Effective Leadership: 10 Timeless Principles for Managing People

In conducting seminars on leadership, and managing people, for over 12 years, I often ask participants to list their top do's and don'ts for successfully managing people. 10 timeless principles have consistently been mentioned. Here they are:

1. Set goals collaboratively with your employees. You're more likely to have employees who are accepting of the solution because they were involved in the process.

2. Follow through. Always do what you say you're going to do. Otherwise, your credibility is destroyed. As the saying goes, they remember your last act.

3. In managing people, be empathetic and compassionate when the situation calls for it. For example, when a good employee is experiencing personal problems. Remember, your employees are your most important asset. And, you are managing people.

4. Be honest, trustworthy, fair and respectful. In managing people, if you employees don't perceive you as trustworthy, you're less likely to have real influence over them.

5. Lead by example. Be a good role model. If you are honest, trustworthy, respectful, and hardworking, you're training them to be the same.

"Effective leadership in managing people = getting along with others."

6. Communicate clearly with your staff on a regular basis. The importance of good communication sounds so obvious, it's as if it shouldn't need to be mentioned! But over and over, I hear about managers who don't communicate effectively.

7. Take care of important issues. Don't procrastinate working on projects you don't want to do. And promptly address performance issues with a difficult employee. Otherwise, these problems only get worse.

8. Have goals and objectives clearly defined in writing for accountability. Include dates, deadlines, and numbers so it's very clear what's expected. For example, if someone is in customer service they are to, "Respond to all customer inquiries and complaints within 12 hours of receiving them.This way, the employee clearly understands what's expected of them and is less likely to say, "Well,that's just your perception. You're just picking on me."

9. In managing people, be available. Be approachable.

10. Empower and motivate your team not just in terms of finishing projects, but also in terms of successfully managing conflict.

Effective leadership when managing people correlates to successfully managing conflict. Learn to get along with others. It's not just what you know, or who you know, but how well you get along with others.


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Colleen Kettenhofen is a motivational keynote speaker on managing people, effective leadership, difficult people and presentation skills. She is co-author of The Masters of Success, featured on NBC's Today Show. Colleen has spoken in 47 states and six countries since 1995. For free articles, e-newsletter and video clips: http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com