Just a few weeks ago I was on CSU Talk Radio with Ron Dennis and we spoke on “Hands on Leadership”. I want to explore this topic further. During the past 25 years of leading I have come to the conclusion that the “hands on” style of leadership can set you and your team up for great success.
In the next few posts I want to delve into the following topics that deal directly with this style of leadership.
- What is Hands on Leadership
- Tips for Effective Hands on Leadership
- Building Your team
- Leadership or Micromanagement
What is Hands on Leadership?
This week I want to focus on how this style of leadership has proved to be very successful, not only for me but also for the team that I lead. Hands on Leadership is walking along side with your team and being fully engaged in helping them meet their weekly goals. So many times leaders don’t get the guidance they need to be able to perform to their full potential. This style of leadership is a sure way to be fully involved in the daily projects. It enables you to have a bird’s eye view of what is going on but also gives you the ability to guide and mentor your team leaders as they move forward with their team.
I have two vice-presidents and three directors who report directly to me. I usually have adhoc meetings weekly with all of my staff. Basically I just check in with them as I walk through the building to see if there is anything I can do to help them with projects they have been assigned. It could be discussions about their staff or a roadblock that might be in the way of completing the project they are working on at the time. I keep an open door with them so that all the tasks they have been assigned keep moving forward. Then at the end of each month, I have a one-hour meeting with each of my leaders that go in detail of the upcoming month’s goals.
As I do this routine weekly, I have found that most all the tasks keep moving forward at a nice pace. I am able to give guidance and direction on these projects that helps the morale and builds a strong relationship with my team members. My team knows that first, I need projects to move to completion and second, they know I am available to help them when they need me.
So let’s go over the benefits of this style of leadership:
- Shows your team that you are interested in helping them
- Creates an open door policy for your team
- Helps move projects to completion
- Creates a better working relationship with your leaders
Let me know your style of leadership and your key to keeping your team moving forward.
Chantell
