Three Things You Can Do Right Now To Become A Better Leader
Leadership is hard. Anyone who says leadership is easy has never been in a leadership position. But there are some things that you can do to make things go a bit smoother in your leadership role.
Here are three things you can work on every day as a leader to get significant buy-in from your team and quickly gain the respect of everyone around you.
Spend time giving positive feedback every day.
How many times a day do you tell a team member they did a good job and you appreciate what they bring to the team?
We do not do this nearly enough if we are honest with ourselves. We all like to be appreciated and told we add value to the team and are doing a good job. Make sure that you are giving positive feedback to your team every day.
When you value and support your employees, good things will happen. Employees will perform better and be more engaged, which will, in turn, create a more positive work environment, leading to a higher level of commitment and better engagement.
Part of being an exceptional leader is creating an environment where ideas can flourish and all team members can feel free to speak to you as the leader about any concern they have.
Also, make sure that you create an atmosphere where conflicts are resolved quickly and efficiently.
Employees who feel appreciated will always be more likely to go the extra mile to achieve organizational goals and deliver quality results.
Become a master communicator
Poor communication has been the cause of more issues in the workplace than any other skill set.
In my leadership journey, I have always made it a point to overcommunicate rather than to be vague and lazy in my communication.
It is always better to over-communicate and ensure that everyone understands and is on the same page than to be vague in your communication and have your employees leave it open to their interpretation.
As a leader, you must clearly communicate your vision, ideas, and expectations to your team.
Communication also involves listening both active and passive listening. Listening is the most critical part of the communication process.
It is always important to tailor your communication style to the audience that you are communicating with. This also goes for one-on-one communication. It is your responsibility as the leader to find out what communication style works best for each team member.
Decide to put your employees first every day
Always put your employees first and the customers second. If your employees aren’t happy, your customers won’t be satisfied, I promise.
Putting people first means leading and making decisions that will be in the best interest of the employees.
Do not ever manage from the labor line on the P@L. If you do, this will eventually destroy your business. When you manage from the P@L, you almost always make the wrong decision. Manage your business daily, making decisions that benefit your employees and customers.
Cutting the employee payroll so the company can maintain its exorbitant profits never ends well and will cause more long-term damage than good.
It’s pretty simple. Just follow the golden rule. Treat everyone fairly. Treat your employees how you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes. And remember, fair does not mean equal.
Follow these three golden rules of leadership, and you will be well on your way to becoming a people-centric leader.
