Third in a three-part series. Here are Part 1 and Part 2.
This article concludes our three-part series on what managers do when they observe, make decisions, and take action. Part 1 covered observation. Part 2 covered deciding.
In this piece, I will reveal the behaviors of successful managers when it’s time to take action.
How market leaders behave.
- They lead by example. Regardless of what is happening, good or bad, they are calm and considerate.
- They never stop learning.
- This is more important than ever, thanks to the rapid advancements in AI.
- You can’t manage what you don’t understand. Too many companies are led by top managers who have simply stopped learning because tech has gotten so complex.
- One of the CEO’s top jobs is to see the bigger picture and lead the company accordingly. That can only happen if the CEO is determined to understand how tech works.
- They almost never get angry.
- I say “almost never” because there are very rare times when it is entirely appropriate to be angry.
- Not wild, swearing anger. Instead, the kind of anger you see heroes act out in movies. It is resolute and deep. Everyone will know immediately that their boss is angry, and will respect him or her for holding it in check while deciding what must be done.
- They will respect the boss even more if the anger is due to an injustice done to someone lower on the corporate ladder, or something that makes life harder for customers.
- They are aware of their responsibilities and act accordingly.
- When the CEO gets a cold, the rest of the company gets pneumonia. Workers watch their leader like a hawk.
- If the leader is confident and positive, workers will also be.
- If the leader is secretive, manipulative, or vague, workers will get discouraged.
- Top managers do not complain or share numerous details about their personal lives. This takes time away from the work people have to do, and it takes advantage of the fact that the workers are a captive audience. Workers can’t say, “I’m sorry, I don’t have time for this right now.”
- They pay attention to the competition, but don’t obsess.
- They know that their main source of actionable information comes from customers, workers, partners, marketing and sales tracking, and market research.
- They understand that relevant content is the strongest driver of revenue growth.
- They work hard to get the content right, then focus on where that content should appear (in the appropriate digital channels, where their customers would expect to find them).
- They tap into the knowledge gained by their subject matter experts to create blogs, social posts, guides, videos, emails, spec sheets, and user manuals.
- They give clear instructions.
- We’re all learning to give good instructions to our AI helpers. I’m glad to see this, as it will help us give better instructions to our workers. With AI, you can see immediately if your instructions were clear and thorough enough.
- Giving clear instructions is the kindest, most efficient way to get things done. It takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. The person receiving the instructions can get right to work without having to ask any questions and wait for an answer!
- They know what is important and act accordingly.
- It’s so easy to go down rabbit holes these days. The best bosses recognize when it’s happening and steer the conversation and actions in a more productive direction.
- When working on marketing and sales activities, they focus on the most important concepts and tasks—the ones that reinforce the company’s strengths—and the ones that will deliver the highest benefit with the shortest amount of time and effort.
- They break large projects into shorter sprints.
- Almost everything in business is now driven by technology. Building and using a tech infrastructure can be filled with unexpected derailments and “gotchas.”
- Breaking up larger tasks into shorter sprints, in “lean” style, will smooth the road, avoid long-task disillusionment, and make it easier to change direction before too much is invested in what could be a bad decision.
This completes this series on What Market Leaders Do.
As you can tell, I am completely convinced that success starts at the top. Successful company leaders are calm, careful, considerate, and efficient. They take good care of the company’s customers, employees, and partners. Led by this type of manager, the company will soar higher every year and remain in a top position despite changes and challenges.
