If your goal is to become a better leader today, you have come to the right post! This post focuses on 10 easy steps you can start taking right now to become a better leader.
1. Know/Learn Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Many good leaders know some of their strengths and weaknesses, but the best leaders have an intimate knowledge of them. They know exactly what skills, habits, and attributes they possess that allow them to get the most bang for their buck. When you know your own strengths and weaknesses, you can leverage your strengths and hire others to handle tasks related to your weaknesses.
So how can you come to know your strengths and weaknesses? There are many things you can do to identify your strengths and weaknesses. You can write a list of what you do well and what is challenging for you. You can also take a self assessment that looks at your strengths and your weaknesses. My favorite self-assessment tool is found in the book called Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath.
2. Surround Yourself With Great People
Great leaders surround themselves with great people. They get great people to do many things for them. For example, some include:
- Subject matter experts to oversee groups or projects they either don’t have time to address or are outside their area of expertise
- Other team members on your work team
- Business/financial consultants to help them make good personal and business financial decisions
- Mentors/coaches that can help them learn and grow as a leader
- Good friends that will tell them what they need to hear to grow at the time they need to hear it
This list is just a small sample of the great people with which leaders surround themselves. The key is putting people in your life that will have a positive impact on you and help you to be your best self. If you are wanting to grow as a leader, it is very important to find and put people around you that will help you reach those goals.
3. Increase Your Knowledge
To increase your knowledge there are many things you can do. You can read books about leadership, specific leaders that have gone through challenges and overcome them, self development, or books that explain leaders failures so you can learn from their mistakes. There are many different aspects of leadership that you can learn from books.
In addition to books, there are many other steps you can take to learn more about leadership. You can enroll in classes that focus on improving leadership, organizational behavior, and/or interpersonal interactions. There’s also classes that focus on your specific business or your chosen profession.
Additionally, you can take these classes online, at your local university or community college, or through adult education classes offered in your community.
In addition to books and classes you can also learn about leadership through Podcasts, blog posts, YouTube channels, leadership forums, and many other outlets. What’s most important is that you seek learning to become a better leader. The best leaders are always doing everything they can to learn. [Read more…] about 10 Easy Steps To Become a Better Leader Today
This is a guest post by Ali Jafra. Throughout his professional career Ali has been associated with globally recognized consulting firms, including PriceWaterHouse Coopers & Mercer consulting where he has undertaken a number of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) assignments, which has given him a diverse and unique perspective on Change Management. He has successfully managed relationships for blue chip companies, such as, Pepsi International, Microsoft, General Motors, Standard Chartered Bank, Polycom, Du Pont & Al Ghurair Group.
