As business leaders, we all want to make as much of an impact as possible. That means making the tough decisions, building the right team, and checking in with yourself to ensure you’re a good leader. But what makes a good leader at work?
There are many avenues of thought on this, but nearly all ideas share a few common traits. To learn more about what most top business leaders say makes a leader suitable, continue reading.
Communication
When communicating with your team, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. What makes a good leader at work is being able to tell the difference between communicating poorly and communicating well. A good leader will be able to communicate with their team to allow both parties to feel comfortable and understood.
Now, becoming a good communicator takes practice, and the first time you implement the strategies to become a better communicator, you’re probably going to do it wrong. But don’t get discouraged.
For example, one of the mistakes leaders make when communicating is going into a situation and telling the team what they’re doing wrong. This isn’t the right approach. When you approach people with negativity, telling them what they’re doing wrong and why their strategies aren’t working, you’re likely going to come on too strong and offend them.
To improve communication in the workplace, the best approach is to present all the facts to the people you’re speaking with–leave all emotion out of the conversation–and let the team come to their own conclusions.
By presenting facts and leaving emotions out of your communication style, you’re allowing your team to see where the flaws in their workflow are without coming across as a know-it-all.
The Secret to Business Success
As a leader, it is your job to make sure that your employees are succeeding for the good of the company. When your team members are doing well, chances are your company is also doing well.
But how does a good leader ensure that their team members are doing well?
It turns out there’s no secret recipe to the success of your team.
At the end of the day, successful teams don’t all look exactly the same. It takes a while to understand how to develop a team that is set up for success as a leader. Then you get to dig deeper with each team member and help them become seasoned and flourish individually. Due to everyone having different personality types and different strengths and weaknesses, a good leader will ensure that every team member is performing at their greatest potential.
When this happens, that’s when your company will perform at its best.
So what is this mystery secret to business success?
It’s getting out of your comfort zone. But more than that, it’s understanding how to push your team out of their comfort zones as well.
Growth and comfort just can’t coexist–change doesn’t happen when people are complacent. It occurs when people push themselves into uncharted territory.
A Good Leader is Ok with Being Uncomfortable
As a leader, you have to get uncomfortable in all kinds of ways–sales, marketing, product development, really everything. Especially now, because the pace of business is so quick these days that when you start to get comfortable, it’s time to get uncomfortable again.
That said, it’s important to keep in mind that being uncomfortable doesn’t mean you and your team need to be 100% uncomfortable 100% of the time. For some, that might mean you’re 30% uncomfortable all the time–for others, it may mean being 40% or 50% uncomfortable. There is a balance that you will have to find that will work for you and your business. It just depends on your company, your goals, and your team.
If you would like to learn more about the secrets to a successful business and what makes a good leader at work, be sure to listen to Episode 102 of The Athletics of Business, where special guest Scott O’Neil talks with us about how to become the best leader you can be and create a thriving company. Also, consider working with us to help you grow as a leader.
