TRUE LEADERSHIP STARTS WITH YOURSELF.
So why is it important to know how to lead yourself? After all, you're going to be leading others, well, if you're going to be an effective #leader that inspires your #team and activates an organization to get the job done well, you'll know what it is that inspires and activates you.
What does it mean to lead yourself first?
LEADING YOURSELF STARTS WITH KNOWING YOURSELF AND UNDERSTANDING MORE ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT MOVES YOU.
The process often involves reflecting on your life stories, experience, and losses to understand their impact on you and your #transformation into a successful, productive, and positive #leader.
This requires a lot of self-awareness and self-regulation because true leaders are aware of who they are, their abilities, their purpose, their goal, and their objectives. They are aware of their strengths, development opportunities, values, and drivers. They understand what triggers them or makes them lose control. They know how their mental models work and the impact they have on their behaviors.
How to inspire others?
The best leaders support and encourage anyone else to become the same. As such, they are good #mentors because they act as #role models. The way you lead your team and how others view you as a leader will be determined by your leadership characteristics. Positive feedback is one of the best ways a leader can motivate their team to work harder toward individual and team goals. Recently I read the book
"One minute manager" by Ken. B and Spencer. J where they describe three rules for managing/leading people: goals, praising, and re-direction. I highly recommend it. " It is fast. It is simple. It works."
5 TIPS ON HOW TO LEAD A TEAM:
1. COMMUNICATE CLEARLY ABOUT GOALS
Always keep your team informed of project goals, priorities, and those all-important deadlines. Effective communication will be essential in both establishing your credibility and gaining the support of your team, so make sure you provide clear direction and always welcome questions and feedback. Be direct and clear, be transparent. Communication is super important and "it is not only what you say, but how you say it." Be compassionate while you are talking and regulate your tone and volume.
Encourage and embrace new ideas. The more your team can contribute to the project, the happier they’ll be.
2. BE AN EXAMPLE
What you expect from others, be sure that you have yourself. No one wants to follow the authority of power without knowledge. Treat others like you want to be treated with respect and compassion.
Don't criticize others in front of the team. Make it clear you’re all there to work towards the same goals and success for the big picture. You should be a collaborative team, not just a team.
As a team leader, you’re the role model, so what you say and do will impact the team’s work habits and attitudes. Be an example that they would like to #follow.
3. BUILD TRUST WITH YOUR TEAM
Like in any relationship either between friends or family or a team at work if there’s no real and deep #trust, the relationship and #connection just can’t properly function.
The Leader is as well human and should show vulnerabilities. Show genuine interest in your team members, encourage them to share experiences, demonstrate credibility and integrity, follow through in multiple ways, and clearly communicate the intent behind your actions as a leader. If team members do not trust each other, then they often do not support each other, they gossip, judge or even conspire among themselves. It is a waste of energy, time, and efficiency. Be approachable with your team and show them that they can trust you.
4. ACKNOWLEDGE AND PRAISE GOOD WORK
Every employee wants to know that they’re performing well at their job. If you are focusing only on what they did wrong, you will not motivate them to do better. Don’t be one of these bosses who only give feedback when you’ve got something to criticize or complain about. Let me tell you a secret, no one likes them :)
You can use more often phrases like:
“Nice job on your presentation.”
“You made some great points in the meeting today.”
" Well done."
Giving them positive feedback will help to build their confidence and encourage them to get more involved in the future and their better achievement.
5. GREAT LEDEARS NEVER STOP LEARNING
The most successful persons are the ones who never stop learning, who have an aspiration to grow, and who desire to adapt to new challenges and develop innovative ideas. A great leader is curious, courageous, and compassionate. Lifelong learning improves the way you lead your team and yourself, as I mentioned in begging we should start with ourselves, and how are you gonna improve, if not by learning every day?!
Remember that the more you learn, the more you grow, and the more you grow, the better you can serve others.
Keep learning!
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