Just as a healthy business needs to conduct a regular inventory, leaders need to do the same with their own leadership behaviors and actions. It’s vital to understand what you do well as a leader and what you can do better. Once you have that information you can take the right actions to be an even better leader in 2013. This week is a perfect time for a leadership inventory.
Take a sheet of paper and draw three columns, or create an Excel sheet with three columns. In the first column, list what you did well as a leader in 2012.
Use the middle column to list your leadership behaviors and actions that either failed to meet your own expectations, or you know you can and/or need to improve in.
List your 2013 leadership priorities in the third column. These are the things you’re going to commit to doing better as a leader in the coming year.
While each of us will have a different set of priorities, here are 13 that may nor may not be on your list:
1. Improve and/or increase the amount of praise and recognition you give.
2. Be more strategic in the way you train and coach your staff.
3. Invest more time and energy in developing your leaders. These staff members are often overlooked, although they are vital to your store’s success.
4. Raise the bar for the entire team. Deep down, you know how much better your store can be.
5. Raise the bar for specific individuals. This will be the year you refuse to allow mediocrity.
6. Create more ownership within the entire team. This can be done best by giving more responsibility to each person.
7. Empower your staff more. Remove rules and processes that hinder your staff and keep them from WOWing customers.
8. Be a better teacher and coach. Most retailers think they need to do more training. I don’t agree. Most need to increase the amount of coaching they do. Some of you may need to spend more time with your team; others might need to develop your coaching skills. Some might even need to do both.
9. Delegate more. This not only frees you up to work more strategically, but also keeps your team more engaged.
10. Run more contests and fun activities that keep the staff fresh and focused.
11. Work more strategically and less reactively.
12. Identify and improve in specific merchant skills such as managing inventory, buying, visual presentation, and better financial management.
13. Create an even better work experience for your team.
So let me ask, what are your 2013 leadership priorities?
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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.
