If you have an empowered team you will no doubt be inundated with ideas (and that’s a great thing by
the way!).
Foster an environment for spreading ideas throughout your team. Ask for feedback on projects,
processes and all other aspects of your business. Your team will feel valued because you’ve taken
time to listen to their ideas and shown them that their ideas matter.
The more you do this the more the ideas will help change your teams for the better.

INNOVATION, [in-uh-vey-shuhn]
–noun
Innovation is what happens when you let ideas spread. And you must let them spread.
Innovation is what will separate your team’s success from others. By working with new ideas you
open up new possibilities and new realities. As a leader you must foster this and incorporate it into
your team’s daily life. Building a team within a creative or learning environment is the best way to do
this.
Still doing what you’ve always done? That’s not exciting at all. Get creative and innovative and you
will start doing things you never even dreamed of before.

J
Read
The Spirit of Leadership
by Peter Cammock

JOURNEY, [jur-nee] –noun
Leadership is a journey. It is a journey of self discovery, personal development and in some cases
professional development.
As you move through your journey you will learn some great skills and find out more about yourself as
a person.
Don’t take anything for granted on this journey. Enjoy it and make the most of any and all
opportunities to learn.
If there is one thing this leadership journey will teach you it is that you never stop learning and as you
go forward you will not want to stop learning either.

K
“Formal education will make you a living. Self education will make
you a fortune.”
Jim Rohn

KAIZEN, [kahy-zen] –noun
Kaizen is a Japanese word used to describe the philosophy of continuous improvement.
Usually used when talking about process improvement, I feel it does play a part in leadership.
Part of the leadership journey mentioned earlier involves the leader undergoing continuous
improvement to become better at leading.

KNOWLEDGE, [nol-ij] –noun
Learning is Leadership. Grow your knowledge of things applicable to your team and their work or
better yet, let loose and gain knowledge in those things you are passionate about, even if they have
nothing directly to do with your work.
Knowledge is a fantastic foundation to base your leadership on so learn something new today!

L
Visit:
www.leadership501.com

LISTEN, [lis-uhn]–verb
Actively listen to everyone. If you do this, you will reap some great rewards.
Put down what you are doing, face the person speaking and listen.
Pretty simple isn’t it? Yet people don’t do it.
Acknowledge what is being said with words/body language. Repeat it back to them to show
understanding. Ask questions if you’re unsure about what is being said.
See, easy…but this last important point is the most difficult.
Put emotions aside and listen objectively.
Not so easy! But with practice it will be.

LEARN, [lurn] –verb
Learn.
Learn.
Learn.
If in doubt, learn.
Learning is what makes leaders great. They never stop and are able to
communicate better, with more varied company, than someone who
does not learn new things.

LIVE, [lahyv] –verb
Be a Live Leader.
Get out there and motivate and excite your team to success. Being a
live leader is about being the spark for your team. Get them excited
about doing their job anyway you can and then get out of the way.

Write a list of your Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats in reference to your
Leadership skills and capabilities
Are you aware of how these affect your team
and your success?
Work out how you can utilize your strengths
and opportunities while minimizing the
negative impact of your weaknesses and
threats
TASK TWO: personal SWOT
analysis

“If you pick the right people and give them the opportunity to
spread their wings—and put compensation as a carrier behind it
—you almost don’t have to manage them.”
Jack Welch
M

MOTIVATION, [moh-tuh-vey-shuhn]
–noun
As a Leader you need to be motivated and your team does to. But how do you motivate other
people?
Motivating people is pretty much about giving them something they want in return for something
you want.
To do this you must understand what drives your team members. Not all of them are motivated
by money, but all of them are motivated by something.
If you know your team and know what they want, you can get more out of them (without
spending a dime!).
Some common drivers include;
Autonomy – Being able to do something they want without interference from anyone else.
Mastery – The time to get better at something.
Purpose – If you give them purpose they will exceed expectations.
Thanks – Sometimes acknowledgement from higher up is more than enough!

MAGNETIC FORCE, [mag-net-ick]
–adj, [fohrs] -verb
Being a Leader is being a magnetic force. Be around your team and watch what they are doing,
but don’t interfere.
Just give them the directions and then leave them to it. If you’ve got the right person doing the
right job you shouldn’t have to do anything at all.

MOVEMENT, [moov-muh nt] -noun
Once you have your vision in place it is time to start a movement. Get as many people ‘singing
the same tune’ when it comes to your vision and the movement will grow until everyone in your
team believes in your vision as much as you do.
This can be thought of as the physical manifestation of your vision. Everyone moving with you
along the path of success and doing all they can do to make this vision become reality.
If you really want to know how to start a movement watch the video on Youtube attached to the
link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V74AxCqOTvg

MENTOR(S), [men-tawr] -noun
In Leadership there is no better way to learn than byway of someone who has gone before you.
Mentors can help you brainstorm ideas around issues you might be having, or assist you in
learning new skills for future use. Whatever you feel you need for your development as a leader
there is a mentor out there to help.
…And on the flipside,
You can act as a mentor too. The skills you have as a leader should be passed on to those who
follow you. At the end of the day the greatest contribution any leader can make is more leaders.
So go get yourself a mentor if you don’t already have one and also get out there and let your
teams know you’re available to mentor them if needed.

MOMENTUM, [moh-men-tuh m] -
noun
You have a vision, and soon you will have followers which will in turn create a movement. Now
once this movement is moving you must use it to get to where you want to go.
This is called momentum (defined as the speed or force of movement).
You are the Leader and controlling the momentum is your job. If you’ve communicated your
vision well enough, and influenced the key people effectively, the momentum will be on your
side. If you haven’t done this, momentum could shift and end up doing more harm than good.

N
Read:
Zag
By Marty Neumeier

NEW, [nyoo] –adjective
New ideas are not the enemy. Don’t be afraid to try new things as a leader. Get out of your
comfort zone and learn new things now. Apply them to your leadership journey and expand your
mind and skill set.
New ideas lead to progress, and progress leads to new ideas. Don’t get stuck in your ways.
Show your team the value in the ‘new’.
Who knows, maybe by working with new things and looking for new things you may discover
something unbelievable!
Are you afraid of ‘new’?

NETWORK, [net-wurk] –verb
A Leader must network. Build your professional relationships by talking to, and meeting with,
new people that can assist you in your role as leader.
Get out and about and go to conferences or groups aimed at your areas of expertise. Talk to
everyone you can and swap details if they seem like someone you could have a mutually
beneficial relationship with.

O
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in
overalls and looks like work.”
Thomas A Edison

OPEN, [oh-puhn] –adjective
Being open with your team leads to greater respect and trust and provides your team with a feeling of
safety to be themselves within the team.
This is hugely important if you want to truly lead your team and create a success from it.
Openness can be created by doing things like having an open door policy, admitting when things are
tough or when you are wrong, or even by talking to your team as the individuals they are.

ORGANISE, [awr-guh-nahyz] –verb
Be organized, get organizing. To really get stuff done you do have to be organized.
A diary therefore is a must! This will help you keep tabs on everything you need to. All you have to do
is use it…NOW!
Another way to be organized is to file everything. Whether it’s on the computer or in paper form, put it
where it is easy to find and makes sense.

OPPORTUNITY, [op-er-tyoo-ni-tee]
–noun
Give your team members opportunities to develop and learn. This will increase their knowledge and
expertise in their areas and ensure they are passionate and driven to succeed.
If you want to get really creative let your team members learn another person’s role. Maybe do it once
a week or month and just pretend that the learner is absent from work for the day. This way they can
focus on learning something new without interruption.
Go on…you know you want to try it. If you don’t want to, I’m sure your team will.

P
“Good plans shape good decisions. That’s
why good planning helps to make elusive
dreams come true.”
Lester R. Bittel

PLANNING, [plan-ing]–noun
Planning is an important skill needed if you are to lead a team successfully. Take time to
plan things out. This will help uncover potential risks or barriers to success. It will also help
you identify the resources needed for success and enable you to be prepared for pretty
much anything that jumps out during the process.
Utilise your team in the planning process too. Getting them involved will help them feel
included and will empower them to take ownership over their part in the project.

PEOPLE, [pee-puhl] –noun
People are important and you must treat them as such. To be a
successful leader you have to remember that people have lives and it
is important for them to live them. If you expect a lot from your people
you must give a lot back to them.
Treat your people respectfully and they will do the same.
Are you expecting a lot from your people and not giving them enough
back?
Ask around and change if you need to. If you seem to be getting a few
non committal answers than you bargained for perhaps you’ve got
more issues than just running your team into the ground.

PERFORMANCE, [per-fawr-muhns]
–noun
Performance = skills + task difficulty + experience + availability of
resources
If any of the above things are lacking performance will be affected
either negatively or positively. For example, if you have someone who
has a high skill level, loads of experience, some resources and an
easy task then the chances are performance will be at a high positive
level. If they have no experience or skill in the area but still a relatively
easy task and loads of resources the task may be performed at an
average or low level.
So to ensure high performance make sure you have the right person
doing the right job with adequate resources and experience.

PROCESS, [proh-ses]–noun
Processes help us understand how to do a particular task. Ensure that these are always
as simple as possible. If the process is too complicated or confusing people will not do it
right, or worse, at all.
Also, let each process be open to kaizen (continuous improvement). If someone on your
team has an idea on how to make a process simpler and more efficient – try it out!
Work hard at stopping the dreaded process disease which affects many businesses and
teams – “That’s the way we’ve always done it” itis.
Just because it’s always been done that one doesn’t mean it’s the right way to do it!

PRIORITISE, [prahy-awr-i-
tahyz]–verb
Prioritise your workload. This is essential in order to get things done. Focus on the things
that you will get the most benefit from. Delegate the rest, and when your team is good
enough, delegate it all. Write lists at the end of the day for the next day so that you are
more than prepared and don’t take on too much. Tackle the top 3 things first then the next
3 and so on. Don’t write a list of 20 things and try and get them all done straight away.
Just like when you eat food – take small bites (chunks of work) and chew (do the work)
and swallow (finish the work).

PASSION, [pash-uhn] –noun
Do something you are passionate about. The most effective and Inspirational leaders are those
that are passionate about their vision and the work they do. This is because they are motivated
to succeed. If you do something you love doing, you don’t mind putting in extra work for the
benefits that you will gain from it.
If you are seen to be passionate about your vision people are more likely to follow you on your
journey than if you are not passionate.

PROBLEM SOLVING, [prob-
luhm] [solv-ing] -noun
Involve your team in problem solving when applicable. Doing this will provide your team with the
feeling of inclusiveness and make them feel like they have contributed something to the overall
goal.
Another thing is to utilize your network and mentors in the process of solving the bigger, harder
problems. Someone you know may have gone through this issue before and could provide you
will some great advice.

PARTNERSHIP, [pahrt-ner-ship] -
noun
Leadership is a partnership between those that lead and those that follow. As the leader you
are not ‘above’ anyone or even more ‘important’ than anyone else in your team.
In order for your vision to become a reality you must work with your team because if you don’t
the only option is to work against them (and that defeats the purpose!)
Are you treating your team like slaves or partners? Is there an equal amount of give and take?

PARETO, [pah-re-taw] -noun
The Pareto principle, have you heard of it?
It is the idea that 20% of your effort brings about 80% of the result you want.
At any time when you are prioritizing/planning work, look to complete the 20% that will get you
the 80% result.
On the flipside, it means that 80% of your time is wasted on 20% of the result.
Find and read ‘The 80/20 Principle’ by John Koch for more information on this strange
mathematical formula.

Read:
Wooden on Leadership
By John Wooden and Steve Jamison
Q

QUIET, [kwahy-it] -verb
There are two points that work for this particular word.
The first is the idea that sometimes throughout your busy day you will need to take a break, and
I mean really take one!
Getting out of ‘work mode’ for a few moments throughout the day will make you better able to
handle the stresses that come with your role as a Leader.
Actions also speak louder than words – so keep quiet and do more. Try not to be that leader
(they’re not really leaders) that works from their ego and yells and screams at their team. Be the
quiet leader that empowers their team to success without really having to say much.

R
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to
say thank you”
Max DePree

RECOGNISE, [rek-uhg-nahyz] –verb
Recognition is one of the main things team members want from their leader. It shows they are
appreciated, and that they add value to the team and their journey toward their vision.
Make a big fuss whenever someone does something positive worth talking about. Reward them
for their actions as soon as you can (sooner the better – just like resolving issues).
Make it a tradition in your team for the team itself to identify and recognise great work. This will
bring the team together.

RELATIONSHIPS, [ri-ley-shuhn-ship]
–noun
People are important in leadership and the relationships you have with them are extra special. It
is the ability to build relationships between many different types of people that make a leader
effective in their role.
Place a great importance on fostering new relationships and building new ones, via your
network, as these will come to be a huge help as you move on through your journey.

RESPONSIBILITY, [ri-spon-suh-bil-i-
tee] –noun
You can delegate the task but not the responsibility. As a Leader you are responsible for
everything that happens within your team.
Because of this it is important to train and coach your team well so that when you give them
more responsibility they will succeed.

Find out more about your team today.
What are their goals?
What are their hobbies?
You may just find a future leader hidden
amongst them.
TASK THREE: build relationships

S
Read:
The One Minute Manager
By Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

SUPPORT, [suh-pawrt] –verb
Support your team if you want them to support you in return. If they want to do things you are unsure
of, let them try it out. If they succeed great, if not, support them (don’t belittle them).
Support their needs for autonomy and creativity but be available when they need you.

STRATEGY, [strat-i-jee] –noun
Goals and visions are useless without a plan to make them a reality.
This is strategy.
Every leader must have a strategy that they work from in order to successfully meet their goals.
When planning your strategy ensure you make use of all your resources that you have at hand. This
may include your skills, your previous experiences, mentors, education, friends and family. It will also
include your team and their skills, previous experiences, mentors, education, friends and family.
With careful planning and use of resources your strategy should be simple and straightforward to put
into action.
But don’t forget to be flexible when barriers get in your path. Strategy needs to be fluid and flexible,
not solid and unmovable.

SELF DEVELOPMENT, [self] [dih-vel-
uhp-muhnt] –noun
Leaders should always be looking to develop. No one is perfect and this includes those that lead. In
fact, inspirational leaders are the first to admit they don’t know everything.
As discussed earlier, knowledge is very important to a leader as is learning. A major part of this
knowledge and learning is about the leader themselves.
When a person develops themselves through learning they can better manage change and gain
mastery in aspects of their life.
It also shows your team the importance of their development. If they see you doing something to better
yourself, they will want to replicate it.

SIMPLICITY, [sim-plis-i-tee] –noun
Simplicity is the key to getting things done. Your job as a leader is to ensure that your processes and
strategies are as simple as possible. You can do this through the process of kaizen (continuous
improvement) and also through innovation.
If things are simple, then they should be easily understood so that they can be put into action quickly.
Simplicity frees us from complexity and confusion.
Are your processes simple?
Is your team over run by complexity and confusion?

T
Visit:
http://www.timemanagement.com/

TIME MANAGEMENT, [tahym] [man-
ij-muhnt]–noun
Time management is something everyone talks about but ever rarely does (or at least does
right).
Part of time management is assessing what you need to do on any given day. The other
more important and difficult part is prioritising which to do first.
This can be easier if you know what the potential outcomes are of the activities that need
doing. This way you can work out which is more important and rank them accordingly.
Then, using the Pareto principle, do the things that will have the greatest impact (i.e. the
20% which will give you the 80%).
Another tip is switching off technology.
Work out times that you will be using things such as cell phones, email etc and then turn
them off in between times. For example, make 78am email/phone time and then again at 3
4pm. The rest of the time, leave them alone!

THANK, [thangk] –verb
Saying thanks to your team when they’ve done something good has an
amazing effect on the morale of the team in general.
It also shows the team you are humble and grateful for their assistance
and support.
When was the last time you thanked someone in your team? What
about the whole team?
Saying thanks is not giving financial compensation either. It is simply
saying the words “Thankyou”

TRUST, [truhst]–noun
Trust, like respect is earned not immediately given. You must work
hard to forge relationships with your team to ensure trust is built
between each other.
Trust is what happens when people have reliance or confidence in
someone else’s strength, integrity, or ability.
If you can show you are consistent in your messages to the team and
that they match your actions, you will have no problems garnering their
trust.
It will also help if you show trust in them.

“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it
means getting along with people”
Mohandas K. Gandhi
U

UNDERSTANDING, [uhn-der-stan-
ding] -noun
Leaders need to show great understanding when leading people. People are not machines or
numbers on a spreadsheet. They have feelings and lives outside of the team.
To be effective you need to realise this and treat people like people and be understanding when
problems arise.
Be compassionate towards your team and show you care. This will make them feel valued and
want to be part of your team.

V
Read:
Leading through Values
By Michael Henderson

VISION, [vizh-uhn] –noun
A vision is the most important thing a leader can have.
Communicating that vision is the most important thing a leader can do.
The vision you aspire to is the vision that all your potential followers will want to aspire to as well.
Show them you believe in it by communicating the vision constantly, tie it back to what they are
doing and show them how important their role is to this overall vision.
Do this and you’re on to a winner!
Continue to shout your vision from the rooftops and eventually your team will be there shouting
with you.
If this happens, you have won!

VALUES, [val-yoos] –verb
What values do you hold as important?
A Leader must have values to ensure their teams work both morally and ethically.
When people in a team share the same basic values they become more efficient and more
flexible. They also come to decisions based on these values rather than their own personal
ones.
If they don’t share the same basic values, trouble shows up by way of poor performance. This
can only be rectified if the poor performer can align their values with the team’s values or leave
the team all together.
Are your values clear and communicated to ensure the team is all on the same page? Or are
there issues present in the team which are due to poor value alignment?

W
Visit:
http://www.startwithwhy.com/

WHY, [wahy] –adverb
Leaders challenge the status quo and the biggest reason is because they ask why.
Asking why is needed so that you can identify things that don’t work and change them if necessary.
Think back, how many times has someone in your team done something and you’ve asked why they
did it?
What was the outcome? Was it the usual, “We’ve always done it that way” answer? Or was it a real
answer that tied the activity back to the overall vision?
If it is the former, ask how the activity could be changed to be more efficient or simple. If you know
how it could be changed maybe offer it as a possible solution and see how it is accepted.
Also, if someone knows why they are doing something they will be more inclined to do it.
So ask why something is done that way and say why something is done that way.

X
Read:
Mavericks at Work
By William C. Taylor & Polly LaBarre

X-FACTOR, [x fak-ter] –noun
If you’ve seen great leaders in action you will have noticed that they seem to have something else
about them. Some people call it charisma but most call it the ‘xfactor’. It separates the truly great
from the good and is different for everyone.
What is your ‘xfactor’?
Do you have one?
Find out today what makes you different and harness that as part of your leadership arsenal.

Y
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more
and become more, you are a leader.”
John Quincy Adams

YOU, [yoo] –noun
Yes, You!
You are who you are and that makes you different to everyone else. When discovering your
leadership style make sure you continue to be true to who you are and be yourself.
People are more inclined to follow you if you are genuine and authentic. We don’t put up with
pretenders too long so make sure you’re not the one pretending.

Z
Visit:
http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/

ZERO, [zeer-oh] –adjective
This is the number of times you will be perfect during your life as a leader. There will always be
something that you could have done better, or something you can learn from.
The best you can do is to go out there and be the best leader you can be and make sure you learn
from your mistakes!

TASK FOUR: personal leadership
statement
Make one today. A leadership statement tells your team what you stand for.
My statement would be;
“You win; I win”
This communicates to the team my ‘teamfirst’ attitude and also shows them that my success is
built on them succeeding.
What is your Personal Leadership Statement?

“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind,
but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be
humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but
without folly.”
Jim Rohn

A Quick Guide to Leadership

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (12)

Similar to A Quick Guide to Leadership

Similar to A Quick Guide to Leadership (20)

A Quick Guide to Leadership