Never underestimate the impact you can have on an individual’s leadership journey. Being Greek and growing up in Chicago in the 70’s, there’s a good chance your family was in the restaurant business - and ours was. From the age of 12 it was the breeding ground of many of my initial leadership lessons. For those of you in the business, you know that the holidays are the busiest days - and for us, the mother of all holidays, was Mother’s Day. I was 16 when the day that I’d like to forget occurred. The restaurant was packed and the next people to be seated were one of our best customers. At the time, this gentleman was a US Congressman, and he was with his whole family, and I must admit, I had ulterior motives. The Congressman was blessed with two beautiful daughters, whom I wanted to impress. Providing them a great experience was at the top of my mind. In order to seat the entire family we had to pull 2 tables together. As they were sitting down, there were some extra chairs leftover from combining the tables so I decided I would help to remove them. As I pick the first chair up to lift it over and away from the table, it gets caught in the chandelier fixture above the table. Before I could react, the glass fixture comes crashing down on the table, and with it, any hopes of me ever dating one of the daughters. In addition to the initial embarrassment, I was convinced my dad was going to fire me on the spot. However, contrary to my initial thoughts, my dad went about his day as if nothing had happened. On the way home that night in the car, I was sensing my impending dismissal. But my dad surprised me with his comments. He glanced over and said we all make mistakes and they’re never as big as we think at the time. He also suggested that I use this opportunity to learn from these moments, and if I do, they usually won’t happen again. In that moment I had one of my first true leadership lessons. Prior to my dad speaking to me, I was feeling down and not very valuable. With just a few words, not only had my dad raised my confidence, but had made me even more loyal to him. Going forward, I wanted to justify his trust in me with everything I did. Think about the people you lead and manage. Do you help to build them up in tough situations and use those moments as teaching opportunities, or do you compound the situation by coming down on them even harder? Most people are tough enough on themselves already, help them with their confidence and esteem and it will come back to you many times over. Most people want to become better at whatever they’re doing; all they need is a little guidance. Be that mentor and coach and truly impact their performance at work, and in their lives.

Never delegate hiring to those managers who may see job candidates less in terms of your needs than of their own egos. The danger is what Netscape cofounder Marc Andreessen calls "the law of crappy people. ‘A’ people hire ‘A’ people, but ‘B’ people hire ‘C’ people. The minute you let a weak manager in the door, they will hire individuals working for them who are even weaker…before you know it, your company degenerates." According to Lawrence A. Bossidy, former CEO of AlliedSignal, the best way to check on candidates’ performances is to ask their customers first and their supervisors only later. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, says that his employees have already been so conditioned to identify with customers that his company relies on employee judgments. "During our hiring meetings," he once wrote in the company’s annual report, "we ask people to consider three questions before making a decision: 1.  Do you admire this person? For myself, I’ve always tried hard to work only with people I admire, and I encourage folks here to be just as demanding. Life is definitely too short to do otherwise. 2.  Will this person raise the average level of effectiveness of the group their entering? We want to fight entropy. The bar has to continuously go up. I ask people to visualize the company five years from now. At that point, each of us should look around and say, "The standards are so high now - boy, I’m glad I got in when I did!" 3.  Along what dimension might this person be a superstar?  Many people have unique skills, interests, and perspectives that enrich the work environment for all of us. It’s often something that’s not even related to their jobs. One person here is a National Spelling Bee champion. I suspect it doesn’t help her in her everyday work, but it does make working here more fun if you can occasionally snag her in the hall with a quick challenge: onomatopoeia!!

People often associate interviews with the hiring process - big mistake. Interviews have so many other applications and can be a valuable instrument in your leadership toolkit. It’s easy as a leader to give directions, focus on what you’d like to get done and lead from the front. But listening is often a lost art these days. There are two applications of interviews that I have found extremely valuable and foster better listening skills. The first is when doing any sort of turnaround. It may be organization-wide or just a team that needs to elevate their game. I used to do many turnarounds and I learned early on that the more questions I asked, and the more I listened in the early stages of a turnaround, the quicker I was able get things moving in the right direction. It initially appears somewhat contrarian to listen first, since time is of the essence and getting results is critical, but learning from the people on the ground first can provide incredible insights. I often found that they already had the solutions to some of the key problems being experienced - just nobody listened in the past. As a result, I came to spend the first 30 days just interviewing people. Really learning from employees - and there was a twofold benefit. They’d usually help me solve problems faster than I could have on my own and the interviews set the tone about the type of culture I was trying to set up - open, transparent and mutual respect. Everyone needs to know that we’re all on the same team. The second application of interviews is what we like to call "stay interviews." So often we’re only focused on interviewing people when they leave our organization. We’re interested in finding out why and learning how to avoid any mistakes we might be making going forward. Although exit interviews are important, an even better practice is to interview your team while they’re still with you. What you’ll learn can be amazing - not only about your organization, but more importantly, about you. It’s a matter of time before the economy turns around and holding on to your top talent will be a bit more difficult. Do you know your team - really know them? What they like about their job, what they’d like to change? Their aspirations? Their challenges? How you can help them grow? The sooner you can move them to wanting to stay, the sooner you can tap into their potential and create a two-way road of benefits. As a leader, make interviews a key part of your week. There’s little to lose, and much to gain.

Like ships, leaders leave a wake behind them as they pass through an organization. All eyes are on them; everything they do, no matter how insignificant, is taken as a signal, and their people follow their example, for good or ill. Whatever they intend, and no matter what they write in memos or say in speeches, the true quality of their leadership is measured by the example they set. A leader’s main function is to set the right example; what you do is far more important and instructive than what you say. Your true colors shine through in your actions. And if your signals don’t match your words, you will not win the trust of your crew. You will certainly be leading your people by example, but you’ll be leading them in the wrong direction So if you want your crew to pick up trash, bend over and pick up trash yourself whenever you see it on the ground. If you want people to speak the truth, talk to them truthfully. If a CEO tells his people that it’s time to cut costs, he’ll lose their trust and encourage their own duplicity if he then redecorates his office. After all he’s sending a very clear signal, and you can bet it won’t be lost on the people who follow his every word and deed. So a leader must be on his toes to make sure he is sending the right signals to his crew. Even an inadvertent slipup can confuse employees and possibly disenchant them about the quality of your leadership. But if you strive to maintain an honest relationship and good rapport with your staff, mistakes can be rectified and confidence regained. At the end of the day, it is the strength of your example that will allow you to lead with success and create new leaders in your own image.

This is the time to ask a very hard question. If the economy picks up and your employees truly have a choice to stay or go, will they stay? Turnover within many organizations has been low the past few years. It would be a mistake to think the reason for this is that you are doing everything great. In a down economy employees are a bit more hesitant to move and more lucrative jobs are more difficult to find. Numerous surveys have concluded that the top reason employees’ leave their job is because of their manager. If employees don’t get along with their managers, don’t like them or don’t respect them, they will leave a company despite a high salary or great benefits. A bad manager is a big factor in employee performance. A good manager, no matter the salary, will inspire loyalty. The corollary to this, which further substantiates the point made above, is that the top 4 reasons employees stay with an organization are (1) exciting and challenging work; (2) career growth, learning and development; (3) working with great people and (4) fair pay. The obvious surprise is always where pay is ranked…not #1, but #4. The lesson is clear and should be heeded. As a manager and leader there are many factors you control, other than salary, that will significantly affect whether your team will stay or go. Are you creating meaningful work for your team? Are you recruiting the type of people that strengthen your team and develop the right chemistry? Does your team feel that you truly care about them and that you are helping to develop their talents? Are you sure you really know each of your employees well? Do you know what drives and motivates them? What causes them to get up and get to work each day? If you can’t answer most of these questions in the affirmative, then ask yourself what type of culture are you creating. The consequences…you may never inspire your team to show true ownership and when the opportunity arises, they just might be giving you notice of their departure. It’s not too late…take advantage of the non-pay items you can control, and engage your team to greatness. The loyalty and results you’ll create will elevate engagement and foster a productive culture.

Let’s face it, in our new, unsettled world, getting the most out of your people needs to be a priority for every single one of your leaders and managers. These types of leaders are not born, they are cultivated over time. During any economic condition, employees turn first to their immediate supervisors for advice, support, direction and help with problem solving. Give your leaders and managers the tools, strategies and approaches they need to drive the engagement, retention and ultimately, the productivity of their people. With our future uncertain, teach your managers how to build a safe environment that encourages open dialogue, promotes the growth of the team and its individuals, nurtures strong productive relationships, and cultivates a climate where their people can flourish. There’s one caveat though. Your managers and leaders are scared too. They need reassurance that you have their best interest in mind and that together, you can weather this storm. Remind them frequently that they are vital to you and future of your company. Praise their hard work and coach them in areas where they have the opportunity to improve. Only when they feel safe can they create the same environment for others. To get started, ask yourself: If your managers could gain just one skill that would help them manage in these uncertain times, what would it be?

A careless leader can wreak havoc on an organization, destroying unity and disgusting employees to the point where they start hiding from the turmoil, biding their time till they can escape to another job. Soon people bicker, sabotage begins, and the workplace is totally dysfunctional. Making collaboration a reality is the vital antidote needed. The day after I took command, I called the department heads to a meeting. I gave them a very simple message: Collaboration was to be a top priority, and when it came to rank them, one of my criteria would be how well they supported the other departments. Anyone who refused to cooperate would be ranked at the bottom. But I also made them a promise: "Look, you guys know that I have to rank you and not all of you are going to be considered for command." If they weren’t ranked at the top but had done a good job, I guaranteed that I would do whatever I could when they left the ship to help them get whatever jobs they wanted in whatever place. "And if you’re planning on leaving the Navy," I said, "I’ll get you a job that helps you prepare for that transition." After that, the department heads saw that it was in their interest to cooperate. And in hindsight, if I could point to one thing that made Benfold excel, it was the departments working together as a team. I would see the heads of the five departments in the officers’ mess, working out issues among themselves because they didn’t want to have to come to me to resolve a problem. Once the team concept became embedded and people stopped thinking only of perfecting and protecting their little niches, it became easier to see what else needed doing. Better yet, people came to realize that when the whole ship - or the whole Navy - is performing well, it works to everyone’s advantage.

Even with unemployment as high as it is, I still hear that finding top talent is one of the top concerns that keep CEOs up at night. It’s crucial to remember—even in this tough economic climate, talented people always have choices. The talent is out there (maybe right there on your team!), but you must be clear about what you’re looking for, and have a detailed plan to find the right person. As an HR professional specializing in recruiting, I have worked with leaders whose departments had high turnover. I’ve also partnered with leaders with low turnover. One key element that is universal across low-turnover leaders is that they not only knew how to take care of their people, they also clearly understood that it took planning and the right tools to find the right person to complement their team.  These leaders knew that people that thrived in one company might not always succeed in theirs. Fit isn’t just about what’s on a person’s resume. Yes, it’s about finding a person with the skills required to do the job, but they must also fit in with their team and organization’s culture. Finding the right person-for the right role—at the right time—requires having the right tools and processes in place if want to create a winning team. So, what is the formula for success? Step One - The Talent You May Need May Be Right INSIDE Your Door You most likely have some amazing people within your organization that just need a chance to shine. Take a minute and ask yourself; What is the makeup of my current team? What’s the unique talent that each person brings? Is there someone internally that fits our needs? What are their strengths? Where are their gaps? What kind of person will be a valuable addition, as well as provide the right balance to the team? Step Two - Look Beyond The Job Description The next step is to take the time to look beyond a job description by having a conversation with your team and HR to get their input. Have a discussion about the skills, qualities and compatibility the candidates must have to be a fit for the role, the culture and your team. Step Three - Use What’s In Your Arsenal Lastly, look at the your hiring tools (interview process, interview guides, assessments etc.). Do you have the right tools to find the right person?  Are you using these tools or are you making a "gut" decision? Do you work as a team to find the right person and are you willing to keep a role on your team vacant to make sure you find the right fit? Your talent is your lifeblood, be sure to allocate the time and energy required to keep your pipeline strong. Recruiters are tasked with finding the top talent in the marketplace, but it is up to you the leader to make the final decision about who will be joining your team. The wrong choice has many unfortunate consequences. Not only do you risk "turning over" the new hire, you also risk disrupting the current talent on your team that you do not want to lose.

In this new, unsettled world, getting the most out of your people by unleashing their existing and potential talent needs to be a priority for every leader. A talent-focused leader knows that one of the most important factors in their success is their ability to challenge, develop and engage their people. Would your team say you’re a "talent-focused leader?" As we head into a new year and you start thinking about key focus areas for 2013, never underestimate the integral role your people can play in helping you deliver results. 2013 can be the year to truly unleash the power of your people. It starts by creating an environment that encourages open dialogue, promotes the growth of your team and its individuals, and nurtures strong productive relationships. Talent-focused leaders need to be crystal clear about the forces impacting their efforts to drive results, the capabilities their people need to navigate the rough waters ahead and how to capitalize on the existing and potential talent on their team. They must: Know their business climate Know their business priorities Know how to leverage their talent Talent-focused leaders understand the varied and complex challenges associated with today’s diverse workforce such as managing a younger population of workers with unique attitudes and values about work, rewards and recognition, and a growing population of older workers heading toward retirement with different sets of attitudes and values. Money and benefits may attract people to the front door, but something else has to keep them from going out the back. People do stay for more than pay and you, if you’re a talent-focused leader, have more influence than you can imagine. Everyone on your team has a unique set of skills, interests and capabilities that when unleashed produce amazing results. Talent-focused leaders know that it is essential to uncover these talents, and then link them to the overall goals of their team and organization. You know you’ve arrived when you create "Signature Moments" in your organization. This is a time when the relationship with your team has evolved to the point where they trust you enough to produce results in areas and ways never contemplated in the past. What was once on your list, is now accomplished by your team. Breakthroughs that may have taken a long time to accomplish now happen under your team’s direction. When this transformation is experienced, everyone on the team knows it and feels proud to be a part of it. It’s an exciting, yet evolutionary time. Your hard work to become a talent-focused leader has paid off. Your people have taken ownership and are working at a much higher level.

I’m sure many of us have been fortunate to have worked with some amazing people. People that you not only trust, but would go out on a limb for. Not only did they engage you to work at you best, but they did the same for other members of your team. Unfortunately there is the other side of the coin. Leaders that have an innate ability to break down trust and negatively impact teams and organizations. It’s why most people leave their bosses and not their organization. In a study of 30,000 managers, employees cited a number of flaws. Two of the flaws at the top of the list included failing to walk the talk and an inability to collaborate and be a team player. It’s why we say a talent-focused leader knows that their people are their secret weapon in today’s competitive workplace. They know that in order to drive the results they need they must tap into the only flexible resource at their disposal - the power and talent of their people. They drive ownership and accountability and hold themselves to this same standard. Check out this link for additional interesting facts about the impact of bad bosses: http://www.inc.com/maeghan-ouimet/real-cost-bad-bosses.html