Guide to Leadership Information Resources

Managers and leaders of today's businesses must address more issues and challenges than ever before and employee leadership information is a means to address those challenges. Leadership training should be mandatory, especially for legal-related issues. Fortunately, there are countless resources available to help business owners capitalize on employees' strengths. The successful leaders will do the following:

1.  Indentify goals and the organization's direction.

2.  Plan and organize tasks and missions related to information on employee leadership.

3.  Teach and train on an on-going basis.

4.  Give feedback on performance and give employee leadership reports.

5.  Nurture effective business relationships.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Communication is key to forming effective leadership resources

Let your employees know what is happening -- even if the news is bad. Information is power and it is respectful to keep your staff and employees informed. Establish clear expectations with your employees, and don't worry about insulting their intelligence by stating the obvious. Clarification is essential to your company mission.

I recommend: The Association for Business Communication has a plethora of resources available to help you coach your employees and yourself on best practices in business leadership. The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is also a great resource for this type of information.

When providing info on leadership, teach your staff to give you the "Bad News" first

If something on a project has gone wrong, you want to know immediately. Train your staff to give you the facts, even if they seem dismal, by your calm and predictable reactions to "bad news."

I recommend: Set up ground rules for how news is communicated, this may be handled by creating a employee leadership guide. One successful business with several offices had a rule to send (within the company) good news by letter, and bad news by fax. The employees understood that anything going wrong was a priority. The San Antonio Business Journal cites how to best handle these types of communications. Personnel Today magazine has a good method for dealing with how to communicate business failure in a positive, rather than negative, way.

Consider webcasts for cost effective leadership training

Education and training can take your staff away from the office, but learning can take place inside the office as well. Seminars today are often broadcast over the Internet. During "webcasting" or "webinars" participants can view a seminar in real time and in many cases can email in questions or comments.

I recommend: Careertrack! programs from Fred Pryor Seminars. In addition, inquire with standard continuing education in your profession to see if webcasting is offered. Also, consider on-line courses through university or community college programs. You can also create your own webinars for remote employees using Webex.

Consider excutive coaching for top management as key leadership information resources

Being accountable to yourself and someone else can make a world of difference, as can a fresh set of eyes. Consider what the professionals have to offer.

I recommend: Ami Group offers executive coaching on leadership development, performance improvement and speaking. The College of Executive Coaching also provides vast resources for executive coaching.

Teach employees how to nuture business relationships through leadership information resources

People buy goods and services from those they know. They also refer business to those they know. It's important to look at your community as a whole -- not simply in your own area of expertise. Consider paying for your employees to be involved with lead groups or service organizations if they are so inclined. The benefits will be worth much more than what your company will pay in dues.

I recommend: Rotary International is a great organization for public service and can provide employees with a greater sense of purpose and how leadership can function outside the work setting. Leads Unlimited provides proactive training for sales leadership. 

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Know your own field of business and encourage your employees to do the same. Continuing education will make you and your employees technically proficient. Anyone in management must be able to manage AND have a solid familiarity with subordinates' tasks.
• Take responsibility for your company and its actions. When things go wrong, as they sometimes do, do not blame others. Even if your employee was the one responsible for the error, you will come out ahead if you take responsiblity as the manager rather than focus on the cause of the problem. Instead, analyze the situation, take whatever corrective action is needed, and move on.
• Make rational and prompt decisions. Employees need to know what to expect. Predicitable, consistent behavior is helpful in running an organization. Set the example - Be a good role model for your employees.
• The power of positive thinking is tremendous. Optimism allows you to see the positive aspects of any situation and enables you to get the most out of even difficult circumstances.

The official source of Leadership Information Resources is
the Leadership Information Resources page at Business.com