Are you getting the best from your employees?

I’ve worked with numerous businesses from six to 6,000 employees, studied Human Resource Management at post graduate level but the most powerful insights into what makes a good leader I learned through Natural Horsemanship.

Soon after I bought my horse, I discovered that leadership was not my strength. After three years of practice and self-reflection I learned that by sticking to these basic set of principles, anyone can become a trusted and respected leader, unlocking talent and gaining maximum effort:

1. Have a plan, and focus on it
2. Break your plan down into small steps
3. Recognise talent and potential, use a profiling method such as talent-dynamics.com to align talent with your plan
4. Expect results, give responsibility and let go of control
5. Facilitate learning by allowing to make mistakes where possible
6. Challenge performance or behaviour that doesn’t meet your expectations
7. Be consistent so people understand the likely consequences of their actions
8. Listen and be flexible, adjust your expectations to fit the situation
9. Remain objective, by keeping a “professional distance”
10. Equip people, make sure they are confident to do the tasks that you set them
11. Recognise effort (not necessarily results) and reward regularly
12. Turn frustration into fascination, good leaders turn challenges into opportunities to listen and learn

Above all, make relationships your number one priority. Your employees will only follow a leader they truly respect and that is only possible with TRUST.

Anna Bowen
PG Dip, MCIPD