Running any type of business is difficult. I personally know this because my husband and I run our medical practice. There are more things to think about each day and take care of then there are hours in our day. Effective leadership is one of the necessary ingredients in making a business run more efficiently and smoothly.
What defines a good leader, one that others will want to follow? Leading people is the opposite of controlling them. A workplace team needs leadership in order to develop, grow and perform better as a whole.
If the business leader leads with a heavy hand trying to control everything the team will become crippled and will not achieve what the business owner has intended for them to. The team will become dependent and not independent.
Teams learn by example. The leader is one of the most watched persons in the business. His or her behavior influences everyone else’s. When the leader sets the right example the chances are greatly increased that the business team will follow the lead in the right direction.
When the leader sets the wrong example their actions speak louder than words. What the leader does more than what they say shows the team what kind of leader they actually are. The team will not rise to the top, but will settle to the level of the leader.
If you are the leader think about how you might perform, or act in these situations to give yourself a clearer picture of what you might look like to your team.
Are you on time to work everyday?
Do you communicate openly with your team members?
Do you listen attentively to them and try to understand their viewpoints?
Do you stay calm in stressful situations?
Do you follow through with what you say you are going to do.
Do you own up to mistakes when you make them?
Do you apologize when you are wrong?
Do you thank your team for all that they do each day?
Are you enjoyable to be around and willing to help out your teammates when needed?
Do you have your teammates back? Do they know that you are there for them?
Asking yourself these types of questions will determine your standard level of leadership, is it high or low? The example leaders set in all areas of their position affect what their team will do in the same areas of their positions.
Lastly, Leaders must lead with integrity. Leaders need to be the person that they want their teammates to be. Being truthful, honest, trustworthy are all attributes that we want the people we work with to have. Leaders need to keep the standard high and continue to always stretch to reach it.
“The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves”
~ Ray Kroc
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