To lead, literally means an example for others to follow, so when you are a business owner, leader or manager you are in control. However, to be an effective leader you must inspire people to follow and to do so, you must lead by example.
With the recent political leadership changes, Co-chair of the 1922 committee, Charles Walker, asked the winner: “Can we be kinder to the next Prime Minister than we have been to the current Prime Minister”.
It is really important for employers to create a positive, healthy workplace, where employees have mutual respect, feel valued and appreciated as these things all strongly contribute to creating happy employees.
So here are 5 ways you can show your team that as a leader, not only can you talk the talk, but you can walk the walk too!
LISTEN TO YOUR TEAM
Sometimes as a leader you can get so wrapped up in ensuring that everything gets done, you forget to take a minute to stop and listen! It’s good to remember that just because you are a leader you aren’t always expected to know everything, so its wise to seek advice and guidance from those in the know. Asking for feedback from your team or other departments will provide you with valuable insight.
ALWAYS TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
It doesn’t really matter whether you are the one who’s made a mistake or it was one of your team, you’re still accountable. You should be able to take it upon yourself to guarantee that there is a solution to the problem and put processes in place to stop it from ever happening again.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
In any job, you must always think about your own health and wellbeing. If you are working yourself into the ground or stressing about a big work project coming up, then chances are this will rub off onto the people you work with too.
GIVE “SINCERE” PRAISE
It has long been documented that when you positively reinforce desired behaviour, it is extremely likely that behaviour will be repeated. You should recognise both the big and small things that your employees are getting right and reward and appreciate them accordingly. This is probably one of the best motivational methods you could use.
BE INSPIRATIONAL
Leadership isn’t about bossing people around to make sure things get done, it’s about inspiring your employees and getting the best out of them, as you all work together to achieve a common goal.
Always work with a lead by example mindset in order to demonstrate a good example to your colleagues and the team that you work with.
All of the above have one thing in common though; they enable you to build trust with the people you work with, once you have their trust you can be sure that they will be willing to follow.
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