By Tanya Prive
Having a great idea, and
assembling a team to bring that concept to life is the first step in creating a
successful business venture. While finding a new and unique idea is rare
enough; the ability to successfully execute this idea is what separates the dreamers
from the entrepreneurs. However you see yourself, whatever your age may be, as
soon as you make that exciting first hire, you have taken the first steps in
becoming a powerful leader. When money is tight, stress levels are high, and
the visions of instant success don’t happen like you thought, it’s easy to let
those emotions get to you, and thereby your team. Take a breath, calm yourself
down, and remind yourself of the leader you are and would like to become. Here
are some key qualities that every good leader should possess, and learn to
emphasize.
Honesty
Whatever ethical plane you
hold yourself to, when you are responsible for a team of people, it’s important
to raise the bar even higher. Your business and its employees are a reflection
of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior a key value, your team
will follow suit.
Ability
to Delegate
Finessing your brand vision
is essential to creating an organized and efficient business, but if you don’t
learn to trust your team with that vision, you might never progress to the next
stage. It’s important to remember that trusting your team with your idea
is a sign of strength, not weakness. Delegating tasks to the appropriate
departments is one of the most important skills you can develop as your
business grows. The emails and tasks will begin to pile up, and the more you
stretch yourself thin, the lower the quality of your work will become, and the
less you will produce.
The key to delegation is
identifying the strengths of your team, and capitalizing on them. Find out what
each team member enjoys doing most. Chances are if they find that task more
enjoyable, they will likely put more thought and effort behind it. This will
not only prove to your team that you trust and believe in them, but will also
free up your time to focus on the higher level tasks, that should not be
delegated. It’s a fine balance, but one that will have a huge impact on the
productivity of your business.
Communication
Knowing what you want
accomplished may seem clear in your head, but if you try to explain it to someone
else and are met with a blank expression, you know there is a problem. If this
has been your experience, then you may want to focus on honing your
communication skills. Being able to clearly and succinctly describe what you
want done is extremely important. If you can’t relate your vision to your team,
you won’t all be working towards the same goal.
Training new members and
creating a productive work environment all depend on healthy lines of
communication. Whether that stems from an open door policy to your office, or
making it a point to talk to your staff on a daily basis, making yourself
available to discuss interoffice issues is vital. Your team will learn to trust
and depend on you, and will be less hesitant to work harder.
Sense
of Humor
If your website crashes,
you lose that major client, or your funding dries up, guiding your team through
the process without panicking is as challenging as it is important. Morale is
linked to productivity, and it’s your job as the team leader to instill a
positive energy. That’s where your sense of humor will finally pay off.
Encourage your team to laugh at the mistakes instead of crying. If you are
constantly learning to find the humor in the struggles, your work environment
will become a happy and healthy space, where your employees look forward to
working in, rather than dreading it. Make it a point to crack jokes with your
team and encourage personal discussions of weekend plans and trips. It’s these
short breaks from the task at hand that help keep productivity levels high and
morale even higher.
Confidence
There may be days where the future of your brand is worrisome and
things aren’t going according to plan. This is true with any business, large or
small, and the most important thing is not to panic. Part of your job as a
leader is to put out fires and maintain the team morale. Keep up your
confidence level, and assure everyone that setbacks are natural and the
important thing is to focus on the larger goal. As the leader, by staying calm
and confident, you will help keep the team feeling the same. Remember, your
team will take cues from you, so if you exude a level of calm damage control,
your team will pick up on that feeling. The key objective is to keep everyone
working and moving ahead.
Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaprive/2012/12/19/top-10-qualities-that-make-a-great-leader/
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