33 practical ideas for better leadership

33 prompts for discussing responsibility, listening and teamwork.

These are editorial suggestions, not direct quotations from famous people. They replace the unsourced attributions in the earlier version.

Use them to examine a specific situation in your team. Choose one action, agree who will carry it out and review the outcome.

Leadership ideas to put into practice

1. Define which decisions the team can make independently.

2. Clarify the problem before proposing solutions.

3. Explain which options remain open when difficulties arise.

4. Make time for other people to learn.

5. Agree on a goal and how progress will be recognised.

6. Invite contributions from people who speak less.

7. Practise chairing meetings and ask for feedback.

8. Remove specific obstacles to the team’s work.

9. Summarise a decision without hiding its uncertainties.

10. Prepare other people to take responsibility.

11. Offer challenges with adequate support and resources.

12. Review results and how they were achieved.

13. Decline tasks when capacity is insufficient.

14. Keep the commitments you ask others to make.

15. Give specific, respectful and useful feedback.

16. Take responsibility for your decisions.

17. Understand the actual work before changing a process.

18. Set demanding goals that remain achievable.

19. Recognise others’ contributions without competing for credit.

20. Distinguish a considered risk from an impulsive decision.

21. Demonstrate responsibility through everyday actions.

22. Delegate with a clear scope and a review date.

23. Explain the purpose of a project as well as allocating tasks.

24. Make it possible to acknowledge mistakes without humiliation.

25. Ask for what you need in concrete, negotiable terms.

26. Test an alternative on a small scale before expanding it.

27. Listen to objections and explain the decision criteria.

28. Adapt support to each person’s needs.

29. Check both the choice of goal and its execution.

30. Review the available information before acting.

31. Share knowledge and explain its limits.

32. Allow time to think before responding.

33. Suggest new directions while respecting the team’s autonomy.

Leadership phrases

Choose an idea to discuss and consider how it fits your team. A quotation may start a conversation; it does not replace listening, clear responsibilities or evaluating decisions.In our blog you will find interesting articles!