How to Become a Better Leader
Are great leaders born, or is it a skill that can be learned? There are definite arguments in both directions. But leading a team is definitely something that you can get better at- as long as you are willing to put effort into your personal development.
A great leader is someone that can make decisions, and who is not afraid to inspire others to follow them or to lift people up and allow them to become better than they are.
So what can make you into a great leader? How do you improve on the skills that you already have?
In this article, we’ll take a look at the ways that you can improve your skills and become a better leader.
Keep Developing Your Leadership Skills
Having the humility to admit that you can always improve is an essential trait as a leader. You may have already studied management or leadership to a degree level, but there is always further steps you could take. You could enrol in a Master of Leadership course, which will help you further understand what it takes to be a great leader.
The best leaders never stop learning. Develop an open mind and always look for opportunities to further develop your skills.
Take Feedback On Board
What others think about you is important. It is natural that you probably don’t want to think about it too much, as you may fear that some people will be critical of your management style. However, taking feedback on board is a trait of a good leader. And furthermore, if you’re able to learn and grow from this feedback, it will make you an even better leader.
Having conversations about developing your team should be a two-way street. Not only should you be giving constructive feedback to help your team grow, but you should also take feedback from them.
Speak to the people in your team one-to-one and find out if there is anything you can do to improve. Make sure you take on board their suggestions and look for ways to implement the changes in a positive way.
Lead By Example
In everything you do in your working life, you should always consider how others will perceive your actions. Do your best to lead by example. This means doing things in the way that you’d like others to do them. There should never be a ‘one rule for you and one rule for them’ scenario. Make sure that you are completely fair and transparent in all of your work.
Encourage Creativity From Your Team
Getting your team to think outside of the box will help you to develop a more productive and progressive workforce. Get your team to come to you with ideas, but make sure you don’t shoot any ideas down. If an idea doesn’t work, ask questions that test the idea and get your team to build and further develop their ideas instead of discarding them.
