I was reading a great post on the Leading Blog about 5 lessons that the outgoing CEO of Proctor and Gamble, John Pepper had distilled from his career. I won’t recount the details in full, but in essence they are:
- accountability for creating leadership results – attracting winners to the business who then feed of each other
- seeking input from others without losing direction
- leadership is personal and intimate. It is about being true to your own passions. It is about influence through trust not control through power.
- positive authentic feedback and honest communication builds respect and trust. Respect and trust provide the foundation for outstanding leadership and team performance
- convey trust and high expectations regularly
Weekly 121s are the best tool that I have found to help managers and leaders to develop and apply these lessons.