Think Like a Leader

Leadership isn’t something you are born with, it is something you acquire and it is a skill. Some people are born with the qualities to be a good leader however they still need to learn the skills. To excel at leadership a person must be committed to ongoing learning, personal growth and experience, and be willing to digest new communication skills. Being a good leader entails the ongoing commitment of learning and constantly striving to be better each day.

To be a leader you must think like a leader. To be a leader means you are pursuing excellence – always. To be a great leader means that you celebrate your goal achievements with your team making them the team’s achievements – take no credit.

People tend to perform as well as they think they can perform, it takes the keen eye of a good manager to see that someone has more potential then they currently demonstrate. Create new possibilities and different ways for these employees to think about and relate to their jobs, you will be able to get more from them and out of them. In essence the employees who know they are producing and are being rewarded for it, will be happier and more fulfilled which will motivate them to continue to reach the future goals and targets you set. Reward means acknowledgement, it doesn’t always need to be a monetary reward.

Too many managers get caught in the trap and worry about how they are perceived by their employees. This trap breeds fear and insecurity and leads to low self esteem. Managers need to stay focused on watching observing and listening to the people they lead. Too many managers speak to often without thinking and formulating a plan of action.

Everyone has the potential to perform better and they need the motivation from you that you will support them. When you support your employees they respect you and will follow you. To keep the respect that you as a manager have earned means fulfilling the promises that you make to your employees. No matter how small or trivial the matter is, always keep your word. Practice what you preach! Nothing is more damaging to the respect you have gained, then forgetting or putting off that which you promised to do.

In management – keep it simple. If you find things are getting to complicated, then change and try again. The best things in life are kept simple and the results are priceless. Studies show, the higher people rise up the corporate ladder within any organization, the more likely they are to develop disconnects from the front lines and make poor decisions. Stay in communication with your employees, staying in tune with your people will help foster your department’s growth. Effective communication ensures you have the ability to stay focused on the bigger picture and facilitate necessary changes quicker.

A good manager knows how each job position facilitates and supports the dealerships key objectives. A good manager uses objective evaluation based upon known good performers or industry standards to see the performance in each particular job category. You need to use the data that is at your fingertips to extrapolate your top performers from your non performers. You need to make sure that your compensation is competitive within the market place and that you are paying for performance.  Performance based compensation plans ensure your employee's will be empowered to be the master of their own destiny or their own demise.

David