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This week’s blog comes from
Dale Carnegie Training Newsletter
By Anita Zinsmeister, President
Dale Carnegie® Training of Central & Southern New Jersey
7 Quick Tips To Improve
Your Leadership Skills
Your Leadership Skills
- Word count for this issue: 562
- Approximate time to read: 2.2 minutes @ 250 words per minute
When a crisis hits, an executive’s instinct might be to focus on greater efficiency and productivity by tightening control. But this is not always the best solution-giving up authority and granting employees independence can actually help improve innovation and success, even when the road gets rough.So You Are A Leader At Your Company-Now What?
Without the proper leadership skills, you will find it hard to inspire your staff. Below you will find 7 tips on how to brush up on your leadership skills.
7 Tips To Improve Your Leadership Skills
1. Show Respect – If you want to be in a leadership position, start building relationships with people by respecting what they do. Practically nothing is more important. Additionally, it is important that a great leader never misses an opportunity to learn more about the people behind them. Great leaders never skip an employee’s birthday gathering or a holiday party because they are too busy — they know that work will always be there.
2. Build on Relationships – As a leader, know who people are, what is important to them, and what motivates them. This will help you understand everyone’s goals and how you can support your staff. When you help people, they will care about you and your goals in return.
3. Have a Good Attitude – Positive attitudes can be infectious. As a leader, you need to find ways to stay upbeat and find the best ways to improve. Do not expect too much from your staff — no one is perfect; while you do need to address poor performance, it is extremely important to acknowledge a job well done, which will build a positive work environment where people feel appreciated.
4. Work on Your Strengths – Figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are. While it is important to address your weaknesses, you might find it better to first start by focusing on your strengths. This will allow you to rise to the expert level sooner than you would by working on your weaknesses. Bottom line: Know what you are good at and keep at it.
5. Find People Who Complement You – Again, we all have strengths and weaknesses. Great leaders are aware of their weaknesses and find people who support their shortcomings. This is not because they are weak and need to cover themselves, but because they know the benefit of having a strong team — and when the team wins, everyone wins.
6. Develop A Mentoring Program – Mentoring someone will not only help develop that person’s career, but will also help leaders refine their skills. It is a great way to help improve your staff members’ skills while also improving on relationships.
7. Maintain Balance In Your Life – A big key to success is learning to balance work and family. Life is too short for you to live at your job. Great leaders set career boundaries and know when to spend more time with family and friends. Doing this will make you a stronger leader.
Executive Summary: While some people are just great leaders, others have to work a bit harder to achieve the necessary skills. Take the time to consider your strengths and weaknesses and get to know your staff; surround yourself with the best possible people to become an excellent leader.
[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com]