9 Smart Leadership Strategies

“You need to personally make sure that your company is a place where people want to work,” says Jon Gordon in his book, The Shark and the Goldfish: Positive Ways to Thrive During Waves of Change.

“You must focus on winning in the workplace if you want to win in the marketplace,” says Gordon. Here are his 9 strategies for boosting morale and engagement.

1. Focus on People, Not Numbers

“It’s not numbers that drive people, but the people that drive numbers,” Gordon points out. After all, he says, numbers are just indicators of how well your people are executing. Remember, he says, “Culture drives behavior, behavior drives habits, and habits drive results.”

2. Model Good Behavior

Leaders set the tone for employees. They can inspire, or they can extinguish. For example, if you greet workers cheerfully even though you’ve both had to come into work an hour early, they’re likely to mirror that attitude. “Whatever you expect from your people, you must also expect from your senior leadership,” Gordon says.

Leaders need to be humble and hungry, he explains. Humble in that they seek to learn, grow, and improve every day, and hungry with a passion to work harder than everyone else.

Take your career to the next level. Learn how to become a strategic business partner with our FREE Report: Top 10 Strategic HR Trends for the New Era.

3. Practice Positive Leadership

“Positive leadership” means remaining purposeful in the face of adversity. “While it’s important to acknowledge the obstacles your organization is facing (after all, no one really respects a naïve Pollyanna!), don’t dwell on them, and don’t bring up bad news before you’ve pointed out one or two things that are going well,” says Gordon.

Optimistically focus on where you are going. Remember, Gordon says, “Culture drives behavior. You win in the office first. Then you win in the marketplace.”

4. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

In the absence of clear and positive communication, people assume the worst, Gordon says. As a leader, you must personally meet with your employees and continually communicate, communicate, communicate.

“Make transparency the norm, not the exception,” asserts Gordon. “Talk to your team members often, and let them know where they stand. Host frequent town hall meetings in which you listen to employees’ fears, concerns, and ideas, and share your vision for the future.”

The new overtime regulations go into effect this year. Are you ready? Learn about key changes and get a handy flowchart to help you determine exemption status under the FLSA. Download the Overtime Calculator.

5. Tell Energy Vampires, ‘It’s time to get on the bus … or off.’

You might think that a few nonconformists and cynics won’t be a major problem, but Gordon insists you’d be wrong. He calls those who are a constant source of negativity “Energy Vampires” because they suck the energy and life out of everyone around them.

“Once you’ve identified the naysayers, gently approach them and give them a chance to get on the bus and share in a positive vision,” Gordon advises. If they refuse to get on board, you must get them off the bus. “Even if your biggest complainer is your highest performer, the negative energy outweighs any positive contributions,” Gordon says.

6. Forbid All Complaining

Successful organizations with great cultures focus on solutions, not on complaints, Gordon says. His rule is simple: “You are not allowed to complain unless you also offer a solution.”

Read the rest of Gordon’s tips here.