Continuously improving your leadership skills not only improve your chances of career progression but also help you inspire your team. Just as the soccer teams in the World Cup, you need to be able to depend on your goalies, mid-fielders, defenders etc. This starts with the captain, you. Here are some tips from The Recruitment Alternative to help improve your leadership skills.
Effective Listening
One of the most important skills for a leader is listening. Without listening skills, you are not able to get feedback and understand others. A large part of communication skills involves listening, so it makes sense that leaders would want to establish open communication lines with staff. Effective listening skills will also help you when it comes to customer and client contact.
Motivating Others
Motivation increases productivity. To effectively lead your team, understanding how to motivate others is key. But how can you effectively motivate others? Here are some suggestions to try:
- Ask for input
- Mentoring
- Provide opportunities for professional development
- Employee recognition
- Allowing employee autonomy
- Set clear goals
- Team-building activities
- Thanking staff
- Understanding employee differences and how to use them effectively
Delegate
Most leaders find this difficult to do. Some even view it as a weakness. If you try to take on too many task, you’ll struggle to get things completed on time and at a high standard. Effectively identify each of your employee’s strengths and assigning duties based on their skill.
Your employees will have the opportunity to add upon their skill set, contribute to the team on a different level and potentially develop new ideas to present. Delegation also allows you to focus on other important aspects of the business.
Positive Role Model
As a leader, you are always being watched by your staff, so modeling the qualities that you would like to see in your team members is always an effective strategy. Maintaining a positive attitude, willing to admit and learn from failures, having a clear vision and taking initiative are all positive qualities. As Robin S. Sharma said: “Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers.”
Hiring New Staff
Effective hiring can make all the difference when adding to your team. This may be a task you need to delegate too! Whether you work in Accounting, Marketing, IT, Engineering, Warehousing etc. The Recruitment Alternative can help you find the right person. We look at the whole picture to ensure they are not only technically sound but a cultural fit too. As a generalist multi-award winning recruitment agency, we offer affordable fixed price recruitment solutions. If you would like to find out more about our services contact us today on 1300 548 546.
