What does it take to be a truly great leader? It’s a question which often gets asked, as everyone wants to pin down a formula. But great leadership isn’t necessarily about a set of personality traits. It’s more about a set of actions which can be performed regularly – something anyone can cultivate. You can build yourself and your leadership up – if you follow some simple behaviors, every day.
Communicate Clearly
We’re often told to lead by example, and while that is undoubtedly important, it’s also crucial to communicate your intentions clearly and frequently in order to be motivational. Aim to be direct, but to avoid causing any friction. Remember, communication is a two way street – it’s just as important to develop your listening skills so you can take on board what other people are really saying to you. When we communicate clearly, it becomes easier to develop trust and create the kind of relationships you need in order to flourish in the workplace.
Learn When To Delegate
Business leaders are often guilty of taking on too much themselves, while leaving those who work for them feeling a bit disempowered. When you’ve had to start up your own business and grow it, it can be hard to relinquish a bit of control, but you’ll never be able to grow beyond a certain point if you don’t learn the art of delegation. Place your faith in those you work with and let them handle projects as learning opportunities, from choosing a Commercial Roofing Contractors for that warehouse refit to giving them bigger client accounts to manage.
Plan For The Future
When setting the vision and values for your company, you will gain a clear steer on your future direction. Planning ahead is a key trait of any successful leader – from being able to interpret the macroenvironment and predict how it will affect the business to succession planning to develop employees and fill personnel gaps as they arise. Actions like these lay the foundations for greatness and create a legacy.
Keep On Learning
Never standing still is something else that great leaders tend to have in common. Instead, they’re in a state of constant development – both for their businesses and themselves. There’s always something more to learn, whether it takes place as a formal qualification such as studying for an MBA or whether it’s more along the lines of finding a great mentor who can challenge you to do better. Just don’t ever let your ideas stagnate.
Make Time For Staff
When you’re super busy, staff one to one’s seem like the easiest thing to drop, but to do that is to make a grave mistake. You’re sending the message that you don’t value your staff and prioritise their concerns. Meaningful interactions with those who work alongside you are absolutely crucial. People need to feel safe to voice their opinions and know that they will be heard. Plus, you gain valuable knowledge from the ground up that you may otherwise risk losing touch with.
Keeping yourself informed and learning new things is the sure shot way to excel in career and be job ready always.