There are many lessons we learn throughout life. The best one you can ever teach yourself, is how to become an effective and caring leader. It doesn’t happen overnight and will take some time, but with authentic and trustworthy insights, you are one step closer.
It is said that a smile can brighten even the gloomiest of days. While it may remain true, if you think by smiling and acknowledging someone is enough to be a leader, you’ve got some work to do. Try these three simple steps to start with and watch how your leadership style will blossom.
Step 1: The Phase
You have just accepted a new position and now have multiple employees reporting to you. Do not let the newly acquired title to go to your head. Instead, be humble and introduce yourself as the newest member of the team. This welcomes you at their level and allows you to engage more thoughtfully. Remember, anyone can have a title, but not everyone knows how to have the people and the title.
Step 2: The Foundation
Now that you have the pleasantries out of the way, time to get to work! No two days are the same. Just like our employees, we cannot have the same style of leadership with everyone. To be an effective leader, you must find out what motivates each individual and engage them with conversations (work related or not) on a daily basis. By understanding and showing genuine interest in your employees, they will work much more diligently knowing they have someone who cares for them.
Step 3: The Leader
To be a leader you must lead by example. This does not mean you need to do your employees work for them. You must remain a positive and encouraging “vision of good” at all times. This provides a stable ideal for your employees to work towards. “Each day is unique. Our employees often carry their own unique trials and tribulations to work. It is the leader who understands this and helps put those problems aside so they can focus on their work.”