Being busy isn’t an honor badge. It’s crucial to make time for what’s important, especially for effective management. Time management is becoming more challenging, but prioritizing worthwhile tasks and saying “not now” can help. Understanding work style and scheduling, defining priorities, and focusing on significant tasks can improve productivity.
Many traits, skills, and abilities often go undetected and are essential for long-term success. There is one that many of the best leaders like Caroll look for in the evaluation process that stands above the rest. This trait is what I call, “Competitive to the Core.” It’s a combination of natural god-given talent and developed skill.
The energy on a team is no accident. When it’s in the room, it can’t be mistaken. People are engaged, excited and strive to perform at their best.
The tricky question is, where does it come from, and what is it?
A common piece of advice from executives trying to help less experienced managers is, “you have to delegate more.” While the suggestion of taking things off of your plate and putting them on someone else’s makes sense on the surface, the intention behind the ask makes the difference.
If you take nothing else from this column, I want you to take this:
When leaders delegate, it’s about them. When leaders empower, it’s about others.
When you look at employee engagement through the lens of an opportunity instead of a problem, clarity emerges.
After studying remote work and helping managers prepare for their changing responsibilities, one thing is abundantly clear:
Most people manage a remote team, but few lead one.
