3 Ways To Be A Leader In Everything You Do
Leadership… it’s a skill everyone needs to have in their career, but it doesn’t always come easily… If you are in a leadership position, it’s key to hone your skills to be the best leader you can — not just for your employees, but for yourself.
So what does leadership mean? There are a few things all great leaders to evolve and create their own unique impact.
Here are three ways you can achieve greatness in your approach to leadership:
1. Build relationships.
Jobs don’t last; relationships do. It’s important to cultivate strong relationships with employers, employees, business partners… and anyone who is vital to your career trajectory. So how can you build lasting, strong business relationships?
· Develop empathy and trust through effective listening.
Being a good leader means being a good communicator… and being a good communicator means being a good listener! It can be easy to jump to conclusions or misunderstand what someone is trying to say. By being open to listening first — and more often — you’re giving your relationships the boost they need.
According to the Harvard Business Review, good listeners ask challenging questions and making suggestions — both of which indicate to the person you’re listening to that you really heard and understood them. In short… To be interesting, be interested.
· Real world beats virtual world.
When someone mentions networking, do you automatically think of LinkedIn? Following a connection on Twitter? As crucial as networking is to building business relationships, it’s easy to get sucked in to the virtual-ness of it all. When it comes down to it, having real life connections is what gets you ahead. That being said, the ability to solidify a connection on social media — after you’ve met — is a great way to keep tabs on who you have in your network.
People provide opportunities when they feel an authentic connection to another person, so the more you interact face to face, the more likely people are to trust and remember you. In fact, 68% of entry-level jobs prefer face-to-face networking over virtual networking, and nearly 100% of people say meeting in person is the key to a lasting relationship.
In short, meet in person… And solidify it with connecting on social media, and using it as a tool to stay in touch and make plans offline, such as a coffee date.
2. Keep learning.
The best leaders never stop learning… After all, the business landscape changes rapidly, and in order to be an efficient leader you need to keep up with the flux. A few ways you can do this are:
· Attending events, which will allow you to meet new people and keep up with trends.
· Reading articles to keep up with current events or upcoming trends that impact your career or business.
· Listening to podcasts.
· Setting up a coffee date each week to maintain your personal network.
3. Have a clear vision.
Being a leader means leading towards something… and you need to know what that something is! When you think of the great leaders, you probably think about their vision, their purpose, or their goal. The world makes way for people who know where they’re headed. That’s why the best leaders don’t just create a vision; they articulate it and write it down!
Share it with your network, your peers, your business partners, and your employees, so they know your purpose as well. Establishing a vision, whether it’s one for yourself or for your company, will give you a clearer idea of where you need to go, and how to get there.
Are you ready to be a leader in all aspects of your life? Career Companion’s FREE resources will allow you to track your networks, goals, and ultimate vision so you can start on the path to brilliant leadership.
