Three ways you can be a more powerful leader
Are you ready to step up to a leadership role? Or want to improve your skills as a manager or business owner? Discover three ways you can be a more powerful leader.
To be the best leader possible, you need to learn the essential skills, show appreciation for your team, and you’ll need to take good care of yourself in the process.
In this article we explore three things that make a good leader, and the skills you’ll want to learn to separate yourself from the pack.
1) Know what makes a good leader
Before you start taking classes on the specifics of leadership, it’s wise to have a healthy overview of what makes a great leader and the mind frame that can quickly win over your team.
While most leaders will need their team to hit a certain productivity level, a good manager will also improve employee culture and morale by communicating openly and creating a sense of belonging so people are happy to show up to work.
A successful leader will then observe the team’s morale over time and refine the culture as necessary. In addition to talking to the staff and encouraging them to come to you when they’re unsatisfied, you can also view their work. If they’re making a lot of errors, you can use that as a sign of dysfunction.
Understanding employee emotions and anxieties cannot be taught in school. Instead, you must focus on building your emotional intelligence and pick up on emotional cues. So, if someone is acting defiantly by showing up late or they seem more irritable than usual, then take notice. Approach them in a nice way, ask if they need support, and then provide it.
Finally, a good leader can manage a diverse workforce, a skill that will become very important in the coming years. Currently, the middle-class population in America is growing and escalating quickly. In current years, a lot of the growth in this economic class comes from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Not only will these people be part of the workforce, but they will also make up a greater section of the buying market, and expect companies to be aware of their unique needs and desires.
As a business leader, you will need to ensure that your leadership style is highly inclusive, not just because it’s good for your business’s image, but because it’s the right thing to do.
2) Learn recognition and resilience
While you will want to have the overarching skills discussed above, you’ll also need to learn other essential leadership skills that can come into play daily, including the ability to recognize employees that do well, create lasting relationships, and be effective at communication.
Resilience is also a vital skill for those in management positions. It’s far too common for an employee to make a mistake, feel rejected, and never try again, but if everyone does that, you’ll run out of employees. You need to learn to talk to your employees, help them understand why the task went wrong, and teach them to their strengths so they can feel confident they’ll do it right the next time.
You must also be resistant as a leader because things won’t always go right, and your projects may sometimes fall behind schedule. It’s okay to be stressed, but you can’t stay that way forever. A good way to get past your anxiety is to practice mindfulness by sitting down and slowly breathing in and out until you’re relaxed. Then, develop a new plan and continue leading your team to success.
3) Take care of yourself
While it’s essential to be resilient, you must also practice self-care so you don’t let the job get to you, and you can wake up ready to take on each new day. Go to bed at a reasonable time so your body and mind can relax. You may want to take time to meditate or reflect so you are not rushed in the morning.
Taking time for yourself is important because self-care helps you to feel better in body and mind. When you have a healthy diet, and you get enough rest and exercise, you’ll feel less on edge and more in the present.
Constant stress can put weight on your nervous system, trigger your fight-or-flight mode, and cause you to panic, and your employee shouldn’t see you that way. Make your body the priority, and you’ll be one step ahead when leading your team.
Women are the future of leadership, and you can be an incredible manager if you follow these tips and incorporate them every day. Don’t be afraid to take that next step in your career because it can be life-changing.
Photo by Adam Winger
