New year - a new start

Welcome to the new home of the Action Plans for Aspiring Leaders newsletter.

With Elon taking over Twitter, the Revue newsletter app that all of you signed up for this newsletter through, has gone away.

After looking at what some of my favorite newsletter authors use, like Jasper Polak, I decided to move this to Beehiiv.

Also, since 2023 is kicking off, I have recommitted to delivering value through a newsletter.

They say 88% of all New Year's Resolutions fail, so I am not calling it that.

Rather, this newsletter is an integral part of how I am working to deliver value to leaders.

Now on to the content...

What makes a great leader?

I was curious about what people think makes a great leader. So, I sent out the following tweet:

I love the community of leaders I have built. Here is just a sampling of the insightful comments I got back:

• Win!

• integrity

• an open mind

• self awareness

• train your people

• long term vision

• be able to say no

• the art of delegation

• guide, do not impose

• do not micromanage

• give a good example

• empower people/team

• do not run from conflict

• communicate effectively

• share their own mistakes

• ability to set a clear vision

• know how to manage money

• be an enabler for their teams

• keep cool during difficult situations

• inspires by actions instead of words

• paint a picture of a better tomorrow

• understanding of their business model

• champion causes that align with their objectives

• challenge their ideas to stretch their perspectives

If you have more to add to the conversation, I'd enjoy hearing about it. (Just reply to this email or chime in on twitter.)

8 quick wins to up your leadership game

Failures of leadership are bad for both the leader, their employees, and the company.

Luckily there are skills that leaders can improve on, that yield immediate benefits.

To improve your leadership skills, do a survey of these 8 areas, and see what quick wins you can get.

Jot down a few notes on ways to improve.

Remember: Leaders are made, not born.

Here we go…

🔹 Delegation

If you are trying to do too much, by yourself. you are shortchanging your team an opportunity to learn.

You are also limiting the amount your team can accomplish based on YOUR abilities alone.

Let go of needing perfection.

Try to adopt a coaching mindset.

🔹 Micromanaging

A close cousin of not delegating, is once you let go of a task, micromanaging your team.

Remember coaching? That is the solution here too.

Ask questions, but give your team room to fail and succeed in a way that just might inspire you.

🔹 Sharing the spotlight

Shine the light on your team, and the team’s accomplishments, not your own.

Nothing demotivates someone faster than having their boss soak up the credit for their hard work.

Set up a way to recognize your team’s efforts consistently.

🔹 Erratic behavior

The foundation of trust in a business context is knowing how the other person will react.

• Keep your cool.

• Be consistent.

• Think through your responses before you react.

Build trust with your team.

🔹 Listening

Improving your listening skills can be as simple as:

• Ask a question.• Wait for the answer.• Wait until they are truly done speaking.• Ask a follow-up question.• Repeat.

Be comfortable with silence, and do not jump in to fill it (even if you can).

🔹 Short term thinking

This is harder to think of as a quick fix.

But to make progress: Define what you want the team to accomplish:• in the next 3 months• in 1 year• in 3 years

Get above the day-to-day decisions and communicate these mid-range plans.

🔹 Tame your schedule

Many leaders let their calendars determine their daily priorities.

Take back control and schedule focused time.

Block focused time on your calendar each week to work on what YOU need to accomplish.

(HINT: maybe to work on those mid-term goals).

🔹 Communication

The best quick fix of all, is to double your communication.

• Reach out to your team, peers, and above

• Celebrate the wins

• Talk about the challenges

• Share your plans

Leading effectively requires good communication. Time spent here will pay you back.

 🔹 Quick wins summary

Look for quick fixes in:• listening• delegation• communication• micromanaging• erratic behavior• short term thinking• sharing the spotlight• taming your schedule

Closing thoughts

Leadership is not a gift you are born with. The skills can be learned and improved upon. You have it within you to be a great leader.

Look for simple, yet effective methods to improve. My advice is to pick one area to focus on, and anchor in some changes to your approach. Master that, and repeat.

I'd love to hear how it goes. Just reply to this email. I'm always here for questions.

Have a great week! See you next Monday!

Cheers,Andrea Michalek (@ThatAndreaM)

When you're ready, how I can help

I help technology leaders launch products, build teams, and lead with confidence.

I'm rolling out a new program for individual coaching. If you are interested in learning more ahead of the official announcement, send me an email at [email protected].