[September 1, 2018] All serious leaders are relentlessly looking for ways to improve their ability in bringing people together for a common goal. One technique I’ve found valuable is the use of documented best practices.
“Companies that model best practices, that model the most upstanding principles, end up as the most profitable. It’s not a trade of profits versus principles.” – Philip Zimbardo, American psychology professor
This series on the Leadership Toolbox is designed to give us a simple listing of those methods that make being a leader easier. Experienced leaders already have an insight to those found here and are using them daily. Occasionally we might forget one or two but reality has a way of bringing us back to those basics.
All institutions need best practices. The more complex or the more difficult the mission, the value a detailed and readily available list of those practices can be. The U.S. Army, for example, has its best practices gathered in their Army’s Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) website. Their site has useful information on everything from avoiding dehydration to manning a checkpoint.
A good best practices list includes such things as training techniques, case studies, information documents, analysis of standard procedures, and the like. These are useful and a common location for them to be found is ideal. That way, all anyone from the organization needs to do, is call up the information.
Don’t be fooled into complacency, however. Best practices can lead to stagnation if leaders are not careful. There will always be a better way of doing something and as such, any new method should be documented for all to see and use. However, a good leader using tried and true techniques is more likely to be a trusted and confident leader.
————————-
[Note:] I have a small mini-series on Leadership Toolboxes here at theLeaderMaker.com.
- The Checklist – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-the-checklist/
- The Standup Meeting – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-the-standup-meeting/
- The SWOT Analysis – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-swot-analysis/
- The Planning Cell – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-planning-cell/
- Investigations – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-investigations/
- The Stand-down – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-stand/
- Rehearsals – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-rehearsals/
- After-Action Reviews – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-action-reviews/
- Terms of Reference – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-terms-reference/
- Leadership Conferences – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-leader-conferences/
- Targeted Indicators – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-indicators/
- Keeping Things Simple – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-keeping-things-simple/
- Leader Courses – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-leader-courses/
- Email and Texting – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-email-and-texting/
- Awards – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-awards/
- Personal Coaching – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-personal-coaching/
- Formal Evaluations – https://www.theleadermaker.com/leadership-toolbox-formal-evaluations/
If you have a really really tough job as a leader; and there are times this happens, anything you can do to make it a little easier is worth investigating. This series on tools in the leader toolbox is a great start. Keep up the good works and let us know what the proven-effective methods are for better leadership.
Good comment, thanks WIllie!!
Leadership, as we all know so well, is difficult, complex, and demanding of our full attention. These tools you provide background on are an enormous help in many ways. Thanks for alerting us to them so that we can do more research and how to use them effectively.
Thanks for a very worthwhile read this morning.
Lovely and educational.
🙂 🙂
Good article. For your next “toolbox” for leaders, I suggest “reconnaissance” as the topic.
Good recommendation.
Yes, great suggestion.
😉
I couldn’t think of another example either.
Perry M. Smith has a book out called, “Rules & Tools for Leaders: From Developing Your Own Skills to Running Organizations of Any Size, Practical Advice for Leaders at All Levels.” Long title but a pretty good book. I recommend it and it’s on the same topic.
Yes, a very good book.
Although not as good as the list here at theleadermaker.com, I found another five tools for leaders.
https://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/5-leadership-tools-that-will-help-you-succeed.html
This entire list of tools for leaders is much more useful than I originally thought. I did more research into each and found a lot of additional and useful info that helped me as a leader. I highly recommend all leaders explore this and others who have made an effort to give us a summary of leadership tools. Thanks.
Good work. Keep it up!
😉
I’ve always liked this series of very useful leader tools. I would like to know more about them.
A truly great series on tools for leaders. Well done.
Smart info and to the point.
Yes, I agree … very worthwhile.