All leaders face many challenges when it comes to the daily operation of their business. To maintain their effectiveness as leaders, they must constantly examine themselves and their organizations, and they must ask themselves these four important questions on a regular basis.
- How Is Your Company Confused?
Many business leaders feel that they have a good grasp on what their company is doing right and what it is doing wrong. But when they are examined closely and questioned by an outside expert, the truth comes out! When leaders are confused about the state of their company — where they came from, where they’re at currently and where they’re going — this can lead to all kinds of problems. Clarity is the key to effective leadership.
- Are You Leading From the Front?
The best leaders are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and lead from the front. That means doing the difficult work, even when nobody is looking. It means setting a good example and leading with integrity, honesty, intelligence and humility. Nobody likes a leader who pushes from behind, but everyone can rally behind a leader who leads from the front and doesn’t demand from others what she isn’t willing to do herself.
- How Do Your Treat People?
The health of a business is often influenced by how the leaders treat their subordinates. Sure everyone is nice to their bosses — at least to their faces — but the most effective leaders treat everyone in their organization with respect and fairness. This is the hallmark of a truly great leader. How can people perform at their best when they feel disrespected, unwanted and unappreciated?
- What Is the Best Use of Your Time?
This has always been a favorite strategy of time management expert and business consultant Brian Tracy. He encourages leaders to always ask themselves, “What is the best use of my time right now?” It’s a great question because it forces one to focus on the most important goals of the day and to delegate — or ignore — the rest.
Leadership comes with many challenges, and to lead their organizations effectively, every leader needs to ask himself these four questions every day. Doing so will keep leaders on their toes so that they can lead with integrity, compassion, fairness, efficiency, and clarity.