Expertise On Demand
Articles by Deborah Van Huis


Thoughtful Business Leader Practices

Most of us have been fortunate enough to work for or with a supervisor that was not only an effective manager but was a great leader. You wanted to not only work for that person but to impress them and have them recognize your work. That leader inspired you to improve your performance and to give more than was expected.

There are some characteristics of great leaders that we can copy to improve our leadership abilities:

Plan Ahead and Anticipate
Thoughtful leaders think about and anticipate what the future holds for:
Individual Projects — What are the upcoming target dates? Has a supplier historically been late with deliveries? Are you anticipating this and scheduling accordingly? Are you communicating with the supplier regularly to reiterate the schedule and the impact their performance has on the project?
Within their organization — Are business goals being met? Do strategies need to be revisited? Is it time to revamp the organizational structure or bring on more staff to expand?
And, in the business environment as a whole — Are your competitors making changes that you should consider? What are the economic forecasts?

Measure Against Goals
Competition can be healthy and is a powerful motivator. Leaders use this to their advantage by using a scorecard to measure progress and success. They encourage friendly competition between team members.

Think Tactically and Strategically
Quality business leaders are able to think about details, short term and long term goals. They are comfortable moving between these different levels and can do so quickly. They are willing to take the time needed to learn about new techniques and how their business may benefit from them. They keep long term goals in mind and make sure that the current work being done is helping to accomplish those goals.

Develop Systems
Leaders appreciate working economies. That means that they don't waste time re-inventing the wheel on every project. If a procedure works well, they look for other places to utilize it. They use policies and procedures and update them frequently. They are up to date with technology and embrace it.

Think Outside the Box
While leaders appreciate good systems, they're open to new approaches to solving problems. Impactful leaders welcome suggestions and do not fall victim to, "That's how we've always done it" thinking.

Champion Change
Change is viewed as progress by leaders. None of us have been successful in business without adapting to all kinds of changes from staff replacements to mergers and buy-outs. True business leaders are comfortable with change and are quick to assess new situations and develop tactics and strategies that are effective in the new operating environment. Leaders are not resistant to change; they welcome it.

Learn Continually
Leaders learn from experiences and mistakes. Project post mortem meetings are held to analyze:
  • What went well
  • What should be changed
  • What were the failures and weaknesses
  • Were any best practices discovered that can be applied to the organization
  • Team member performance
Develop Relationships
One of the reasons that leaders are so effective is that they take time to develop relationships with not only their direct reports but with other people in and out of the organization. They carve out time to keep relationships current and to let others know that they are thought of and valued:
  • They don't just call when they need something; they call to touch base
  • Keep current on what's happening with team members and let them know it
  • Address performance problems honestly and at the time the problem
Share Their Expertise and Knowledge
Leaders are generous with their expertise and knowledge. They mentor peers and subordinates and take pride in their progress and success. Not only do they share their experience, leaders seek to learn for the experiences of others. They strive to continue learning in all areas of their life.

Strive to imitate the characteristics of thoughtful business leaders and you'll be amazed at how quickly you'll become a great leader yourself. For more information and help becoming a respected leader, please contact me at dvanhuis@dvhexpertise.com

Deborah Van Huis is a proven executive with over twenty-five years experience in leading teams to successful execution of business goals. She is experienced in public speaking and developing external relationships with community, political leaders, business partners and finance executives. One of her key strengths is as a "big picture" problem-solver that thrives on the excitement and challenge of the unknown potential of a business. Deborah combines degrees in engineering with a Masters of Science in Administration including a concentration in leadership studies. She has developed educational and training programs and continues teaching ongoing classes while providing clients with management services.