Do’s & Don’ts of Leadership

 

I have learned through hard ways the Do’s and Don’ts of being a leader in the past few years leading a team of project managers. I think it is a good idea to share them here so that you can benefit from my mistakes.

• Do talk when you need to give direction or communicate to keep everyone in the loop. Don’t talk just because you need an audience to stroke your ego for your rhetorical hyperboles.
• Do make sure you are there when your team needs your support and help. Don’t be around when they need some privacy; else you will look like an uninvited micromanaging maniac.
• Do coach when you feel that your team needs some guidance or when they have asked for your advice. Don’t interfere too much if your team knows what they are doing; else you will hamper their creativity.
• Do give your team a chance to speak up when they need to be heard by an empathetic ear. Don’t listen to words that are full of flatteries and lack of validity as they will cloud your judgment.
• Do let your actions do the talking and show your team that you are not just doing lip service. Don’t get overzealous and start to do everything for your team that they are supposed to do.
• Do ensure there is fairness in your team and everyone will be treated equally. Don’t let favoritism and nepotism set foot and fester within the team.
• Do give credit to your team for their hard work and acknowledge those who have contributed. Don’t steal their credit or praise them just to glorify your achievement.
• Do be nice and treat your team well as they deserve it. Don’t be so nice that they start to take advantage of your kindness. It is always easier to give, but harder to take back.
• Do give your team a good lecture if you need to do so in order to set the right expectation. Don’t scream, insult, bang the table or throw cups at them. No abuse in workplace please.
• Do be positive and provide continuous encouragement and motivation to your team. Don’t get over passionate and start to give empty promises and sell elusive dreams to them.

If you have been paying attention, you will realize that the key is to know when to do what you should do and know when to stop when you should. The truth is – leadership is more of an art than science. You won’t get any better by cutting corners. Even if you know the Do’s and Don’ts, you still need to find the guiding line where you should stop and not cross over. And this, takes years of repeated practicing to hone your skills.