3 Leadership Resolutions You Must Make This Year

We are 2 weeks into 2015 and many of us have already begun to tackle our resolutions. The two most common resolutions that we all make are apparently about weight loss and financial health. Others seek to deepen their spirituality, improve relationships, and quit bad habits like smoking or drinking. But what about your leadership resolutions?

If you are an individual with leadership and management responsibilities you must give yourself annual leadership resolutions for your sake, and your subordinates’ sake. This applies to anyone in a leadership role, regardless of age. Yes, old dogs can learn new tricks... if they choose to. The best way to make leadership resolutions is to address three areas:

Grow Your Leadership Knowledge. This first resolution must target a knowledge that will continue to grow your understanding of what makes people great leaders. Identify one area of leadership or management knowledge that would make you a better leader. This can be achieved by reading books, by attending conferences, or taking a course on the topic of your choice. You can choose to read about recognized leaders and what made them great, you can aim to improve your understanding of situational leadership styles, or you can deep dive on one leadership trait with the goal of mastering it. The choices are extensive; so pick one area of interest and delve into it. As an example, one year I targeted reading about world leaders and read about Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi. Another year I focused on leading change, and in yet another year it was organizational design and effectiveness. These leadership building blocks will be invaluable as you progress in your career.
Grow Your Current Job Skills’ Toolbox. This second resolution focuses on the knowledge or skill you need to make you even more valuable to your current company and become more effective in your job. This is a two-step process. First, gain the knowledge you lack. It can be by becoming more financially savvy, increasing your knowledge of business development and business models, learning about innovation or corporate entrepreneurship (intrapreneurship), gaining a better understanding of a new technology, researching the legal environment of a new territory or market, reaching an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, educating yourself on a new business initiative launched by your company. The choices will be a function of your company’s specific market and circumstances and of your job. Once you have acquired the knowledge you needed, the second step is to put it into practice by taking on a project or task where that new skill will be instrumental to success. As an example, several years ago, as a middle manager, I realized that I needed to turbocharge my knowledge of financial reporting. I had already done a Master of Science in Business some 6 years earlier where I had taken several finance courses, but never had a chance to put them into practice. I booked myself on a one-week intensive finance course for executives. For one week, I was completely immersed in P&L and cash flow statements, balance sheets, discussions on different investment vehicles, financial treatment of assets, company annual reports, and economic value created principles. That one-week commitment to improve my financial know-how brought instant benefits and provided me with opportunities to shine for years.
Improve an Existing Flaw in Your Leadership Style. All leaders, even the best of them, have flaws. You and I are no different. The best leaders understand their flaws and seek to improve the ones that can hold them back from being their best self. Your third resolution is to be honest with yourself and identify one personal management trait that you need to improve. Your supervisor might have identified an area for improvement during your annual evaluation or your subordinates might have hinted at something. The chances are you know what it is. It might be the way you communicate, being a better time manager, improving your delegations skills, how you seek advice, becoming more approachable, becoming a better team player, being less of a micromanager, how you conduct meetings, how you coach people, the manner in which you reprimand, how you treat failures, or how sensitive you are to criticism. The list is extensive. Just pick one item and commit to working on improving this issue every week for the remainder of the year. Early in my career, I focused on improving time management and effectiveness. As I grew into more senior roles, the focus shifted to making sure I remained approachable and accessible. When I became an executive, I focused on developing a thicker skin.

Pick only one item to work on per category and then take action, follow through, and measure your progress. The trick to succeeding is to: (1) clearly state what you seek to improve in each category, (2) identify the specific steps you will take to improve, (3) making a point of planning your agenda each week to include these leadership improvement activities, and (4) tracking your progress.