Working in a leadership role allows you to strengthen the success of a team and build up individual members. But not all in these positions have strong leadership skills. Working on your skills can impact your team in a positive way while supporting the company’s overall success and growth. Explore how to become a better leader by reviewing our tips below.
Why Good Leadership Matters
Strong leaders are the foundation of organizational success. A good leader’s ability to support and encourage their team can trickle down throughout the organization, creating a more supportive culture with higher engagement and productivity rates.
A business can’t succeed without strong and engaged team members. Low morale contributes to high turnover and general discontent, which can spread across other aspects of overall success. For example, unhappy employees are less likely to provide a high level of customer service, which can impact loyalty and satisfaction with the products and services offered. High turnover also places financial strain on a business, as recruiting and hiring are expensive.
Good leaders can also play a role in ensuring effective communication. The way you communicate with your team members determines whether they have access to the information needed to do their jobs, as well as if they feel heard and respected in the workplace.
Tips to Become a Better Leader
Now that you know why leadership skills are so important, you can review our tips to become a better leader.
Communicate Regularly and Transparently
As mentioned, communication is vital in the workplace. But simply talking to your staff or shooting off emails regularly isn’t quite enough to check “communicate” off your to-do list. Instead, look for ways to share insights and offer transparency into the goals of the organization. For many employees, seeing the big picture helps promote loyalty and a better understanding of how they fit into the company’s overall success.
If you have trouble connecting in person, try setting up a call every week or two to touch base with an individual team member. You can use the time to talk about projects, offer support, and provide insights.
Encourage Growth and Development
Serving as a cheerleader for every member of your team is a vital leadership skill. Great leaders are invested in the growth of those they work with, and watching your staff members move up and gain new skills can demonstrate your commitment to their professional success. If possible, consider creating a budget for development that employees can use to attend conferences, seek training opportunities, and otherwise participate in professional development.
Stay Positive
Leaders run into obstacles regularly, but how they deal with those situations determines their strength and capability. Instead of getting frustrated or angry, try to stay positive and look for a way to navigate the situation in a supportive way. Before you speak to those involved in the issue, try to think about three positive things to come out of it. For example, if a customer is expressing their dissatisfaction to a team member, you could consider these as positives:
- The company is getting valuable feedback on an issue that may require resolution.
- The involved employee is applying conflict management skills.
- The customer is being heard.
After identifying the positives of the situation, you may find that you don’t feel as emotional about it and can move forward with feelings that aren’t quite as strong or reactive.
As you work to strengthen and improve your skills as a leader, you may find that your team grows and develops positively as well. Excellent leaders tend to lead great teams of people who feel supported, contributing to the morale and engagement levels in the workplace.
