Learn to Lead!

If you want to grow this year, you need to learn to be a team leader.

It doesn’t matter whether you have been given a leadership position in the management of the company. What matters is that you want to be a leader. You will therefore need to work towards developing leadership traits which will help you grow in your current position as well as set you up for growth in future roles.

Some traits of leadership that you will need to develop are:

Communication

Good leaders not only have clear vision, they are able to communicate it to others. You should be able to make everyone on your team understand what the common goals are and what needs to be done to achieve them.

Confidence

Confidence comes from knowledge. When you know that you have the power of knowledge at your side, it gives you the confidence to speak and stand up for your convictions.

Be Positive

You not only need to be positive for yourself, you need to keep your team upbeat as well. Your team looks up to you and during business ups and downs are part of the game. Having someone to look up to for inspiration is vital for keeping up the team’s morale.

Be Fair

As a leader you will need to deal with everyone with fairness and remove personal biases from your dealings and decision making. Develop a habit of reviewing everything on merit and facts.

Show Commitment

When you decide on something, stick to your guns and show perseverance. Leaders are not easily defeated by circumstances and they do not easily give in. Accept challenges and approach them methodically to achieve your goals.

Inspire People

People should look to you for inspiration. They should ask “What would s/he do in this situation?” Your character should be a guide for them.

Be Honest

Sounds easy, however it is a difficult thing to do. You need to allow for transparency in your processes and decisions to build trust with your team.

Be Humble

Leaders know that they are dependent on their teams for results. They cannot go it alone. They therefore empower their teams in order to achieve their goals.

Overall, good leaders are those that understand their teams and value and celebrate teamwork. Start developing these traits in order to become better at your job.