1. Being decisive can better your leadership. Since you’re the leader, many decisions may be totally up to you. If there are quite a few different ideas floating around, decide on a solution that will benefit everyone instead of a couple people.
2. Don’t get rid of your morals in the name of competition. If your competitors are trying a tactic that you don’t feel comfortable doing, seek out other methods to be able to compete with them. You don’t have to do what they are doing just to stay relevant. You will feel a whole lot better if you find other ways to compete with them and your followers will take notice as well.
3. Avoid engaging in any behavior that are deceitful or dishonest. If your claim is that your team provides the best customer service, you need to back it up with actual results. It’s so easy to see through false promises and straight out lies in this day and age.
4. Even excellent leaders will make mistakes. The difference is that great leaders are the ones who can own their mistakes and work to fix them. It allows people to see that you’re human and far from perfect.
5. Your team is a reflection of you. Who you give projects to, hire, and promote affects your reputation. Hire people that you trust and also reflect your core values.
6. If you think you have it all together, you will fail. Pay attention to areas you can enhance your leadership skills. Accept that you’re only one person, and find the best people and tools to help you in your mission. Be real and transparent.
7. One of the best leadership skills to develop is listening to people that you lead. When you hear others, keep an open mind for their input to maximize your potential for success. Both the input of your employees, but also of your customers and followers.
8. The most effective leaders take calculated risks. Being comfortable doesn’t often allow for great growth and innovation. It is also important to take risks.If you are able to use available information, your own intuition, and vision, you will make great decisions quickly and become a leader that makes ground-breaking moves instead of following the path set out by others.
9. Try not to display preferences for particular employees’ contributions and ideas. Show respect for your team by listening to each of them. A successful leader treats everyone with respect. Be fair to everyone and never break a promise once you make.
10. You have to keep your team safe and comfortable in their work environment. You don’t want the thing that derails your leadership career running a unsafe work environment. Depending on how bad the environment is, you could lose everything overnight. Make sure you’re not overlooking any details and being the best you can be in all aspect of your life. If you think your thought leadership is a bandaid to cover a poorly ran ship, you will be found out.
11. Being a leader takes a lot of time and effort. You can’t half ass your way to a great leader. Put in the work. Do as your say. And people will notice. Remember that you also have to have a well-rounded life that’s well-rounder if you want to lead well and be happy. So make sure to build in some playtime so that you can enjoy every part of your life.
12. It’s not possible for you to do everything. Learn to trust your team, and then delegate what you can’t do to your team. The team you have shows how good you are, so ensure that everyone feels valuable.
13. Be well-informed about trends in your particular industry. Knowing current trends are happening will help you stay competitive. You want to be one of the first ones to the party, not the person who shows up late and pretends they’ve been there the whole time. A truly successful business leader never wants to fall behind. Make new trends a focus for planning and evolving your business when necessary.
14. Organize work in advance and set the bar high. Your company will be able to be more productive and successful when you provide a clear outline of what needs to be done and share that goal with everyone.
16. Business could not succeed without amazing leaders. And I’m not just talking about the CEO. When every single employee feels like a leader, your business has so much more potential to thrive. Empower all of your employee to become thought leaders in their own right.
17. There is no replacement for trust. Customers will keep returning when they can trust you. If you don’t have trust, you don’t have anything.
18. Don’t pretend that you know it all. If you try to pretend that you know it all, and BS your way through answer when a topic you don’t know comes up, you will be wrong and lose trust. Instead, if something you don’t understand well comes up, admit it. Say you’ll research it, and provide your thoughts only when you feel that you are well informed.
19. Be approachable. Some people think that intimidation and bullying is the best way to establish who’s in control, and while there are a few people who’ve manage to make it with a less-than stellar reputation, in general this is a bad idea. Most people will gain loyalty more quickly and build trust more easily when they are approachable, friendly, and thoughtful.
20. Make goals and set targets for the people working towards. Everyone wants to work toward something, and people that lead will find ways to get goals reached in an easy way. Don’t let your goals disappear as the year progresses. Hold monthly goal meetings to make sure everyone is still on track and working towards the desired goal.
21. Listen, Listen, Listen. One of the best leadership skills to develop is listening to people that you lead, whether it’s your employees, followers, or customers. After they get an understanding of your vision, listen back to see if they have anything to add so you can be more successful.
22. Learn to communicate well. If you don’t know how to articulate your thought well, you can’t expect those around you to understand what you’re saying and be able to follow you. If you feel like those around you just aren’t getting what you’re trying to say, step back, breath, and think of how you can express yourself better.
23. Be confident when interacting with others. Never be arrogant in your dealings, though. There is a fine line between confident and cocky. You can be confident while still being genuine, approachable, and honest.
24. Know your weak spots and bring in people who compliment your weaknesses. Understanding your shortcomings is crucial to be an effective leader. And building a diverse team that fills your weakness is crucial. Get to know your employees act and what their personalities are like. Asking them questions about their personal life and families will allow you build trust.
Improving your leadership capability is essential in achieving growth in your career, your influence, and also with personal relationships. You’re going to find out that leadership is going to be required of you in different ways, and you must know how to step up to the plate.
Much success,
Looking for more great reads? Check out these related articles:
