Posts Tagged ‘how to be a better leader’

We all know that leadership is really long term work in progress.  By that I mean that there are always things that you can develop in order to be even more effective.

At the same time there are often some simple changes that you can make that really make a difference to the results that you acieve.  In this short video blog post I share 5 ideas on things that you can do right now to increase your success and improve your results as a leader.

As always I value your comments and and tips on specific adjustments leaders can make to be even better at what they do.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achivements helps organisations and leaders to achieve better results through people. He invites you to sign up for his free audio e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/leaders-main.html

We all know that being a leader is a big challenge.  On the face of it, leading in itself should not be that difficult but the reality in practice is that it is a challenge.  Unlike many areas there is no guaranteed blueprint that will work every time in any situation.   At the same time I honestly believe that there are some stepping stones to becoming an even better leader.

The first thing on my list of stepping stones is being clear about what you want to achieve as a leader.  Getting the clarity about what you want to achieve is vital.  It helps you decide where and how to invest your time.  It helps you make choices.  It helps you to move others towards the destination you are seeking to reach.

Secondly, be clear about what you want to have a reputation for. In other words what type of leader do you want to be known as?  For example, do you want to be the leader who inspires or motivates others and takes interest in others success or are you someone who just wants the job done and takes no interest in anyone apart from themselves?

Thirdly, let go of the need to have the last word on everything.  Leaders who fall into this category are often poor listeners.  As a result they don’t take on the feedback of others and may well miss out on opportunities to innovate and improve things.

Fourthly, do what you do best.  I am always amazed when I see people doing things when it is crystal clear to everyone apart from them that they are not the best person to do something.  Focus your time and energies on what you do best.

Fifthly, get others doing what they do best.  Every member of your team has something unique to offer in terms of either skills or attributes.  Your job as the leader is to discover what these skills and attributes and get others to do what they do best.

My sixth and final tip is to get the help and support that you need to get even better.  Being a leader is tough and often a very lonely existence.  You need to get in place some support to help you along and keeping you going when it gets tough.  Don’t wait until you are crisis to get the help and support you need.

What else would you add to the list based on your own experiences?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps highly successful professional people to become highly effective leaders and managers.  He invites you to check out his free audio e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/leaders-main.html

As a leader you know that you need to keep on top of your game. So what are 7 positive things that you can do to be an even better leader?

1. Set Out Clearly What You Aim To Achieve

   It not only makes a difference to you but provides clarity of direction for others.

2. Listen More

   The team of people that you lead are likely to have great ideas to help you get better results. The question is whether you are willing to listen more and leverage the benefits.

3. Work On Winning Support

   It is great to have a vision but if you cannot win the support of others, it never translates into anything. Make winning the support of others a priority as they can make it happen.

4. Do What You Do Best

   Time is the ultimate limiting factor, so don’t waste it trying to do things you are not good at.

5. Focus On Others

   The best leaders I worked for were always interested in the success of others. If you help others to progress you will get that returned in bucket loads.

6. Treat Others Well

   Yes there will be times when you need to be tough but that does not mean you cannot treat people with respect.

7. Keep Growing and Developing

   Just because you are a leader does not mean you can stop growing and developing. The challenges merely get bigger the further you progress.

The reality is that leading is challenging but often simple changes can hugely influence the results you get.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to become highly effective leaders and managers. You can sign up for his free audio e-course at www.goalsandachievements.co.uk

Let me ask you a question: What’s your priority as leader?

Interestingly, when I ask clients this question they often struggle to come up with an answer.

Yet, without knowing your priorities, you will:

• Struggle with decisions on how to allocate your time.
• Carry on doing things that you should no longer be doing.
• Waste time and effort.
• Struggle to deliver the results you are expected to deliver.

So if you want to be a more successful leader, make a point of identifying your priorities.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here