If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager, as a parent.
What’s important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here’s how:
1. Make time for personal development.
When you’re in a position of authority, you don’t always get the feedback you need to grow and develop as a human and as a leader. That’s why it’s important to build a network of people who will give you honest input, point out your blind spots and offer tools to help you continue to grow.
Read More: 5 Ways to Be an Inclusive Leader
When you’re in a position of authority, you don’t always get the feedback you need to grow and develop as a human and as a leader. That’s why it’s important to build a network of people who will give you honest input, point out your blind spots and offer tools to help you continue to grow.
Read More: 5 Ways to Be an Inclusive Leader
2. They use phrases like, “It’s my fault,” “I was wrong” and “I’m sorry.”
When great leaders make a mistake, they admit it right away. They don’t wait for someone else to find and point out their blunder. They model accountability for their words and actions, even when they could have easily “gotten away” with the mistake. And they do it matter-of-factly, without drama or false humility.
Read More: 10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders
When great leaders make a mistake, they admit it right away. They don’t wait for someone else to find and point out their blunder. They model accountability for their words and actions, even when they could have easily “gotten away” with the mistake. And they do it matter-of-factly, without drama or false humility.
Read More: 10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders
3. Listen deeply.
Richard Branson says leaders should listen more than they talk because that’s how they learn what’s going on. Great leaders learn to listen for context as well as content. Deep listening is being fully present in the moment with the person who is speaking, and not trying to judge or control the conversation. We let go of our assumptions to hear not only what is being said, but also the emotions, motives, needs and goals of the person speaking. This kind of listening builds trust and respect, and it encourages the sharing of information you need to make good decisions.
Read More: 5 Habits That Will Make You a Better Leader
Richard Branson says leaders should listen more than they talk because that’s how they learn what’s going on. Great leaders learn to listen for context as well as content. Deep listening is being fully present in the moment with the person who is speaking, and not trying to judge or control the conversation. We let go of our assumptions to hear not only what is being said, but also the emotions, motives, needs and goals of the person speaking. This kind of listening builds trust and respect, and it encourages the sharing of information you need to make good decisions.
Read More: 5 Habits That Will Make You a Better Leader
4. Cross-pollinate.
They encourage the co-creation of ideas and challenge their employees to look outside their teams, outside the company and outside the industry for ideas that have worked elsewhere. They urge team members to work through solutions together, outlining the what, the how and the when of their ideas. This allows their teams to develop ideas more completely, or to come up with ideas that they may not have discovered alone.
Read More: 10 Things Effective Leaders Do to Encourage Innovation
They encourage the co-creation of ideas and challenge their employees to look outside their teams, outside the company and outside the industry for ideas that have worked elsewhere. They urge team members to work through solutions together, outlining the what, the how and the when of their ideas. This allows their teams to develop ideas more completely, or to come up with ideas that they may not have discovered alone.
Read More: 10 Things Effective Leaders Do to Encourage Innovation
[WATCH NOW] This Is What Makes a Great Leader Stand Out
A good leader is always in service to others. Whether they choose to guide the people around them with empathy, inspiration or solid business principles, you can count on a strong leader to put the team first.