15 Dos and Don'ts for Highly

Engaging Leaders
A sample size of over 25,000 leaders reveals these 15 things to do to
become highly engaging.

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Since 1999, I have worked, coached, trained, and studied well over 25,000 leaders.
In that time, 15 common practices have been revealed for highly engaging leaders.
Think of this as a to-do list if you aspire to inspire.

Engaging Leaders Do:

1. Install a rigorous selection process to ensure they hire only the best and brightest.

2. Set a clear and compelling vision.

3. Collaborate with their team to define a plan for realizing that vision.
4. Keep the plan visible.

5. Keep score along the way to keep the team energized and accountable.
6. Look for people doing something right and recognize it.

7. Eliminate barriers to getting work done.

8. Address even minor performance issues with proactive coaching.

9. Listen more than they talk.

10. Uncompromisingly uphold the team's values by using them to make big and little
decisions.
11. Give credit for and reward successes.
12. Get to know the person behind the employee.

13. Care about their people as much as their people's performance.

14. Focus on the organization's purpose as much as (if not more than) profits.

15. Consistently and frequently communicate, even when there is apparently no news.

On the contrary, leaders who miss the mark are less likely to find their team's
passion. These 15 (fairly common) leadership practices are ones to avoid.

Engaging Leaders Don't:

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1. Hire by the seat of the pants, caving to pressure to just fill seats.

2. Paint a vague or ever-changing picture of the future.

3. Tell their teams how to achieve their goals.

4. Keep the plan close to their chest in case they want to change it.

5. Leave the team in the dark about progress to maintain control over consequences and
rewards...and to avoid personal accountability for results.
6. Look for people doing something wrong and punish them.

7. Create barriers to getting work done.

8. Sweep minor performance issues under the rug if they are uncomfortable to address.

9. Talk more than listen.

10. Talk about team values but make decisions using "real business criteria."

11. Take personal credit for team successes.

12. View team members as interchangeable parts to the business machine.

13. Care about results only.

14. Focus on profits.

15. Communicate using the "no news is good news" philosophy.

Take a good look at the way you lead. If any items from the second list apply to you,
what action will you take to fix them?