Ideas for better leaders

By now, most New Year’s resolutions have already been forgotten or at least shuttled aside to be recycled for next year. But a list of resolutions that Washington Post columnist Tom Fox suggested for federal agency still makes sense.

Looking through them, we realized they were good for government offices at all levels as well as businesses of all sizes. In fact, with a little tinkering, they’re good suggestions for home life as well.

Fox’s suggestions, with our brief explanations, are:

Focus on what you can do. In other words, solve the problems you can and worry less about things you have no control over.

Recognize your employees. A simple “thank you” goes a long way.

Spend time every day thinking about your team. Consider each person’s strengths and weaknesses when assigning tasks.

Communicate more. Share information with those you work with.

Ask your team for help. Don’t try to do everything yourself. They have ideas, too.