What Makes Leaders Matter More (leadershipfreak)

What Makes Leaders Matter More

Leaders don’t matter until they do what matters. Intrinsic human worth and the value of a leader are separate issues.

You don’t matter when you do what doesn’t matter.

Doing what matters:

The people who ultimately know what matters are the people you serve, customers. The more you please customers the more you matter.

Without customers you don’t matter.

The more value you bring the more valuable you are.

Others to please include:

1. Bosses.
2. Boards.
3. Colleagues.
4. Employees.

People-pleasing isn’t leadership. Never sacrifice values, ethics, passion, or your talent. Don’t lose yourself to please others. But, leaders matter when they do what matters and, ultimately, others determine what matters.

Doing more of what matters:

1. Identify your customer and the people you serve.
2. Ask the people you serve if it matters. You think you know what matters but you don’t. You judge what matters by what matters to you. I asked one person what mattered to them and they said, “Public affirmation.”
3. Stop doing what doesn’t matter. The need to be busy dilutes the worth of a leader. Ask yourself, “Would anyone notice if I stopped doing this?”
4. Don’t do what others can do.
5. Increase the time you spend with people. Lower the time you spend with computers and paper.
6. Meet a need, the bigger the better.
7. Focus. Rabbit chasing is fun but it makes you matter less.
8. Prioritize time by spending more of it with a select few, 8 to 12. Who do you need to spend more time with?
9. Instill confidence in others to the point that they take action without asking permission.
10. Get stuff done. Every meeting that ends without action items makes you matter less.

Leaders matter more when they do more of what matters.