5 Quick Ideas - Engaging Leadership

We've already covered that one of the most important things in any organization is having the right leadership team in place.

However more than just having them in place, you have to make sure they are engaged.  This team is the key to your success as an organization.  Making sure they are set for success is essential in keeping them around.

This guide should give you some of the key elements of making sure your Leadership team is empowered to succeed.

IDEA 1 - UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ARE THERE
They believe in you and the organization, that's why they are in the door.  But why they show up, contribute, and stay is the reason they are there.  Understanding their motivations, desires, and expectations will help lead you to guiding their leadership

IDEA 2 - KNOW THEIR NEXT STEP
An extension of understanding why they are there is knowing their next steps.  This takes place in 2 forms:

• Their personal next step - where they are looking to take their career, their interests, their motivations
• Their organizational next step - where do they want to be or what do they want to do in the organization

Both steps are important because if you know where they are going, you can help guide them there, if you know what they want to do next, you can help incorporate that into the organizations strategy .

IDEA 3 - INCORPORATE THEIR SUCCESS
Your leaders are there for a reason - they have demonstrated success.  If they haven't, then you've got the wrong team - Go back to the drawing board and get a good leader.  Use how they have found their success in your organization. 

• If they are great motivators, let them inspire your team and membership.  
• If they are great connectors, allow them to bring in new partners.  
• If they are great managers, empower them to find efficiencies.  
• If they are great advocates, put them in front of decision makers.
• If they are great innovators, give them a chance to shape your future growth.

Doing these allows 3 things - first it allows them to excel at what they excel at in front of their peers.  Second it allows you to get for free what others would pay enormous sums of money to garner.  Third it gets your leaders to buy in greatly in what you are doing.

IDEA 4 - INQUIRE ABOUT THEIR NEEDS
Outside of the obvious element of if you are able to help them, they will in turn feel a need to invest back in you and your organization, understanding their needs helps you bring them the personal, professional, or organizational elements that further their success.  Ask them - maybe they need a new personal assistant, maid service, HR manager, tennis coach, or their kid may need an internship.  Whatever it is, you can most likely help.

IDEA 5 - RECOGNIZE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS
Yes, it seems like it goes without saying, or at least that its already been said (because it kind of was in the first leadership post), but it is key.  If they know you appreciate them, and hear it, and their peers hear it... you are building their resume and reasons to support your efforts.  Also, it sends a subtle signal to the other leaders that they need to be a part of this process and effort.

Leadership is key.  Good leadership is imperative.  Good engaged leadership is the gold standard.  Make sure yours is worth its weight in gold by succeeding together.