Becoming a good leader takes skill, practice and time, but no matter the cost, being a good leader is critical if you plan to manage a team, own a business or work with people. If no one has criticized any of your ideas in the past month, or if your team members are scared of failing, or you haven’t checked in with your members recently, it might be time to reevaluate. your leadership skills and go back to the drawing board. Here are 10 things you can do can become a better business leader.
- Figure out what motivates you. Why are you here? Why are you in this position? Good leaders want to be good leaders and understanding what drives you and what lowers your energy is key to keeping everything in perspective.
- Promote open and honest communication. Your own honesty and transparency is a key factor to cultivating an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their own ideas. Be clear and straightforward; make honest and ethical decisions.
- Maintain a positive attitude and atmosphere. How you react to and solve problems is critical and it says a lot about your leadership capabilities. Acknowledge positives before negatives; focus on solutions instead of problems and compose yourself before addressing your team members.
- Genuinely connect with your team members. Build real, personal, relationships with your team members. Allow them the autonomy to learn themselves and grow and work according to their strengths. As a good business leader, you should know what your team members’ strengths are.
- Encourage personal and professional growth. Invest in your team. Allocate some time and money for personal and professional growth. Whether that’s classes, challenges with rewards, or other learning opportunities chosen by the team members themselves.
- Teach your employees. Rather than giving orders, take the time to teach your employees what is required or needed for the job but don’t dictate their method. Allow them to fully grow into their skills and positions.
- Set clear goals and expectations. Explain the company’s vision to employees and describe how each team member fits in and contributes to the overall picture. Encourage members to ask questions and ask for feedback.
- Be open to new ideas. A key component of emotional intelligence is understanding that things will change. Embrace innovation, new ideas, new people and new ways of thinking is essential to a thriving business.
- Give direct feedback. If you’re not direct, people will have to figure out what you mean, what you’re thinking or how you feel about their work and performance. Be kind, give positive recognition and provide generous feedback on both ends of the spectrum. Outline how their work and work ethic impacts the company. Encourage them to ask questions and give them space and opportunity to think it over and reconnect with you later.
- Ask for feedback. It’s good to have someone else evaluate your effectiveness —including employees. Feedback provides valuable perspective and tells you what’s working and what’s not so you can make the proper adjustments.
Learning how to be a good leader takes time and you will make mistakes. Make sure to remain as gracious with your team as you would like them to be with you. Apologize when you’re wrong and make amends when necessary. Good teamwork requires a good team effort. For more tips on business leadership, contact Fortis Funding today.