Or ask questions, listen, address…

A good friend in the games industry once told me that he considered himself a “51%-er” – implying that what made him a good leader was aiming to get things right more than half the time, with anything above that being a bonus.

To be honest, my experience of working with him was rather different. Not only was his pass mark substantially higher, he also displayed the trait that I believe is the cornerstone of good leadership: being open to the idea that he could be wrong, and taking corrective action when necessary.

The fact is, none of us are perfect. We all make mistakes occasionally and, for the most part, others understand that. The crucial thing is what you do next:

• Identify your mistakes.
• Admit them, and calmly explain the reasons.
• Outline what you plan to do about them.

In my experience, this approach builds trust and loyalty with the people you’re working with.

But how do you catch these issues in the first place, and recognise when your leadership is sub-optimal? It’s not always easy, but there are a few techniques you can use, and clues you can look for.

Ask for feedback

This can be a hard habit to get into, but I strongly recommend incorporating questions like “What could I be doing better?” into your meetings and 1:1s.

The feedback you receive might be tough to hear on occasion, but it’s better that you hear it directly rather than those opinions circulating behind your back.

If you find this dents your confidence, counterbalance it with one of the most powerful questions from The Coaching Habit: “What was most useful for you?” That not only helps you feel valued, it also cements the conversation (whatever it was) in your counterparty’s mind.

Develop your listening skills

In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes you can make in leadership is not listening. It’s a cliché, but “you have two ears and one mouth, use them in that order”.

A technique I’ve used in the past is to set a timer and take turns talking for five or ten minutes, without interruption. I also recommend reading up on active listening.

Adopting this habit will help you build rapport with your team and, perhaps counterintuitively, make your input far more memorable and impactful.

Be aware of emotional reactions

A negative emotional response (anger, frustration) is almost always a sign of sub-optimal leadership and should be addressed quickly. If you sense yourself getting angry, something is going wrong. Figure out what it is, then address it using the steps above.

Interestingly, a positive emotional response can sometimes be detrimental too. It’s important to celebrate success, but being over-enthusiastic about progress or an event can create problems later: disappointment if the anticipated outcome doesn’t happen, or reduced motivation because everyone gets too comfortable.

In summary

Ask questions, listen, be wary of your emotional responses, and address the issues you inevitably find. If you can do that, you’ll be a much more effective leader. You might even manage 52%!

Do drop me a line if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or comments on this post. I’d genuinely love to hear what you found useful.