Right now, smart leaders are engaged and focused on a two-pronged strategy. On the one hand, they're looking inward-working to solidify their team, customer relationships, and overall business, on the other, they're looking outside-identifying opportunities created by our new political and economic climate.
If you are wondering how to lead now,
consider these:
1. Assess your strengths and weaknesses
Once you are aware of weak links in the business; fix them. Weaknesses could be in your strategy, your team, your core process or in products and services that you have in the marketplace. No matter where the weaknesses lie, they make you vulnerable to competition.You should also clarify and find new ways to capitalize on your strengths.
2. Improve Processes
Push your line managers and employees to find and eliminate waste, mistakes and process failures.
3. Upgrade your team
Mandate that your senior team model behaviors that will most the organization forward. Increase the skills of executives and require that they coach and mentor the ranks. Scan the marketplace for new talent that will push your team and the organization into the future.
4. Innovate
Challenge your employees to unearth fresh ideas and opportunities. Push everyone in the organization to be up to date on industry news and trends. Make learning and experimentation the "new norm". Reward people and teams for testing new ideas and failing! Reward and recognize the ideas that are successful and viable.
5. Integrate social networking and mobile technology into your culture
Now is the time to begin using (if you haven't already!) blogs, micro-blogs, group collaborative applications. Make collaboration and real time learning part of your company's communication and learning culture. Ask your Gen Y employees to lead the way and teach others. Recognize employees and teams for applying new technology applications in ways that save the company money, create value and relationships, help the organization learn and grow, and make team meetings more efficient.
If you lead right, right now, your organization will not only survive the down economy, you may even capture added market share and profitability.
