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Tag: leadership skills (page 2 of 3)

January 17, 2020

Leadership Strategies to Grow a Small Business

A leader’s work is never done, especially in a small. There are always new and undiscovered ways to improve your team and your business. As a leader, it’s important to always be open to new strategies that can boost productivity. If you stick to the same ways and routine, it can quickly lead to unengaged and unmotivated. Here are the greatest leadership strategies to grow a small business:

Honest Vision and Communications

Honesty is always the best policy, especially when it comes to improving the performance of your team. When you start a business or are helping to lead one, there is always a vision in mind. To be a great leader, you have to express that vision every day through your work and how you communicate with your team. This means always staying on message and communicating with your how their work is a crucial part of this vision. Be honest when they have questions about their work and always stay on message.

Always Be Realistic

Some leaders will make the detrimental mistake of setting very unrealistic goals for their team. They think shooting for such high standards will motivate them to try harder. It can actually have the opposite effect and lead to employee burnout which can have a negative impact on performance and productivity. Instead, keep the goals achievable, but also a bit challenging. When your team knows the goal will take hard work but isn’t impossible to achieve, they will work harder and improve their performance to help grow your small business.

Give Them Space

The last thing your team needs is a micromanager. Instead of delegating every detail down to the very last memo, give them the chance to prove their work on their own. Your team is not incompetent and they know how to do their work. By giving them space to perform their job, you are empowering them to be great. Of course, always be there for help, questions, comments, and concerns, but at a safe distance to help them flourish on their own. In the end, it can lead to better workflow and a stronger business.

January 10, 2020

Time Management Tips for Leaders

As a leader, one of the greatest tools you can have for better performance and productivity is time. Time can make or break the success of your team. The more responsibility you take on as a leader can easily lead to the loss of time management skills. Going through daily tasks and some things taking more precedence than others, it’s easy to fall behind and get caught up. These are some easy ways to improve time management as a leader:

Set Your Goals First

The first and most important step to managing your time better as a leader is setting your goals first. Think about how you want to improve your team and what tasks need to be done first. Choose the goals that are top priority and stick to those. Not only will this help put a lot into perspective, but it will also help you keep track of your progress and track what needs to happen next.

Create a System

With goals in mind, it’s time to think of a proper system. A good system for time management is the quadrant time-management system. This system divides your tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance. Things that are not urgent or important must take the back seat, while other tasks that need your attention first. By creating a system for managing your time, you will have a greater chance of succeeding.

Plan for Interruptions

When planning out your next weeks, days, or months, be sure to set aside time for speed bumps and interruptions. One big mistake many leaders tend to make is not preparing for setbacks, especially when it comes to managing their time. It’s important to not jampack your schedule and leave room for any mishaps along the way. If there happen to be no setbacks of interruptions, then you’re ahead of schedule.

Delegate Your Attention

As a leader, there are many people and tasks that require your attention. When getting back on track and making an effort to manage your time better, delegate your attention. It’s important to get a sense of things that need your immediate attention and what can wait. If your team in bombarding you with questions and interruptions, make it clear that some of the questions will have to wait until you and the rest of the team are back on track. Know what needs your immediate attention first and what can wait. This will make you a master of time management.

December 11, 2019

Why Leaders Can Feel Overwhelmed

Many people think of leaders as invincible, that they know all of the answers, and never become overwhelmed. But when it comes down to it, leaders can become stressed just like any other team member. From feeling incompetent to not having accountability, there are many reasons why a leader may be feeling stressed. Today we will be looking into why leaders can feel overwhelmed in the workplace.

Leaders can be reluctant to ask for help.

As a leader, you are usually the go-to person when it comes to answering questions and most of the time you are expected to know the answer. But sometimes leaders have question and feel hesitant about asking for guidance. Many leaders feel that by asking for help, they will seem incompetent in their role. So instead they internalize their stress as they struggle to come up with the right answer.

Leaders feel like they can’t be authentic.

Many leaders feel like they can’t be themselves while at work. They feel as though they have to “fit a mold” or portray an ideal image. Thinking about your every step and constantly analyzing how you are saying something can be quite draining.

Leaders try to hide their fears.

Leaders have many fears and anxieties. People on the outside looking in, don’t think of leaders are afraid of anything, but they couldn’t be more far from the truth. Leaders are often afraid of change, failure, and upsetting others.

Leaders can feel defeated by challenging personalities.

Not everyone in the workforce is looking out for you. Sometimes leaders have to deal with people who purposely keep them out of the loop. Without the right information, wrong decisions can be made, making you look bad. Someone who is sabotaging your work and blocking you out can easily make you feel overwhelmed.

Leaders can become exhausted.

When you are put in a leadership role, in addition to carrying your own weight, you carry your entire team’s. This can be both physically and mentally exhausting. Exhaustion can claim even the strongest leaders and make them want to quit.

Leaders feel like they can’t count on anyone.

When there is a lack of accountability with your team, a lot of stress can form. If team members are not finishing their work, a leader may feel like it’s up to them to finish everything that needs to be done.

Remember that as a leader, you are never alone. When you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to reach out for help.

November 9, 2019

Earning Respect From Your Team

Earning the respect of others can be a challenging task to conquer. Although it may be difficult, it is not impossible. Earning with respect starts with you. You need to treat others with the same respect you desire, in order to receive that same respect back. When someone enters a role of authority they will often believe they are entitled to respect based on their past experince or current role. This could not be further from the truth.

Rather than being a leader who demands respect, implement these few tips to earn respect from everyone on your team.

Be consistent.

If you say you are going to do one thing, but then do something entirely different, your credibility will dramatically decrease. As long as you follow through on your actions and don’t become a hypocrite, you will find that your team will support you along the way.

Be on time.

Making your team wait on you will drive your respect levels into the ground. Time is valuable, we only have so many hours in a day to accomplish what we need to do. Missing a meeting or showing up 30 minutes late shows that you do not care about the lives of others.

Be there for your team.

In today’s world, there are so many ways to get in touch with someone, from Twitter to Facebook, to Skype, to texting, to Facetiming. With so many channels of communication open, make it clear which one is the best way to get in contact with you. When you have decided which communication method is the best, don’t leave your team hanging. When someone messages you or asks you a question, try responding within 24 hours.

Don’t forget to forgive others and yourself.

Mistakes are completely natural and will happen from time to time. And that’s okay. Be sure to create an environment that encourages your team to experiment and emphasizes that failure isn’t always the worse thing. Be an example of how to bounce back from failure and keep moving forward.

No matter if they are wrong or right, show respect.

When someone’s plan goes wrong, don’t point out their failure. This can be embarrassing and make your colleague feel unworthy. Instead, comfort your colleague and work together to see where things didn’t go as planned. Likewise, don’t be jealous or mean when someone succeeds. Success should be celebrated, don’t make a team member’s hard work seem insignificant.

July 30, 2019

Tips on Recovering from Failure

When we think of leaders and successful people, we usually just picture them in their successes. Seldom do we think of their failures. Failure can cause emotional pain and embarrass us, but the silver lining of failure is that it is an opportunity to grow and enrich our lives both personally and professionally.

The first gift of failure is humility. Acknowledging a mistake and/or failure takes us to a place of vulnerability. Admitting to it is powerful and helps us to affirm that we want to do the correct thing, in the case of wrongdoing, or to do better if we fell short. Humility is also a reminder that as humans, we are social and need to rely on one another.

Another gift of failure is compassion. Admitting to mistakes can be unbearably embarrassing, painful, even, but that embarrassment can increase our compassion for others. Research has shown that we tend to focus more on ourselves when we are successful and have achieved a higher status. The vulnerability of failure opens us up to connecting with others. Sally Blount, a contributor to Forbes, puts it best: “It turns out that engaging in the small joys and comaraderies of everyday life is one of the best ways to soothe a chastened ego.”

One of the best ways to recover from failure is to keep an openness to learning. Many people find they learn best through experience, and that includes experiencing failure. Of course, this isn’t easy, as we tend towards safety and comfort. The combination of humility and compassion helps us learn and better connects us with others. While success may increase confidence, it is failure that builds wisdom.

July 10, 2019

Five Things Sucessful Leaders Do Every Day

To be a leader successfully there are a number of qualities one must possess. It can be a balance that once attained is the key to a business running smoothly and prospering. For example, leaders need to be able to make critical decisions that not everyone agrees with while still empowering their employees and making them feel confident in their own positions. While maintaining this balance there are five habits that become natural to leaders in any industry.

Making Big Decisions (Quickly)

Leaders are counted on to make things happen. This means that most decisions fall to them, or at the very least they are always informed of the why’s and how’s someone else reached a critical decision. Often times there are choices to be made quickly and it’s a leaders job to keep the momentum going and make the big decision confidently. This comes with experience and skills acquired over time because while some would struggle to weigh all options, leaders are thinking a few steps ahead and able to produce an answer or solution quickly.

Challenging People

To get the best work leaders know how to challenge people while instilling confidence in them. This means knowing the capabilities of the employees and putting their minds to the task at hand. It’s important that everyone is always learning and by continually delegating and keeping people thinking, leaders allow the work environment to stay positive and fresh.

Providing Feedback

Everyone wants to feel appreciated. A successful leader is going to let their employees know that they are paying attention. By providing feedback, the relationship between the two naturally gains more trust and the chance for miscommunication narrows.

Allude Positive Attitude

Successful leaders are very aware of the benefits of a positive work space and they seek ways to improve morale. When people see their leader alluding a positive attitude it causes stability and inspiration. Everyone should feel like they contribute to the goals of the company, and leaders make sure to keep the energy motivating.

Keep Learning

Finally, to stay successful one must always be evolving. To stop learning is to stop growing and that’s the last thing a successful leader will let happen. While inspiring and teaching others, leaders must continue to educate themselves. By staying knowledgeable about trends, news, and any other statistics that can affect business the leader can be sure to also continue being a teacher to others that look to them for help and support.

July 31, 2018

Four Ways to Apply Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Emotional intelligence allows us to be more aware of our feelings and behaviors and those of others. Because of this, it’s an essential trait of strong leaders. Here are four ways emotional intelligence is an asset in the workplace.

Know Yourself

While the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the term “emotional intelligence” may have to do with the ability to understand and empathize with others, it is critical first and foremost that you know yourself. A lack of self-awareness translates to a lack of capacity for growth; you must be conscious of your own strengths and worth as well as your own mistakes, flaws, and shortcomings. This will not only help you to understand which areas require your focus regarding growth but will affect how you navigate communicating and negotiating with others by being cognizant of your strengths and weaknesses.

Every Word Counts

People with emotional intelligence can use their intuition and what they know of their relationships with others to determine how they should approach different subjects with different individuals. Emotional intelligence allows for a gauge of different responses and how to calmly and effectively handle these responses. Besides knowing how to respond, people with emotional intelligence also know how to listen.

Control Your Emotions or They Will Control You

There’s much truth to be found in the timeless proverb, “Control your emotions, or they will control you.” This is especially true when conducting oneself as a leader. Once you can properly identify your emotions and standard responses to certain stimuli, you need to practice regulating them to prevent an accidental explosion. Being able to remain stoic and calm in a tense situation is important, but just as important is being able to process and release any negative emotions in a healthy way to avoid buildup.

Walk in Another Man’s Shoes

Emotionally intelligent people can pick up on cues, both verbal and nonverbal, that help them to understand how to interact with different people in different environments effectively. They can consider multiple perspectives and are thus skilled in authentically sympathizing. They have also learned to focus more on understanding than on hasty judgment. Because they understand viewpoints aside from their own, they can give more objective feedback. While ‘walking in another man’s shoes’ may not be possible in the literal sense, leaders who possess this tenet of emotional intelligence are valued for their abilities to listen and respond genuinely.

June 11, 2018

Four Books Every Leader Needs to Read

Becoming a great leader doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, practice, and guidance. One way to receive valuable leadership guidance is through reading books packed full of advice from leaders who learned through doing. It gives you the chance to learn about common mistakes leaders make, so you’re able to avoid those in your own life. There are thousands upon thousands of books on leadership but here are four that everyone who wants to become a stronger leader should put on their reading list ASAP.

Drive by Daniel H. Pink

In this book, Pink dives into the “carrot-and-stick” approach many businesses use to motivate employees — and why it doesn’t work. Instead, he focuses on three elements of intrinsic motivation: autonomy, mastery and purpose, and offers techniques to put these factors into action. Focusing on employee’s internal motivation will increase their satisfaction at both work and home, and encourage them to better themselves.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist is a modern classic, and for good reason. The book combines magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into a tale of self-discovery. Following an Andalusian shepherd boy, Santiago through his quest for riches, he instead learns the importance of listening to his heart, recognizing opportunity and learning to follow his dreams.

The Go-Giver Leader by Bob Burg and John David Mann

This book tells the story of a struggling small business and an outside executive trying to convince the business to merge with another. In doing so, it expands on the notion that your influence is decided by how you place others’ interests first. The book teaches that strong leaders should strive to be more human, and not act as leaders first.

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

Vulnerability is not a weakness. As Brené Brown argues, it may actually be the most accurate measure of courage. While it’s the core of fear, grief and disappointment, it’s also the birthplace of love, joy, empathy, belonging, innovation and creativity. In “Daring Greatly” Brown stresses the importance of putting yourself out there and being vulnerable, as it’s better to try and fail than never try at all.

February 10, 2018

Leading Your Team in Times of Crisis

During times of downsizing and uncertainty in the workplace, a manager has no more important job that keeping his team in the loop about what is going on while ensuring that morale stays high and the job gets done.

But this can be hard to do, especially when the world seems to be falling apart and everyone is worried about their future. Here are steps a manager can take to lead their team through times of on-the-job crisis.

1. Keep an open line of communication and honestly let your team know what’s happening. Whether the news is good or bad, the truth should never be sugarcoated or avoided.

2. Be aware of lessons learned. Good managers know that the errors that led to the job crisis can be repeated. The cause of those problems should be studied and learned from. It is important to learn from your mistakes so you can overcome similar situations in the future.

3. The way ahead. Be crystal clear and transparent about exactly how the company plans to move ahead in the future. For this message to be effective, your team will probably have to hear it several times in order for it to sink in.

4. Keep it steady. In times of crisis, it can be difficult for everyone to remain calm and not give into their emotions. As a manager, your team is looking for you to lead and if they see you as being nervous and unsure, that will have a negative impact on them as well. After all, as a manager, your team is looking to you to keep a clear head and to make good decisions.

5. Job and people first. If a manager is asking his team to make sacrifices, he must visibly demonstrate that he is sacrificing as well. Never ask your team to do something that you yourself are not willing to do. If you are asking them to work harder and to do with less, as a manager you should be doing the same thing.

6. Use what you have wisely and well. Managers should use whatever resources they have — the talents of team members, equipment, and money — in a way that gets the most out of them. Mimic those who have inspired you.

July 12, 2017

The Importance of Delegation

“If you really want to grow as an entrepreneur, you have to learn to delegate.” One of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, Richard Branson, spoke these wise words. He has taken great strides to achieve all that he has and as many leaders do, Branson hasn’t done it alone. As a leader, it is important to make decisions that will better the organization you represent. Sometimes, those decisions include allowing other to take on some of the responsibilities that you hold. Knowing the right time and situation to delegate is a crucial aspect of successfully leading a group.

Delegation must come in the form of trust. While many leaders choose to delegate to those in manager roles, giving important roles to others is also key. Authoritative figures should be constantly looking at their team, for those who have a potential future in leadership. Even young CEOs and Presidents look to their team with hope for the future. Not only does delegating give responsibility to up and coming employees but it also instills confidence and sense of purpose. For many employees, reward in the workplace comes less from monetary means and more from praise and promotion. Delegating work is a way of showing team members that you, as their leader, trust their work ethic. You also show them that you have faith that they will accomplish the task at hand.

In addition to employee empowerment, delegating also provides relief for those whom the work normally falls upon. As the leader of an entire organization, delegating almost becomes necessary. If your organization begins to develop from its roots, you are going to want someone along for the ride. The path to success should not be lonely. Delegating authority to those around you provides support and enthusiasm. This group of people all want to achieve a common goal of a thriving organization. The alleviation of tedious tasks allows you, the leader, to focus on the pressing matters. The smaller issues, though still important, can then fall to those who support your cause.

A leader will always face challenges. How they handle such situations is a testament to the kind of leader they are. Delegating responsibility to those team members that you trust gives them a sense of purpose while allowing yourself to lead the best organization possible.

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