What do YOU do, that separates your leadership style, or your company, from your competitors?
I enjoyed reading what Herb Kelleher, retired CEO of Southwest airlines, did during his leadership tenure to separate his company from other airlines. Kelleher shared a lot of interesting ideas that I found valuable.
Here are some things that I’ve seen or done over the years that I think can be effective for other leaders and organizations:
- Sit with managers when bonus checks are passed out and discuss why the employee’s contributions have earned them a bonus (vs. “Santa Claus” management).
- Recognize people when they’ve done an exceptional job with something. Make it memorable and unique for them– not just a “standard” gift.
- Periodically pass out paychecks – and spend a little time talking individually to each person.
- Take a couple employees to the local shopping mall, drop them off with a $100 gift from you, and tell them what they don’t spend in the next two hours they have to give back to you.
- Write a personal note to an employee who’s worked hard and contributed at a high level, and mail it to their home.
- Send flowers or a gift certificate to an individual’s spouse/significant other as a THANK YOU for their support of the employee.
- Talk to people who don’t have a high-profile role in your organization, and yet who are vitally important to your success. Tell them they are important, because frankly… they ARE!
- Remember people’s names. It’s one of the MOST important things to THEM.
- A free/extra paid day off is often highly appreciated by employees.
- In difficult economic times, talk MORE often with your community. Share what you think, what you see, how the organization is doing, what the future looks like, and what concerns you have. People generally want to know what their future looks like, and they need honest and straight answers from leaders.
- Provide a method for people to anonymously ask management “difficult” questions. We pass out 3”x 5” green cards periodically at company meetings and allow people to anonymously write questions they’d like answered by management (but are afraid to ask in public).
- Give out Gold dollar coins to every employee’s child that comes to visit the company. They will remember forever where they got it.
- Periodically/randomly (as a surprise) give away pictures of deceased American leaders (i.e., George Washington, Lincoln, Hamilton, Grant, Ben Franklin… you get the idea) to everybody for a successful project/month/job well done, etc.