It takes hard work, courage and taking risks to be a leader. You have to be able to find solutions to problems and make things better while not falling apart yourself. Being a leader means being a role model for people to follow and doing things that will help the community, your employees or even the world be improved.
Table of Contents
The Job of a Good Leader
The job of a good leader is to help others do their best by demonstrating specific attitudes, behaviors and skills that inspire and guide others to follow you.
Leadership has changed a great deal in the past few years. In the past leadership was viewed as you being the expert and everyone following you. Leaders of today not only build their business but create products and services that help improve the world, or at least a small portion of the world.
The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority. ~ Ken Blanchard
Leadership requires courage, confidence and communication. A good leader is passionate and committed, with a strong positive attitude.
Being a leader is different from being a manager. Managers make sure the day to day things are being taken care of. Leadership is more about being confident, setting good examples and being a good listener.
Owning your own business or managing a business requires many skills. Those who succeed have good leadership skills. They are taking care of their finances. They hold themselves accountable and take responsibility for their actions. They have good negotiation skills and inspire others.
Example: When others say that it’s not possible or they can’t do it and there are too many problems and you and your team come up with an idea or solution – that is leadership.
Today’s Leadership Style
Today’s leadership must allow room for constructive feedback, creative thinking and innovation. Employees want to feel like they have input and have the power to change things. The success or failure of the business/project depends on the managers and the employees sharing knowledge and expertise. And finally, employees perform better with experience and continued growth potential, preventing them from looking for work elsewhere.
Growing Your Employees
1. Be willing to listen.
2. Have an open-door policy.
3. Show them you have confidence in them.
4. Allow them to do the job themselves without redoing their work.
5. Celebrate their successes.
6. Set goals for teams to accomplish together.
7. Get them to push out of their comfort zone.
8. Be a sounding board when they need it.
9. Let them do the job you give them without micromanaging.
10. Encourage personal growth and development.
11. Help them overcome weaknesses by offering a way to improve next time.
12. Get to know your employees.
13. Boost confidence by giving specific feedback on what they are good at.
14. Pair insecure workers with coaches or mentors.
15. Build trust by showing you care and are on their side.
16. Allow employees to be accountable for their own actions.
17. Delegate important projects and hold them accountable.
18. Ask your employees for solutions to important problems.
19. Focus on their strengths.
20. Be supportive of them and build them up emotionally.
21. Let them know it’s OK to make mistakes as long as they don’t repeat them.
22. Let them know you appreciate their work and opinions.
23. Praise employees in front of others.
24. Treat employees with deep respect.
25. Have them teach others the skills they are good at.
CLICK HERE to download a pdf version of the list!
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