This month, I’m featuring the topic ‘leadership’. Why? Because new leadership styles are one of the biggest real estate industry trends (and probably world trends) of this decade and beyond. Look for leadership strategies and trends (not just in the real estate industry), plus ready-to-use documents to go from ‘maintenance management’ to leadership. Also: more agents are forming a company within a company, to build their brand, their team, and expand to other markets. The minute an agent hires an assistant, he/she goes into management and must exhibit leadership skills. What a challenge!

Is your leadership style ‘tell them what to do and expect them to do it’? It seems so easy. Youa��re the chairperson or manager. Just take charge, tell people what to do, and theya��ll do it. NOT. Ita��s just not that simple. At least, ita��s not that simple unless systems are already in place and people on the committee know what their tasks are.

Seven Truisms about Effective Participative LeadershipA�

It’s not enough today to be good at a traditional leadership style. In fact, you have to really ‘turn your leadership style’ upside down to become effective. You must become a ‘participative’ leader. Here are seven truisms to help you flex your natural style toward more participation from your team members.

Truism #1: New chairpeople don’t know what’s expected of them

Just because people accept the title it doesn’t mean they know how to proceed with the job. Most people have never chaired a committee, so they don’t have the skills. It’s especially challenging when it’s a new task. They need to have clear direction, a job description, job responsibilities, and exactly who to go to when the job doesn’t get done.

Truism #2: People don’t know HOW to get it doneA�

Even when people know what to do, they don’t usually have checklists, systems, deadlines, and assignments to get it done; it doesn’t work to leave it to a person (95% of the time, the other 5% will figure it out on their own) to decide how to get the job done.

Truism #3: Myth: “Leaders are theA� “idea people” and arena��t supposed to get into implementation (someone else will figure out how to get the work done)

When leaders say that, they immediately put others into the a�?secretarya�? mode. Their mentality is, someone else beneath them should be able to figure out how to get that done. Thata��s a secretarial or assistanta��s job, isna��t it? But, your committee members dona��t work for you. They work with you. You cana��t expect someone to raise his hand and offer to be your assistant because you came up with the idea.

Truism #4: Verbal-type people resist processes and systems

There is a natural resistance in us (maybe especially in we verbal-type people) to organizing processes and systems. We love to talk about the idea. We don’t like to clarify exactly how that idea gets into process.

Truism #5: We ‘big idea’ people think we can delegate systemization to an assistantA�A�

Having worked with assistants for over 15 years, I have found that not true. Assistants need help in systemizing any process that YOU want done. They are good at systemizing their own processes–but not good at all at systemizing ours!

Truism #6: Leaders know committees take most of their time REPORTING to the larger group, not deciding on issues or processes

A mistake that committees make is to try to design processes within the large committee meeting. Instead, create task forces to report back quickly to you.

Truism #7: When accountability factors aren’t built in, things don’t get done.

This is a dicey issue, because you’re working with volunteers. Or, in the case of a real estate company, with independent contractors. At the same time, your association or business also expects the services and programs you promised. There’s a great difference between “do it the way you want” and expecting results and “do it the way you want” and let’s check how it’s going regularly.

Sharpening Your Participative Leadership Skills

What truisms do you want to add from your experiences in leadership? What do you see of yourself in these truisms? How can these help you lead? What needs to be done inA� your leadership position to gain greater skills? These skills are learned over time, and the pay-off is an association or business that is a�?owneda�� by all those involved, with empowerment assured.

Starting in January: A Leadership By the Month Coaching Series

How do you ‘learn’ leadership? Mostly, it’s taught with platitudes and sayings. But, you really learn how to lead by observing actions of leaders and then putting those actions in play yourself. that’s what we’ll do in this 12-part coaching series. Each month, we’ll introduce a new leadership strategy and ask you, in the 365 Leadership Coaching Club, to implement it. These strategies will grow your business and help you adapt new leadership skills. Watch for more coming soon!

Who’s this for: All managers, general managers, owners, and agent team builders.