This is the 15th of 16 weekly installments on The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership.  Every Thursday, I will break down the 5 Pillars and show you how becoming and influential leader will not only improve your job skills but your personal life as well.

The 5 Pillars is a project that I have been working on for almost two years and had a great time with the official launch of “The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership” Coaching program on May 23th.

Why the 5 Pillars?  I have spent more than 30 years in the business world and although it has been primarily in the Construction world, the 5 Pillars philosophy works across all industries.  In fact, while developing this program I realized that it can have a significant impact on your personal life as well.

I will break down each Pillar into three sections, personal, business and community. Any growth or improvement needs to start within, with the end goal of influencing the community you live in.  In this post we will take a look at BUSINESS LEADERSHIP.

Here we are, the final Pillar – Leadership.  For 14 weeks we have been discussing the skills and values that help form an influential leader.  For the final three weeks, we will look at what influential leaders do, and how they do it.

VISION

Influential leaders not only have a vision, they share that vision with those that they lead.  A vision is only as good as the way it is communicated to those that are part of it.  We is always better than me!

AUTHORITY

Authority is not a right, it is a responsibility.  Influential leaders use authority to make the tough decisions that have to be made for the good of the whole.  Authority has to be used responsibly to work effectively.

COMPENSATION

Compensation is almost as difficult a topic to deal with as politics or religion.  There is always an issue of playing the comparison game along with issues such as tenure.  When possible, consider an adequate compensation package to be equal to what it would take to replace that person.

DELEGATION

Delegation is one of the most difficult things that a leader is challenged to do.  Influential leaders delegate the things that others can do at least 80% as well as they can to save time to invest in the things that only they can do.

CRISIS-MANAGEMENT

The most important thing to do during any crisis is to provide stability and a sense of control. Influential leaders recognize that at the heart of every crisis is the loss of control.  A realistic plan forward will help reduce the impact of any crisis.  Communicating honestly and openly is a great way to bring any difficult situation under control.

EMPLOYEE REVIEW

I believe there are two key elements to any review process.  Honest feedback, positive and negative, and clearly communicating expectations.  Influential leaders clearly express what is expected which takes much of the personal element out of the equation.

NAVIGATION

Anyone can steer a ship but only influential leaders can chart the course.  In almost every walk of life, we run into roadblocks and unplanned detours.  Influential leaders are able to navigate through virtually any obstacle that gets in the way.

INNER CIRCLE

Your inner circle should be made up of people that can pull you up.  Equal or lessor, and you will stay the same at best.  The ideal inner circle is made up of a group of individuals that all bring different expertise to the group, thus collectively pulling each other in an upward direction.

EMPLOYEE RETENTION

Good help is hard to find.  It is even harder to keep.  Influential leaders invest as much into those that they want to retain as they expect from them in return.  This win-win type of relationship is what builds strong teams that last.

The 5 Pillars coaching program will take each topic to a much deeper level.  We will explore open ended questions and how they are directly impacting your life and more specifically in this segment, will allow you to evaluate and understand your role in growing your business.

In the mean time, start asking the type of questions that will result in better answers. When you ask “How can I”  you get an answer that will move the needle.  “What can I do today to increase my ability to be an influential leader at work?”  Answer that question, act on it, and you will succeed.

RELATED:

• Click here to see Part 1
• Click here to see Part 2
• Click here to see Part 3
• Click here to see Part 4
• Click here to see Part 5
• Click here to see Part 6
• Click here to see Part 7
• Click here to see Part 8
• Click here to see Part 9
• Click here to see Part 10
• Click here to see Part 11
• Click here to see Part 12
• Click here to see Part 13
• Click here to see Part 14
• For more on The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership and to view my video click here
• To view my guest post in the 2013 International Leadership Blogathon click here

***********************************************************************

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith    8/8/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013
//