If you are fortunate enough to already hold a leadership position then you should be aware that remaining stationary in terms of your own development is not an option!

A key feature for successful leaders is their ability to drive their own as well as others performance.

With this in mind, here are five steps that you should consider taking.

1. Send the following email to those that report to you.  Ask them ‘what is the one thing that you would like me to start doing more of’? Also, ‘what is the one thing that you would like me to stop’? Reflect on the feedback and then act upon it.

2. Schedule more one to one time with your staff.  Get along side them and figure how you can mutually support one another more effectively.

3. Demonstrate humility and appreciation.  Yes, you should share in your team’s successes but so too should you share their failures as they provide valuable learning opportunities. Express gratitude for the work carried out regardless of the level of employee that you are dealing with.  Everyone wants to feel genuinely valued and to know that their own contribution is making a difference.

4. Lead more and manage less.  Yes, those management traits of controlling and measuring are important but place a stronger emphasis on clarifying the overall business vision and values.  Build relationships and coach those staff that report to you so that they too become better leaders.

5. Finally, model those very values and behaviours that you want others to demonstrate.  This means in your day to day interactions and remember that you need to hire for those same values and attitudes just as much as for those skills that your business requires.

Joe McDonald founder of create10 is an experienced professional coach and trainer with 20+ years experience of working at a senior management/director level. He works with individuals teams and organisations is enhancing performance through one to one confidential coaching, powerful workshops and flexible online courses. See www.create10.ie for further information or email info@create10.ie