You must discover how to be a great leader and know what to avoid to prevent becoming a poor one. Leading others is difficult at best, requiring certain decisions that impact lives. Therefore, consider this advice so that you are aware of more of what leadership takes.
Be concise and succinct when giving direction to your employees. Communicate everything clearly to them so that they can do and complete what you want and on time. If they’re confused, they can just approach you and get clarification.
Honesty is critical to sound leadership. Good leaders should be trustworthy. When you work on your leadership skills, try to set a standard of trustworthiness and honesty. When people trust you, they also respect you.
Keep one eye on the future. You must always see a long way down the road and plan with that vision in mind. You won’t always know all the specifics, but do your best. Keep asking yourself where you’re expecting to be in a year or so and then start planning to make it happen.
Good leaders must focus on what is to come. You have to see what will happen and come up with an effective plan. While you can’t always tell what is going to happen, this is a skill that develops better over time. Always think about where you hope to be a year from now, and then take steps in that direction.
Don’t lose your moral compass. Be sure you can make peace with your decisions. If a decision is going to upset you or stress you out, consider not choosing that direction. Although some people may not have the same morals as you, you need to do what you feel is right.
Stay transparent. Business issues can’t be hidden as they once were. Why the change? Communication is prized nowadays. No matter what you do, the truth always prevails. Instead of reacting, control. Great leaders make sure to do this.
Being decisive can better your leadership skills. As the leader, you are likely to have to make many decisions. Showing you’re a good leader means making decisions that will benefit a group as a whole. Making decisions that bring advantages to only a few will be noticed quickly and even resented.
It’s essential to remain ethical when you deal with customers and employees. In order for your business to be successful in the long-term, being ethical is key. If your customers see the sincerity in the job that you do, they will be loyal to your business. Having a standard of morality in your company will give your employees a guide that they should follow.
Accept that you will make mistakes. Good leaders can make poor choices sometimes too. But, great leaders are willing to step up and take responsibility. It demonstrates the fact that you are fallible, just as your employees are. It might seem counter-intuitive, but a dose of humanity can produce loyalty from others.
Your decisions are what others will judge you on. Who do you trust to delegate responsibilities to others? What type of person do you hire to fill important job roles? All those decisions cause others to see you in a certain light. If you play favorites rather than handing out rewards to the people who deserve it the most, you lose credibility and it can really hurt your business.
Make sure your team knows that you appreciate the work. It takes little time to write a note saying “thank you” or “good job” and it may mean quite a bit to a person that’s worked hard the whole day. This acknowledgement can better their day, and it will not cost you anything.
Leadership brings great rewards. It’s fulfilling to know you help other people’s lives. People need leaders and you may be the perfect person for the job. Be sure that you know how important it is to do this.
There are tremendous opportunities for small businesses and social entrepreneurs to support their communities through community foundations, donor advised funds and other means of giving back. Find the neighborhoods in Santa Clara County where you can make the most impact on children in the community.