The 108 Skills of Natural Born Leaders

26. Explain Organizational Expectations

Successful leaders serve as linking mechanisms between the larger expectations of the organization and how others comprehend them. The best leaders become boundary spanners who explain expectations between different hierarchical levels and across organizational functions. They offer clarity when people are confused about what the organization expects.

Continually listen for comments and concerns that reveal people do not understand the organization's expectations. One red flag indicator you can listen for is when you hear people making remarks such as, "Do you know what we're supposed to do?" Use your "listen with active ears" skill (skill 15) to get as much information as possible about exactly what expectations ...