Leadership is a path often fraught with challenges. When we, as business leaders, do take on these challenges it is incumbent upon us to “set the tone from the top.” This phrase refers to the way in which the values and ethics embodied publicly by managers percolates through to the rest of the organization. Whether you have been with your company for many years or just joined recently, you have in your hands the ability to set the right tone from the top. Here are the four pillars that can help you accomplish that.
Communicate Expectations
There is no dearth of experts and articles to tell you that communication is the single most important thing in any organization. To set the right tone, a leader has to communicate his ideas to the team in a transparent and unambiguous way. There should be no room for interpretation on critical matters that involve company policy and the expectations from each employee to adhere to it. While this communication ordinarily comes in the form of emails and newsletters, it is more effective when espoused in your actions and words with your team. Live your values and let them shine through your everyday behavior.
Lead by Example
Leading by example follows on communicating expectations through everyday behavior. Simply because of the sheer visibility of a leader within an organization, their behavior is bound to be emulated. That happens even when an employee may disagree with the ethics of that behavior; they perceive it as correct, acceptable and even desired conduct by virtue of its association with a manager.
Leading by example does not just mean doing the right things but also not doing the wrong things. When you make decisions, be vocal and be visible. Tell the team why you chose to act in that specific way and not another. The lessons will stick when they can understand the thought process behind it.
Report Violations
Having standards means enforcing them. This can be an insurmountable hurdle for a leader who oversees a large organization. What you need is a safe and reliable mechanism for reporting violations. Delegate the monitoring to the entire team – let them bring your attention to perceived abuses as and when they detect them.
Anonymity is often necessary in such scenarios. Most take that to mean protecting the identity of the complainant but it should also protect the identity of the accused. In the absence of the latter, the system can easily be turned into a vendetta machine that tars individuals with vague allegations.
Reward Integrity
There is no incentive like recognition. Celebrate team members who get it right. Show the company that you do not just act a particular way and expect them to emulate you. Instead, let them know that you are watching them, too, always happy to reward actions that create a better, stronger and more united organization aligned with the values at the top.
Would you like more suggestions on how effectively lead and set the tone from the top of your organization? Please contact me today to discuss this topic further.
