As a leader, you set the tone for others. Your behavior will be closely watched—
and copied.
✓ Always be pleasant. It takes far fewer facial muscles to smile than to
frown, so smile often. Make eye contact with people you meet.
✓ Greet people by name. Employees appreciate being recognized as individuals.
✓ Listen to others in meetings. Don’t interrupt or cut people off. If they
are going on much longer than they should, paraphrase back to them
what you have understood to be their key messages.
✓ Always introduce others who are with you to people you bump into. It
demonstrates that you value them.
✓ Never take anything for granted. Always say please and thank you.
✓ Avoid office gossip. If someone tells you a rumor, do not reply. Do not
comment on the idea. Avoid basing evaluations on the information.
✓ Stay out of office politics. As difficult as this may be, avoid choosing
sides in disputes that have little to do with issues and everything to do
with personalities. Keep your eye on the ball: the goals you have set
for yourself and those around you. Stop people in their tracks if they
want to tell you something in confidence, unless it has nothing to do
with undermining someone else in the company.
✓ Dress for success and acceptance. Always dress one level better of what
others might expect of you. Dressing down might appear humble but
will project a poor image. Look the part that you want to be. Always
be neat and tidy.
✓ Be timely in everything you do. Return phone calls and e-mails as
quickly as possible. Be at a meeting on time or a bit before time to
make sure that you are ready.
✓ Be willing to listen to others even if you think that your opinion will
differ. Lean forward and show, with your body language and eye
contact, that you are listening to them.
✓ Don’t argue with people needlessly. Be tactful. Before you offer another
suggestion, acknowledge their suggestions by summarizing them and
then presenting your ideas, and ask for their opinions and support.
Avoid using the ‘‘but’’ word before presenting an alternative.
✓ Always show interest in the people around you. If you’re running short
of time, apologize and offer to see people later.
✓ Encourage those lower in the corporate hierarchy to strive for improvement.
Share your strategies with them.
✓ Model the behavior you expect from others. Know, that as a leader,
others are looking to you for cues about how they should act in similar
circumstances.
Extract from the book: The Leader’s Tool Kit Hundreds of Tips and Techniques for
Developing the Skills You Need by Cy Charney
