What is a leader? We are hearing this term very often, but we still can’t manage to grasp its true meaning. A leader is someone who innovates and inspires other people. Simple as that. John Maxwell said: “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Integrating this leader mentality into your business will immediately lead you to great success. As a manager or a boss, implementing this frame of mind will boost your business in no time.
Vision is the number one trait that keeps your company “on track”, and makes it immune to quick marketplace shifts that could potentially destroy your business. Without vision, companies like Microsoft and Apple wouldn’t exist. Winston Churchill splendidly defines what vision means: “The empires of the future are empires of the mind.”
1. Give Your Employees an Exceptional Environment
Creating a flourishing environment that motivates and inspires your employees is the first concern a leader should have. Start by remodeling the office in a friendlier and more appealing way. This will make a greater impact on your employee’s state of mind, bursting their productivity levels.
Recognizing outstanding employees is another way of cultivating workplace productivity. Institute a casual dress day so people will be more eager to show up at work. You can even organize casual themed-days in which you allow and encourage your employees to have fun and dress differently.
If a sports event, for example, is coming up, people may come dressed in their favorite team colors. Creating a few social events may help people get to know each other better, which is definitely something beneficial in terms of your company’s performance.
Therefore, implementing different fun or out-of-the-ordinary activities will definitely improve your relationship between you and your employees, creating a thriving atmosphere where everyone can grow.
2. Build a Trustworthy Relationship with Your Employees
Integrity is a key quality which defines your business in the end. Honesty, reliability, and honor are also important factors for a successful communication with your employees. A sincere relationship will only make “your people” more loyal, motivated, sincere, and open.
The employee must feel that he works for a great purpose and that his touch makes the difference. Only then, loyalty and devotion to the common goal of the business will become noticeable.
By simply implementing this idea in your employee’s mind, you will win a friend and a devoted employee. In simple terms, you’re creating the perfect environment that propels your employee towards a longer and more productive stay.
Don’t forget: integrity is the base on which a leader builds his legacy. It is the foundation of a blissful life and a successful business.
3. Harvest Insights from Your Employees
As a leader, you must be aware that each and every employee of yours will have powerful insights to share. Even though they’re probably not yet recognizing their full potential, you should still encourage your employees to keep an open mind and express their ideas.
Listening is a long forgotten art. Excelling in this endowment will let you see the bigger picture and provide the most powerful feedback with minimal efforts.
Eva Michaela, HR manager at Aussiewritings, cared to share her opinion on this matter:
Paying attention to your employees will mostly help you discover their hidden traits. Then, you should optimize each of your employee’s duties by assigning the most suited tasks for their qualities. This will ensure that your collective workplace will be more efficient than otherwise.
Once you are able to do that, you’re making everyone happy all while boosting your business performance. As long as people feel comfortable and appreciated, the flow of ideas will never cease and the company will keep growing. We have to be willing to constantly evolve. Perfection is constant transformation.
4. Strive to Make the Best Decisions
A true leader should make objective decisions based on his knowledge and current situation. He should not be influenced by his point of view; otherwise, things might get an unpredictable turn. That is why a leader should definitely focus on the bigger picture; the longer term.
Collaborative decision-making is a process that should help make the best decision if you are not yet familiarized with taking big decisive shots. Involving the employees in the decision-making process will motivate and emotionally connect them with the companies’ goals even more.
The leader still makes the final call. Yet, missing the necessary knowledge and expertise would give any leader struggles. That’s why you need to build confidence. Start trusting your instincts more, pay a lot of attention and care to the decisions you make, and just go for it. Making decisions is more like a skillset that needs to be practiced in order to be mastered. So, with time, you’ll get the hang of it.
Takeaways
The modern business environment lacks true leaders with true leadership skills. However, the leader traits lay dormant in each of us. We must first learn to lead ourselves before trying to lead others. Growing and developing people is the highest calling of a leader.
Everyone can excel in this art and this is the beauty of it. If everyone would start leading themselves and only themselves, probably, we wouldn’t even need an outside leader. Leadership integrates marvelously the whole philosophy of life. Leading means action while action becomes evolution.
Warren Bennis said it very well: “The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born-that there is a genetic factor to leadership. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.”
About author: Olivia is a journalist who is always ready to experience new things and share this experience with others. She is passionate about art and writing, therefore she usually spends time writing new articles or travelling around the World. Follow Olivia on Facebook and Twitter.
