How to Be an Effective Leader in Business

May 6, 2019
 

In the April Round Table meetings, we discussed the topic of “How to Be an Effective Leader in Business.”

To continue this discussion, join us at our upcoming Leadership Event featuring Dave Turner, President of Vos Glass, on May 17th at the University Club of Grand Rapids. Dave will be speaking on the topic of “The Positive Influence of a Leader.”  Click here to register and to save your seat!

If you are unable to attend, subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can review all past event presentations. Be sure to turn on your notifications so that you are the first to know when Dave’s presentation is available.

Below are the notes from the April Round Table meetings.

Birmingham Round Table

Q1: What are some characteristics of an effective leader?

  • Courage
  • Confidence
  • Self-reflective
  • Humility
  • Patient
  • Consistency
  • Energy
  • Ability to communicate/ engage/ coach
  • Establish performance expectations
  • Integrity, truthful, trustworthy
  • Flexible
  • Acceptable
  • High standards – Quality

Q2: Who influenced you in leadership and what did they teach you?

  • Captain of team
  • Organization as a producer of leaders
  • cannot sustain company w/o new leaders

Q3: Do you have an example of how you demonstrate effective leadership?

  • Transparency

Takeaways:

  • Pray
  • Study Word
  • Disengage
  • List Personal Goals
  • QSP

Lansing Round Table

Challenges:

  • Dwelling on the negative or problem
  • Reacting emotionally to an issue
  • Disrespecting their need to “process the process” – not just the decision, outcome or recommendation – AKA not being patient
  • Not realizing that the way you act and deal with uncertainty is exactly how your team will act
  • Losing trust due to lack of past honesty or consistency
  • Not maintaining values and calm in all situations
  • Pinning blame – not taking responsibility
  • Not being supportive of the team and the fact that they were trying their best
  • Tend to take things personally
  • Keep secrets or don’t tell the whole story

Solutions:

  • Remember Who is on the Throne and that it will all be FINE
  • Take responsibility and own you and your teams outcomes
  • Be honest and open
  • Don’t hide your faith and beliefs
  • Be consistent and be yourself
  • Don’t compromise your values
  • Catch yourself being emotionally reactive
  • Find others to encourage you (like CBRT!)
  • Have confidence and trust in your Christian leadership
  • Be patient in providing responses – even if the answer seems clear
  • Be outwardly grateful and show your gratitude both by letting your team know you are thankful for them but also being careful to craft your words and actions around being positive first
  • Live a godly life
  • Be open, truthful and honest
  • Take action – doing nothing is a decision
  • Show love
  • Don’t be afraid of personal relationships

Takeaways:

  • Creating a journal of gratitude
    • Works with kids, couples or businesses
  • Challenge yourself in a year – write down 1,000 different things you are grateful for
  • Be consistent and be yourself
  • Surround yourself with encouraging believers
  • Be patient in providing responses – even if the answer seems clear

Kalamazoo Round Table (Tuesday)

What are the characteristics of a good leader?

  • Consistency of Character
    • Closely tied to trust and integrity
  • Vision
    • Being able to see where the company should and can go
    • Having the vision to know the company, what it can produce, where it can help in society, what will be the most effective etc.
  • Wisdom & Discernment
    • Knowing when to deliver bad news
    • Balances transparency with peace
  • Transparency & Vulnerability
    • Admitting faults or not having the answers
  • Influence
    • Having the ability to gather followers
    • Ties in all the other points of good leadership
    • Brings in an emphasis of actions over words.
  • “Leadership is not for sissies”
  • Directing People to Productivity
    • Helping others to reach their full ability
  • Awareness
    • Is anyone following? If not, why not?
    • Must be able to self-evaluate and adapt
  • Engagement / Active Listening
  • Self-Awareness
    • A strong leader must have a strong sense of self. Who am I? What are my goals, values, strengths, weaknesses, etc?
    • What behavior do you want to model?
  • Humility & Servant Leadership
  • Courage
    • It takes courage to hear criticism, to stand alone, and pursue purpose with passion.
  • A Leader Must Stay in a Constant State of Learning

How do we walk this out when we are overwhelmed?

  • Character must have the above qualities as a foundation.
  • Take the time for daily renewal of the mind in Christ.
  • Mentor, train, build up other leaders who can help bear your load.
  • Pause and pray.
  • Be careful of your words as a leader.
  • Practice humility before the Lord. Ask for strength and help when needed.

Kalamazoo Round Table (Thursday)

What is effective leadership?

  • Communication
  • Showing compassion for employees
  • Integrity: meeting your commitments
  • self-evaluation: be aware of your blind spots
  • Vision & Culture: Giving everyone a goal to work toward.
  • Authentic

What challenges prevent us from implementing?

  • The Overwhelm can cause even a good communicator to misstep.
  • Capacity.
  • Can we do everything? No. We need to delegate.
  • Exercising compassion and grace for each other.

Solutions:

  • Learn to read your people well
  • Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt
  • Replace your to-do list with calendar reminders to increase your accountability
  • Make time to think & reflect
  • The courage to say no is just as important as the confidence to say yes
  • Make sure you eat, drink, sleep, and rest to eliminate simple agitators
  • Delegation
    • We must balance when and where to get involved
    • Need to demonstrate trust but ensure that they have the tools to succeed
    • Allow them to pursue their role
    • The struggle is letting go of control. Think long term on the growth of the employee and the benefits of delegation, rather than on the immediate task.

Takeaways: 

  • What is the responsibility of the organization to help all leaders to become more effective?
  • Leaders, to be effective, must understand the view of their employees.

Grand Rapids Round Table (Tuesday)

A couple of interesting questions that stimulated the group were:

  • How are you demonstrating effective leadership in your position?  This made it personal.
  • How is effective leadership measured?  What is the result?
    • This one was compelling.  I concluded that effective leadership is the achievement of the vision and the legacy.  Consider Jesus and his legacy, the most effective leader of all time.

 

Join us for our May Round Tables as we discuss “Employee Engagement: A Key to Talent Retention.” RSVP to info@thebusinessrt.org.