Becoming a Better Supervisor: Part 3 (Thought Leadership & Change Management)

What is Thought Leadership?

It is the invaluable perception by those that you lead that you can take them to places that they have never been before. You move with ease, confidence and assurance that you know what you are doing, where you are going, and why. It leads those around you to feel trust for you, causing them to jump in and go for the ride with their hands up in the air.

Steps to Gain Character Trust

• Be transparent and authentic
• Mean what you say and do what you say
• Build relationships to build trust
• Clarify your values and articulate them with open communication
• Practice empathy by listening and showing genuine care
• Demonstrate success by dealing with adversity with confidence and a calm mentality

Top Seven Attributes of Competency Trust for Leaders:

• Mastering the subject matter such as Lean tools, Six Sigma tools, or Process Control, etc.
• Teach others how to think, analyze and solve problems
• Communicate with others and make complex issues simple
• Learn relentlessly and stay up-to-date on current knowledge and tools
• Practice patience with people – change is not easy for most
• Know your level of delegation
• Teach the skills, coach the skills and lead by setting expectations on performance

You build a track record of success by being mindful, by working with intention, integrity and authenticity. What works for others will not always work for you.

Developing a track record of success will attract people. There is a fine line between humility and arrogance that must be walked. Speak your knowledge at conferences, or written in books, to gain respect and credibility.

Do not be too proud to change direction when strategies do not work. Always test and measure your results. Share your journey of successes and your failures. You must be transparent in all that you do to succeed.

CONCLUSION

This quote from Price Pritchett stuck with me for a long time: “Wealth is no longer created by the best solution. Instead, wealth is created with less than optimal solutions moving at the speed of business.” I have found this to be true time and again. You must always be leading in a continuous improving environment. This is the key to thought leadership and managing change with grace.