Leadership Best Practices Checklist
 
Employees

• Inspire them to adopt company plan and vision and to move forward
• Empower employees to succeed and support them
• Evaluate and reward employees appropriately and in a timely way
• Understand motivators and needs
• Role model for employees and demonstrate hands on techniques
• Teach them to think and spend money like an owner
• Inspire them to accept a challenge
• Create a team culture where everyone receives mutual respect
• Create a learning environment where questions and new skills are the norm

 
Company vision

• Set a clear vision and communicate it relentlessly
• Develop clear strategic plan and renew regularly
• Adopt new ideas early and be innovative
• Make sure your company philosophy reflects you and the market you serve
• Get buy-in from your team on major decisions and goals
• Regularly stretch from your comfort zone
• Work ON the business more often than IN it

 
Professional development

• Be knowledgeable and competent about the work you do
• Stay current with trends, styles, products, legislation and equipment
• Be innovative
• Encourage and mentor peers
• Freely give knowledge and ideas to industry peers
• Surround yourself with experts
• Continuously learn

 
Daily ethics

• Do what you promise, be trustworthyand dependable
• Practice what you preach; live and breathe your company values and vision
• Adapt and change as necessary
• Communicate clearly
• Demonstrate professionalism
• Work hard with focus and purpose
• Be detail driven
• Ask only what you would be prepared to do yourself
• Be fair, consistent and honest
• Act quickly to overcome problems as they arise
• Face tough realities, avoiding excuses and rationalization

More ideas may be found on the HR Toolkit’s Performance Management Process.