Marcia's Leadership Q&As

Q. What are some of things you most see missing in leaders today? What do they need?

A. This question inspired me to create a poll on LinkedIn a few weeks ago. The respondents shared some insights about what they need but don’t receive from their leaders/managers. The number one answer was lack of team support (62%.) And almost 20% said there’s a lack of clarity in the company purpose; they don’t understand what they are supposed to be working toward and focusing on together! These are a couple of the most essential responsibilities that leaders have: 1.) Define and communicate the Aim and compelling purpose of the organization; 2.) Gather, inspire, and develop a collaborative team to accomplish the aim. How they achieve the aim is the work they do! They don’t need to be told how to do it, but they may need resources (training or tools) to achieve the goals and serve the customers. Tap in on your resources—your people. With education and guidance, they will take you to new levels.

If your organization is short-staffed, gather your people to ask for ideas about how to recruit, hire, onboard effectively. Ask for creative ideas. Also look at the work. Ask your teams, “How can we be more efficient, cut out waste, provide more service?” Then listen and try new ways to work.

Too few executives have a leadership team that is clear about their purpose (they often think it’s to make money—wrong focus! That’s an outcome of achieving the aim.) That is step number one. If the leadership team (or any team) is not clear about the aim, it will struggle and perhaps fail. There will be a tremendous amount of waste and complexity. Communicate with the staff your aim with clarity so they understand how they can contribute. If you are not clear about your business aim and you move forward, you will have to re-address it over and over because you won’t realize the results you need and want.

As the poll revealed, leaders need to communicate clearly and create the workplace where people can learn, work, improve together. If you’re not achieving the results you want, assess what’s missing. Then pull your executive team together and go through a strategic process to prepare you for your future.