Have you ever been part of a team that didn't seem to make any progress? Maybe the group had plenty of talent, resources, and opportunities, and team members got along, but the group just never went anywhere. There's a strong possibility that the situation was caused by lack of vision.

Great vision precedes great achievement. Every team needs a compelling vision to give it direction. A team without vision is at worst, purposeless. At best, it is subject to the personal-and sometimes selfish-agendas of various teammates.

Author Ezra Earl Jones points out: "Leaders do not have to be the greatest visionaries themselves. The vision may come from anyone. The leaders do have to state the vision, however. Leaders also have to keep the vision before the people and remind them of the progress that is being made to achieve the vision. Otherwise, the people might assume that they are failing and give up."

If you lead your team, then you are responsible for identifying a worthy and compelling vision and articulating it to your team members.

Success is within the reach of just about everyone. But personal success without leadership ability brings only limited effectiveness. A person's impact is only a fraction of what it could be with good leadership. The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be. Whatever you will accomplish is restricted by your ability to lead others.

Leadership ability is the lid that determines a person's level of effectiveness. The lower a person's ability to lead, the lower the lid on his potential. The higher the leadership, the greater the effectiveness. Your leadership ability-for better or for worse-always determines your effectiveness and the potential impact of your organization. To reach the highest level of effectiveness, you have to raise the lid on your leadership ability. The good news is that you can-if you're willing to pay the price to change.

1. If it's stupid but it works, it's not stupid.

2. The things that get measured are the things that get done

3. You cant manage time! You can only manage priorities and behaviors.

4. Stop putting personal preferences ahead of organizational effectiveness.

5. If your not fired with Enthusiasm, then you will be fired; with enthusiasm.

6. Good judgment comes from experience; Experience comes from bad judgment.

7. Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll understand.

8. No person can be a great leader unless he takes genuine interest in the successes of those under him or her.

9. The best leaders not only lead but also reflect on their leadership long enough to articulate what philosophies cause them to do so. They can pinpoint the rationale for their actions and decisions with ease.

10. Real time coaching: if you notice something going awry on your team members, try to figure out a way to question or coach someone right there on the spot. While this approach seems time consuming in the moment, it has long term payoffs that are hard to beat.

11. A manager is responsible for the application and performance of knowledge. Drucker quote.

12. Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. Drucker quote

13. Checking the results of a decision against its expectations shows executives what their strengths are, where they need to improve, and where they lack knowledge or information. Druker Quote.

14. Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things. Drucker quote.

15. Executives owe it to the organization and to their fellow workers not to tolerate non performing individuals in important jobs.

16. Management by objective works - if you know the objectives. Ninety percent of the time you don't.

17. Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility. Drucker quote.

18. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.

19. The best way to predict the future is to create it.

20. The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said.

21. The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different.

22. The purpose of a business is to create a customer.

23. Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes... but no plans.

24. Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile.

25. Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.

26. In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later.

27. One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.

28. Leaders are failing to build trust with those who need their direction and guidance, and as a result, they don't follow. A high level of trust is critical to leadership success, and yet so many leaders fail to build trust, despite all the training they have been given.

29. Leaders are responsible for creating an environment that will bring out the best in their people.

30. It's difficult for passion to co-exist with discouragement.

31. Lack of employee engagement is like a cancer, eating away at your organizations vital organs. It saps your organizations strength, directly affecting your organizations ability to achieve the levels of customer satisfaction, productivity and profitability you know you could achieve.

32. When employees feel connected to the purpose and vision of the organization, they have a clear connection between what they do and the success of their organization in fulfilling its purpose.

•In the absence of good communication and information, rumors will spread and fill the vacuum. 
•Everyone has an opinion. And these opinions are turning into rumors.
•When rumors spread, morale begins to plummet.
•Resentments can build based on false information.

People's perception and thus experience of their environment plays a critical role in their motivation to perform their best. 

1st rule of effective leadership. Communicate regularly on the things that are important to the people who you have in your teams. Comunicate the companies objectives and goals and help each person understand their role in achieving these goals. Make sure you are communicating the companies goals and not your own desires. To many managers let personal preference stand in the way of organisational effectiveness.

Hold regular one on one's, skip levels and team meetings where everyone has a chance to have a say

"The fish rots from the top down". This is a saying I heard a long time ago and initially didn't understand its meaning. 

Managers and staff take example of the people above them. If your leading a group your are the North Star, people are watching what your doing and copying your actions, if your unhappy with your teams performance you need to firstly look within before pointing blame and starting to micro manage.

Are you doing everything that is required? Are you leading by example. Do you coach regularly everyone who can effect your results? Do you give feedback around performance, both affirmative and adjusting, do you delegate tasks or do you hold on to them as a sign of power, do you conduct weekly one on one's. 

These are the fundamental basics and its your responsibility to set the tone within your organisation.

Team members always love and admire a person who is able to help them go to another level, someone who enlarges them and empowers them to be successful.

Players who enlarge their teammates have several things in common.
1. Enlargers value their teammates: People's performances usually reflect the expectations of those they respect.
2. Enlargers know and relate to what their teammates value: Players who enlarge others understand what their teammates value. That kind of knowledge, along with a desire to relate to their fellow players, creates a strong connection between teammates.
3. Enlargers add value to their teammates: An enlarger looks for the gifts, talents, and uniqueness in other people, and then helps them to increase those abilities for their benefit and for that of the entire team.
4. Enlargers make themselves more valuable: You cannot give what you do not have. If you want to increase the ability of a teammate, make yourself better.

How many leaders have ruined their lives and damaged the lives of others through immorality? Character has become a crucial issue today precisely because of the myriad of leaders in the political, business, and religious worlds who have fallen morally. Leaders need to remember that they influence many others beyond themselves; they never fall in a vacuum. They also need to realize that replacing fallen leaders is a slow and difficult process.

So how can we guard against falling? First, we must take care not to emphasize the gifts of a leader over his or her character. We have an unhealthy tendency to see and reward the gift more than the character; but both are to be developed.

How managers lead is largely a matter pf personal style. There's more that one right way to do it. Following are some of the most popular methods I see today.

Doers- Through Example.. The manager who leads in this manner works harder than anyone else in the office. He/She knows the most about the product lines, can give the best demonstration and possesses excellant closing skills. 
This has always been a successful leadership technique. People respond to managers thy know are willing to pay the price for success.

Encouragers - Through Encouragement.. These managers genuinely take pleasure when their people succeed. They have no jealousy, they glory in the triumph of others and they have always have something positive to say. Thes managers stimulate and inspire people who work for them. They are popular and successful leaders.

Teachers - Through Teaching and technical experience.. These managers know exactly ho the job must be done, and they dont mind sharing the information with members of their teams. They are the problem solvers, the go to people. They teach their people the selling and soft skills as well as technical skills needed to be successful. They know all the applications for the products and they constantly think outside the square and invent new one's. They have the respect of customers. People who work for a teacher are well equipped to face what ever comes next in their careers.

Motivator - Through Motivation.. These managers encourage their people to improve themselves, to work harder and smarter. They are the goal setters, they dangle the carrots, they groom people for promotion. Often those who motivate produce the best results year after year.

Determined - Through Determination.. Some managers are never discouraged by temporary setbacks. they dont seek out excuses or scapegoats. These managers know darned well that they're going to get the job done. They prevail in good times and bad.

Many managers use a combination of these styles. They'll all work if the manager who uses them is sincere and not seen as using them to gain what they want.

One popular management style was deliberately omitted from the above list. The intimidator.. Management by intimidation. Some managers attempt to get results by bullying and browbeating the people who report to them. the people who use this style aren't leading at all, they're trailing behind and snapping at the heels of those they're supposed to be guiding.

Bosses shout orders, leaders give directions.
Bosses are always right, Leaders are willing to admit that others may have a good idea.
Bosses bully their people, leaders motivate.
Bosses intimidate, leaders educate
The boss drives his people, the leader coaches them.
Bosses inspire fear, the leader enthusiasm.
The boss says "I" the leader "we"
The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown, the leader fixes the breakdown.
The bos says "Go" the leader says "lets go"

Always remember to lead instead of bossing.

Everyone can think about a manager that falls into each of these categories. Work with your manager/coach to ensure you are the best person you can be. 

We all make mistakes and waver from the line that we know is right in our hearts but understanding your mistakes and correcting your behavior is the first step to becoming the best manager/Leader you can be.

Do you empower your team to make their own decisions or do you micromanage? Is there ever a reason to micromanage? 

From my perspective, micromanagement is never necessary. In my career, I have seen the need for so-called micromanagement and disagree with the uses... One of the most successful organizations that handles every scenario mentioned without micromanaging that I had the pleasure of working with straight from college is Toyota.

I strongly object to the need for micromanagement ever. The right kind of management will prevent the issues originally noted and there are so many other solutions to deal with them.

I do not believe that micromanagement should be utilized as a technique ever.

The only time micromanagement is allowed into the workforce is when there is a lack of skill or knowledge, particularly knowledge of process or program or skill in dealing with people. This is then coached and when coached you measure results to improve coaching effectiveness.

Some managers dont even now they are micromanaging, its what their managers did/do and its what they do. Its a habit and some managers think, "this is how what managing is"

Micro-managers tend to:

•Resist delegating work.
•Immerse themselves in "what they are doing". the want to know what they are doing ever minute of ever day. They dont trust that people are doing work.
•"If your not doing it my way, you doing it wrong". This is the thought process of a micromanager.
•They look at the detail instead of the big picture.
•Discourage others from making decisions, or override any discussion.
•Are unwilling to open their minds to idea's and/or problems.
•Get involved in the work of others without consulting them.
•Monitor what’s least important and expect regular reports on miscellany.
•Push aside the experience and knowledge of colleagues.
•Measure things that are out of their or their teams control and not recognise the process for the results.
•Loose loyalty and commitment.
•Focus on the wrong priorities.
•Have a de-motivated team.

Micromanagement is Mismanagement.

Micro-managers are bad news for business and bad news for employees. They dis-empower staff, stifle opportunity and innovation, and give rise to poor performance. If you believe your team can’t be trusted and can’t do a proper job it won’t be long before they believe you! Micromanagement is plain bad management.

Coping With Micro-Managers.

How do you cope with a micro-manager? Changing their behaviour isn’t easy but it is possible in time and with great patience (and resilience!) Here’s my advice

•Assess your behaviour – Are you doing anything that could give your manager cause for concern? Are you giving the job your full attention? Perhaps your manager is a stickler for good timekeeping and you take a more relaxed approach. Try and match up to their values and beliefs.

•Understand your manager – Learn to see things from their point of view. By understanding the signs of micromanagement—knowing what they are trying to achieve—you may find that you can help them realise their goals. Pursuing a common goal will help build trust and this will give you more freedom.

•Challenge your manager – Insist on having regular 1:1 supervision sessions. At these meetings agree to do something that helps them meet their goals. Challenge your manager when they interfere; remind them of the agreement and their part in the bargain. Always ask your manager for the opportunity to do something on your own.

•Frequent communication – Good communication and results is the best way to deal with the micro-manager. Therefore give them an update on progress at every opportunity.

•Because micro-managers rarely recognise their behaviour and the impact it has on the team it is worthwhile pointing this out to them once you have gained some trust. They may be open to working with you. But then again, don’t expect too much; sooner or later they will revert to type. Sometimes it’s you who has to move on!

What does it take to have the focus required to be a truly effective leader? The keys are priorities and concentration. To focus your time and energy use these guidelines to help you:

Focus 70 percent on developing strengths: Effective leaders who reach their potential spend more time focusing on what they do well than on what they do wrong.

Focus 25 percent on new things: If you want to get better, you have to keep changing and improving. That means stepping out into new areas. If you dedicate time to new things related to your strength areas, then you'll grow as a leader.

Focus 5 percent on areas of weakness: Nobody can entirely avoid working in areas of weakness. The key is to minimize it as much as possible, and leaders can do it by delegating.

In a culture that sings the praises of individual gold medals and where a person fights for rights instead of focusing on responsibility, people tend to lose sight of the big picture. In fact, some people seem to believe that they are the entire picture: Everything revolves around their own needs, goals, and desires. I once saw this message on a T-shirt that expresses the attitude well: "My idea of a team is a whole lot of people doing what I tell them to do."

A team isn't supposed to be a bunch of people being used as a tool by one individual for their own selfish gain. Members of a team must have mutually beneficial shared goals. They must be motivated to work together, not manipulated by someone for individual glory. Anyone who is accustomed to pulling together people and using them to benefit only himself isn't a team builder; he's a dictator.

Most people think of charisma as something mystical, almost undefinable. They think it's a quality that comes at birth or not at all. But charisma is the ability to draw people to you. And like other character traits, it can be developed.

How do you rate when it comes to charisma? Are other people naturally attracted to you? If not, it could be because you possess one these roadblocks to charisma:

1. Pride - nobody wants to follow a leader who thinks he is better than everyone else.
2. Insecurity - if you are uncomfortable with who you are, others will be too.
3. Moodiness - if people never know what to expect from you, they stop expecting anything.
4. Perfectionism - people respect the desire for excellence, but dread unrealistic expectations.
5. Cynicism - people don't want to be rained on by someone who sees a cloud around every silver lining.