Leaders play an enormous role in improving the productivity and morale of their teams. They take important decisions, shoulder any blame when things go awry and often shoulder all responsibility when things don’t go according to plan.
Great leaders know when and how to seek advice, showing an eagerness to explore their own skill sets as well as those of their colleagues, in order to assist in unlocking their full potential.
1. Be Self-Aware
Awareness of yourself means understanding your thoughts and emotions – including their effects on others – including any impact they might have. Self-awareness is an integral component of emotional intelligence, including self-management and empathy skills.
Self-aware leaders recognize both their strengths and weaknesses. They know when it is appropriate to seek outside advice and counsel or manage a situation alone.
As an example, being conscious of any filler words you use while presenting could help prevent future instances. Furthermore, understanding when and why you lose your temper with an employee could help keep things calmer in future interactions; being aware of physiological triggers could even increase compassion in the workplace; for example if one of your employees is having an off day it can be easy to be impatient with them – being aware of your emotional responses can create more compassion within a workplace environment – for instance if an employee has had a hard day, as being aware can increase compassion – giving both parties involved more compassion while showing empathy when others.
2. Be Accountable
Though many may associate “leader” with C-suite executives with corner offices and teams of direct reports, leaders can be found throughout an organization at every level and need to demonstrate accountability as part of their roles as leaders.
One of the key leadership skills is delegating tasks and prioritizing commitments effectively. Furthermore, effective conflict resolution requires effectively handling workplace disputes; and being proactive about recognising and rewarding performance champions.
Leadership is essential, whether you’re parenting a family, captaining a sports team or leading an entire department or corporation. But to truly lead effectively requires doing what might seem to be hard tasks such as being accountable to both your team and to yourself.
3. Be a Teacher
Teaching is an incomparably fulfilling profession that provides you with an opportunity to make a meaningful impactful contribution in children’s lives. Teaching provides immense satisfaction as learners gain knowledge, develop passion for subjects, adopt positive mindsets, and move toward productive lives.
Your enthusiasm for education may bring together people who share it – which could become lifelong friends and become your Friday night drinks crew!
Teachers are constantly expanding their intellectual wealth through educational blogs and websites, giving them credibility to incite positive change among learners. Furthermore, teachers give back to society by connecting with parents and school leadership as well as addressing community issues within schools – serving as role models to their pupils by inspiring them to work hard towards realizing their dreams and ambitions.
4. Be a Mentor
Leaders who serve as effective mentors know how to guide others’ growth. Listening carefully when their mentees speak and avoiding projecting their own ideas onto them are hallmarks of great mentorship, according to Kaslow. At the same time, these leaders should remain respectful yet still call out any instances when their mentee doesn’t abide by what was agreed upon is also crucial.
Before seeking out a mentor, Kaslow advises conducting extensive research. Get to know their work and trajectory before setting measurable goals that will guide each meeting – make sure that both of you agree on what should be accomplished before your next catch up!
Companies often provide workplace mentoring programs, matching mentors and mentees in strategic ways. But you can also serve as an informal mentor. Since effective mentoring relationships last for an agreed-upon amount of time, it’s essential that all the necessary groundwork be laid before embarking on your mentoring relationship.
5. Be a Sponsor
Be supportive and advocate for their professional growth by offering new opportunities, connecting them with influential figures, and helping them overcome any potential hurdles that may come their way.
True leaders seek to uplift their team members by helping them realize their full potential. This could involve setting up a tuition reimbursement policy, assigning projects or tasks that allow teammates to expand their knowledge base or walking them through new software programs that are essential for the future of the company.
To be an effective leader, it’s crucial that you welcome feedback and take it seriously. Doing this demonstrates your dedication and appreciation of opportunities provided to you while simultaneously learning from experiences gained along the way. Being flexible when meeting sponsees’ schedules shows appreciation while respect for opinions is shown by acknowledging and taking their concerns seriously.
6. Be a Challenger
Challenger brands are ambitious, purposeful and inventive. They don’t simply seek to change conventions for the sake of challenging them but in order to drive forward improvement and progress. Challenger brands study disrupters from other sectors so as to apply what they learn to their business model.
Leading can be challenging when trying to transform a culture or implement large-scale change, as you will likely have to confront team members who are underperforming and be uncomfortable in certain situations, yet this experience will ultimately help you grow as a leader. Focus on what you can control – your actions and attitude – while remaining open-minded about taking risks when necessary in order to create value for your organization. Remember, leadership should involve empowering others rather than commanding them – leaders must always aim to make decisions with regard to the greater good in mind when making decisions!
7. Be a Communicator
One of the hardest aspects of being a leader is being open and vulnerable. From discussing how you may have mismanaged a project with colleagues to communicating to customers and stakeholders that their company is having difficulty, leaders must be ready to be exposed and transparent with them all.
Social skills coupled with emotional intelligence are necessary for this endeavor, and this requires taking the time and making the effort to form personal connections with teammates, business partners and customers alike. That includes taking the time to ask about weekend plans or commiserate on kitchen mishaps while listening attentively without using jargon that leaves listeners feeling as if they are being lectured – often the best approach is brevity!
8. Be a Listener
Listening is one of the key characteristics of successful leaders; they don’t just talk. Successful leaders listen carefully and carefully take notes so as not to interrupt what is being said and gather important data.
Leaders also know how to listen for “white spaces,” the quiet areas where people don’t typically express themselves but can reveal some of the most valuable insights. While this requires patience, in the end it pays off when leaders get an accurate understanding of an issue or person without misjudging anything too quickly.
One effective way for new leaders to start their tenure is by going on a listening tour, making a point to visit and speak with each of the divisions or units they oversee while actively listening to what their colleagues have to say. Doing this will build trust while creating an open atmosphere conducive to feedback and problem-solving.
9. Be a Thinker
Leaders must think critically. They must assess risks and make decisions that have an effect on others, with those critical thoughts informed by empathy yet able to cut through emotional noise to uncover real issues at play.
Leaders need to take great care when conveying bad news to their teams. While it can be daunting to deliver bad news, successful leaders take this responsibility seriously and are clear and concise when communicating the bad news to their employees.
They do not point fingers and blame, instead finding ways to move forward and ensure success. They understand their team’s strengths, areas for improvement and when activating the appropriate skillset. Furthermore, they keep their teams inspired and motivated by encouraging them to take initiative themselves.
10. Be a Leader with a Bias for Action
Leaders with an eye toward action tend to make decisions quickly. Instead of overthinking or procrastinating on decisions, these leaders instead evaluate a problem quickly and devise solutions quickly – this strategy may prove more risky; but it allows companies to stay ahead of competition and capture new markets more successfully.
Leaders with an affinity for action do not dismiss their teams’ feelings; rather, they welcome challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. To encourage this leadership principle, top management can host training sessions or workshops that emphasize the benefits of quick decision-making; they should also openly share this principle among their employees to encourage quick action in an organization’s culture.