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Traits That Make An Official A Leader

StrategyDriven Management and Leadership Article |Traits of a Leader|Traits That Make An Official A LeaderBeing an official is all about your rank in an organization, while being a leader requires a significant number of traits that may only be present in some officials. These traits make you stand out as a leader in a room full of officials. You can be an official or a manager by following a particular set of rules to judge your credibility. However, being a leader is so much more than that.

A leader is someone who has the capabilities and potential enough to lead the masses with their skills. Leaders not only teach their followers but also influence them greatly. To make such an impact on people, you need to attain courage, self-awareness, integrity, respect, and remarkable communication skills. Some critical traits that make you a leader are as follows:

1. You must have a Vision

One of the most needed traits to be qualified as a leader while being an official is having the vision to lead those following you. The ability to foresee the bigger picture is a must-have when you are working in an organization or company. A leader with a broad vision can recognize their team’s capabilities and shortcomings and make better plans and strategies to reach the desired goals. Having an in-depth vision makes a leader acknowledge and solve problems better.

2. Communication skills

To be able to influence people, a leader must communicate in a way that is efficient and understandable to everyone. However, speaking in a manner that resonates with your subordinates is one of many things that make a great leader. Their active listening skills also hold great importance in this regard. Leaders with exceptional communication and listening skills may also find their place in executive search in various fields such as education, health, charity organizations, etc. and be respected by all.

3. Critical Thinking and Decisive Skills

A good leader is one with critical thinking. A leader’s ability to anticipate their team’s capabilities and weaknesses and plan accordingly helps the organization reach its ultimate goal. If you, as a leader, can think with an in-depth perspective and make decisions accordingly and timely, you will never fail in achieving heights. An indecisive person can never be a leader; rather, they can only bring chaos to the organization. Therefore, a leader should know how to make effective and timely decisions.

4. Creativity and Innovation

To become a leader, the most important trait an official need is creativity and innovation in making new organizational choices and decisions. If you have a creative approach and innovative ideas, you will bring success to the organization and lead your team more effectively. You will be able to resolve problems in a clever and better way by thinking outside the box. This might be an underappreciated trait, but it plays a vital role in leadership.

Steve Jobs once said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

5. Optimism

Being optimistic is one vital trait a leader must acquire. Because when you are working in an organization and have several things to manage, there is a fair chance that things will not always go as you have planned. Ups and downs are a part of life. However, a positive attitude towards such setbacks greatly benefits your organization. An optimistic leader who can keep calm and improve constantly can make his team achieve their objective by motivating them to stay positive and relaxed in any situation.

6. Courage and Confidence

Leaders often have to make decisions that might be very risky. Suppose a leader is courageous enough to risk everything and make decisions based on innovative ideas and critical thinking. In that case, it is possible to make an extraordinary impact on your team and achieve your aims. The second thing that holds great power is the leader’s confidence in their decisions. The belief in the authenticity of your decision is the essence of leadership. You will only be able to achieve your target if you are confident about your decision and idea.


7. Effective Management Skills

A leader always has multiple things to handle at once. Managing it all together can be very complicated at times. Therefore, your management skills should be top-notch to put strategies and ideas into suitable actions. A lack of management might complicate and sometimes even ruin the hard work you have already put in. Furthermore, even before any problem arrives, a skilled leader identifies potential complications and makes decisions accordingly. That is how appropriate management helps you become a better leader.

8. Inspiration and Motivation

A successful team is made under the leadership of a motivational and inspirational leader. Reports also suggest that employees work happily in an inspiring work environment. Pay attention to the fact that you cannot inspire people only through your words but actions. That is one of the essential qualities of a leader. They must act selflessly and work tirelessly so their team members can be motivated by their leader’s enthusiasm.

9. Willingness to Learn and Improve

One vital trait that separates a leader from an official is their desire to learn and eagerness to improve. It is often seen that many officials in organizations are conservative in their opinions and not open to new ideas and suggestions. However, that is different from how a leader works. You have to be open-minded enough to accept your shortcomings, value others’ opinions and try to improve if you want to be a successful leader.

10. Justice

A great leader practices justice. Being a leader is more challenging than it may seem. There come certain circumstances where a leader has to be selfless and impartial. No matter the situation and consequences, a leader does not forget morals and ethics and makes sure to be just in the workplace. Any discrimination is highly condemned under their leadership.

Conclusion

Every leader has once been an official, but not all officials become leaders. To be called a leader, you have to be influential and inspirational with the ability to lead your team and succeed at it. Being hardworking, enthusiastic, having an intuitive vision and having a positive attitude leads the way to be a leader. The other important skills include critical and strategic thinking, management skills, eagerness to learn and improve, and being just under all circumstances.

Not About Us and Them: Dealing With Employee-Manager Conflict in 4 Ways

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |employee manager conflict|Not About Us and Them: Dealing With Employee-Manager Conflict in 4 WaysOne of the toughest things about being a leader is making employees feel more at ease with who they are so they can do their job better. When we encounter conflict between us and them, as inevitable as it is, we cannot avoid conflict as this will result in chaos, but we’ve got to ensure that we have the right strategies to resolve conflicts between ourselves and employees. If somebody disagrees with how you are leading, think of the following:

Actively Listen

One of the most difficult things in emotionally charged situations is actually focusing on the other person. One of the most fundamental tenets of any human resources training, whether it is coaching salespeople who don’t want to be coached or learning soft skills, is to block out any urges to form a response and just listen. If you find yourself preparing your response while the other person is talking, it can be difficult to get rid of this, but you need to actively listen, but you will need to do this from a place of empathy.

Showing empathy towards your employees is vital to establishing a trusting relationship. When there is a conflict between the employee and the manager, it’s vital to acknowledge how employees are feeling and understand where they are coming from. Rather than responding with something like “I’m sorry you feel that way,” if the problem has stemmed from you, accountability is important, and reframing the “I’m sorry you feel that way” response into “I’m sorry that I’m making you feel this way” is acknowledging responsibility rather than having a non-committal response.


Focus on Behavior

When we’re trying to resolve a conflict, we should never focus our words on the person. We need to focus on the behavior rather than the person responsible. If we target the person, it’s very much like pointing fingers at them and establishing blame. Somebody can behave in any way they want, but we should never enter into a discussion where we are calling into question the employee, whether it’s their beliefs or values.

Remove Yourself From Your Biases

Self-awareness is such an important trait in leaders. We need to acknowledge our biases, preconceptions, and trigger points, which form the basis of many aspects of unconscious bias training. Having the self-awareness to describe how you see the world means you can adequately enact strategies to see other points of view. This means you have got to be aware of how you respond to conflict. Do you avoid, accommodate, compromise, or collaborate? These four components provide the starting point to help you realize where you can improve.

Exhaust Your Toolkit Before Bringing In HR

It’s easy to rely on HR to deal with this, but any good leader will be able to understand if the conflict is an ongoing or a one-time situation. Documenting these conversations is so important, and if a simple conversation doesn’t solve the issue, this is when HR can get involved.

It’s one of the hardest things to get right, but conflict is commonplace, and to be a successful leader, you should know how to work towards a proper solution.

5 Core Characteristics Every Business Owner Needs to Master

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Core Characteristics|5 Core Characteristics Every Business Owner Needs to MasterWhen you own a business, you must take on many day-to-day duties yourself, especially in the beginning. Over time, you may employ others to fulfill these roles. However, you need to learn and master a whole set of skills before you can taste success.
Successful business owners know the importance of developing their skillset before they can reap profits. With that in mind, here are some core characteristics you must learn first.

Effective Communication

Whether it’s staff, clients, stakeholders, or customers, business owners need to engage with a wide spectrum of people on a day-to-day basis. Therefore, mastering the art of effective communication is crucial to success. Even if you think you’ve got communication down to a tee, it’s worth checking out the communication skills test on the ZandaX website, which is carefully designed and thoroughly researched to identify aspects of how you communicate in just three or four minutes. Brushing up on your skills can make it easier to converse and build long-lasting relationships – which can have real benefits in every aspect of your life.

Leadership

As a business owner, you should already be a natural-born leader. After all, you’re the one who has the final say so and controls what happens underneath your power. You must be confident in your abilities and know when to take charge. While you may have managers who fulfill certain roles, you must show you’re a force to be reckoned with in your own right. Having strong leadership skills can help to build a successful business reputation.


Time Management

Organization is a must for all business owners. You’ll be required to wear many hats throughout your operation to keep everything ticking along nicely. Therefore, learning time management skills and implementing them into your company can help you stay on track and meet deadlines. Time management skills will show that you value your business and know how to manage your workload effectively.

Negotiation

Negotiation forms a large part of deals to be made in business. To negotiate successfully, you need to hold your own and never say yes to the first offer on the table. When meeting with clients, you’ll need to put your negotiation skills to the test to get people on board and have trust in your company. Patience and perseverance can go a long way and help you secure fantastic deals for your business.

Sales and Marketing

You may think you have a great business, but if customers aren’t flocking through the door or to your website, how do you expect to make any money? Spreading brand awareness is paramount for success. Therefore, learning sales and marketing skills can help get people talking and interested in your brand. This may include setting up a professional website, using social media, and utilizing email marketing techniques.
Without mastering the skills listed above, you’ll have a tough time proving your worth in business and getting customers onside. If you have a passion and want to turn it into a profitable venture, taking the time to build your skillset is essential.

4 Educational Courses That Are Useful for Entrepreneurs

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Educational Courses|4 Educational Courses That Are Useful for EntrepreneursWhen you decide to open a business, it’s a good idea to have some previous experience in the industry that your company fits into. This will mean that you have a reasonable, if not excellent, understanding of how things work in that industry and what your customers will expect and demand from you. While this kind of background is key, if you have never managed or owned a business before, there will still be gaps in your knowledge that could impact the overall success of your company. It is important to develop skills in business administration and management if you are going to become a business owner, and below are a few examples of the types of educational courses that could be beneficial to you.

1. Accounting

If you want your business to keep its head above water and be profitable, understanding how to manage the company finances correctly is going to play a huge role in this. Working out monthly, quarterly, and annual budgets are all essential steps, but if you have no previous background in accounting or working with finances in any way, you might not be as well-equipped to do this as you thought. You don’t have to become a fully qualified accountant, and you could always hire one if you wanted some professional help, but taking even a short course in accounting basics could help you understand how to file your company accounts correctly and even how to manage your money better.

2. Marketing

Marketing is another key ingredient to making a business a success, but creating strategies and campaigns, as well as carrying out all the necessary research, can be more complex than you think. It is recommended that you hire a professional marketing agency to help your business if you have limited experience in this, but learning about marketing can be beneficial to you as a business owner. You could even enroll in an online course similar to this master in digital marketing program to help develop your understanding of this field and how to implement marketing strategies in your company.

3. Human Resources

Looking at courses that discuss some or all topics under the HR banner is also worthwhile. You will need to make sure you are creating a safe environment for your employees and that you are adhering to employment laws when you start your company, and if you are a small start-up, you might be taking on the HR duties yourself. Make sure that you understand the complexities of these laws and the different responsibilities of HR to help keep your staff and your company safe.

4. Leadership Skills and Team Management

Another course that you might find useful covers leadership skills and team management. You might be working solo at first, but as your business expands, you will eventually need to hire more employees to help out, and understanding how to manage a team of people effectively will be essential. Being a strong leader that your teams can respect can be more challenging than you think, so understanding how to do this effectively will be invaluable.
If you are planning on starting a business, or have recently done so, consider looking into educational courses that cover these topics to help you develop your entrepreneurial skills.

How to Become a Better Manager

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Become a Better Manager|How to Become a Better ManagerOne of the most important aspects of business is management, yet this can be one of the most tricky and stressful responsibilities for entrepreneurs. Leadership isn’t a trait that comes naturally to everyone, and it may need to be worked on to succeed if you’re going to be undertaking a managerial role. However, failing to show good management traits can have a profound impact on the productivity of the workforce, leading to poor results and lower profits. In this guide, we’re going to look at some of the key ways you can become a better manager and improve your company’s performance:

Motivate your team

One of the most important traits that any leader should have is the ability to motivate their team. Keeping your employees driven and on task is key to your business’s future success. Failing to motivate your employees could lead to tasks being left incomplete and efficiency levels significantly reduced. It can be difficult to know exactly what needs to be done to motivate your team as every individual is different, however, many aspects should be considered. Firstly, allow your employees to voice their opinions freely without judgment. This gives them an insight into the fact that they have a sense of power within the workplace, as opposed to being micromanaged and shut down when they wish to express their concerns.

Secondly, allow your employees to take on additional responsibilities should they wish to. You may not realize it, but if your employees have been working on the same tasks day in and day out, they may be bored to tears and on the lookout for new opportunities. With this in mind, consider how and where they may be able to utilize their skills in other aspects of the business.

Thirdly, being generous with employee benefits is sure to make your employees feel appreciated and are rewarded for their efforts. Due to the high demands for skilled workers in a variety of sectors, it is easy for your employees to job hop when offered a new opportunity elsewhere, so always ensure you’re offering your workforce the very best benefits to retain your very best talent.

Create a positive work environment

A miserable workplace can make going to work a chore for employees so your responsibility as a manager is to create a more positive environment to keep your staff happy and less stressed. Employees can become completely dispirited if there is friction or negativity in the air. Therefore, whenever you notice any drama or issues occurring, it would be in your best interests to resolve them as soon as possible.

As a manager, you should ensure that you are checking in with your employees frequently to address any problems or concerns they may have. You could introduce an ‘open door’ policy through which employees have the freedom to knock on your office door and have a chat whenever they require. These steps for putting your employees’ happiness as a priority will not only improve productivity on a day-to-day basis but could also improve your bottom line.

Give and receive feedback

Many professionals want to get the best out of their employees, but fail to communicate their thoughts concerning their performance, simply out of concern of causing upset or damaging their professional relationship. However, ignoring the fact that things are going wrong and declining the chance to inform your employees can be a detrimental mistake. All employees need regular feedback to understand what they are doing well and where there is room for improvement and should give them a sense of direction on where to focus their efforts during the working day.

When giving feedback, ensure your comments are direct and are backed up with solid evidence. In doing so, your employees will understand exactly how to improve and in which areas they have surpassed expectations.

In addition to providing feedback, it would also be a good idea to allow your employees to have their say on your position as the manager. In doing so, it can help you gain a clearer understanding of how your team perceive you, as well as which management strategies need to be adapted to suit their needs.

Demonstrate effective leadership

It goes without saying that any good manager should have the ability to lead their team by offering support and advice where they see fit. Motivating your workforce to achieve is one thing, but if you aren’t providing any sense of direction, your team will be unaware of how to make use of their time.

Your main role should be overseeing your team’s duties using your leadership qualities without accidentally micromanaging. Employees feel more in control and confident when they have a manager nearby to turn to for assistance. Leadership skills don’t come naturally to every individual, so you may need to learn the basics of what it takes to be a good leader. You can boost your leadership skills by enrolling on a business masters course at Saint Bonaventure University.

Get to know your team on a personal level

How well do you really know your team? Many managers make the mistake of hiring their employees without really getting to know their staff on a more personal level. Whether you have hundreds of employees or just a handful in your organization, you must show interest and aim to understand them both in the workplace and when it comes to their personal needs.

While socializing has been proven difficult over the past 12 months as a result of COVID-19, it has become the norm to have a face-to-face meeting with new employees working remotely, even if it’s simply over Zoom. In doing so, it proves that you’re keen to get to know them much more closely as opposed to a simple email or phone call.

Although you have to remain professional as the manager, there’s nothing wrong with aiming to become friends with your staff; providing everyone is treated in the same manner so that you cannot be reprimanded for showing favoritism.

Be consistent with strategies

In order for your team to constantly perform and deliver, there needs to be the element of consistency from you, by following a certain amount of set processes. Employees take direction from your instructions to ensure tasks are completed by the deadlines, so everyone within the workforce should take this stance when it comes to guidelines.
Be appreciative of their efforts

When you’re trying to become a better manager, you need to pay more attention to how you treat your employees. While your job is to ensure that everyone is on task, you should never take your team’s efforts for granted. When managing a large group, it’s common for individual efforts to go unnoticed – especially if they are more subdued and unconfident individual.

Failing to recognize your employees’ achievements can be a major disaster long-term. Not only will they put their foot on the brake when it comes to efficiency, but they may also look for job roles elsewhere if they believe they’re not valued.

Don’t be afraid of new approaches and techniques

The way businesses are being run is changing by the day, therefore, managers must always stay in the loop when it comes to new trends and working styles. Some managers tend to take the cautious route in fear that the risk will flop; after all, if this were to happen, they will be the ones suffering the consequences. Yet, failing to carry out new approaches means that your business will stay stuck as opposed to progressing.

Taking controlled risks is the only way your business can reach its full potential and is how some of the biggest brand names in the world have got to their position today. Don’t overlook the ideas of your staff when it comes to your business’ development. They are the ones ultimately working on the front line and have a clear understanding of how things are going and what should be done better. Listening to your employees and taking a leap of faith with their ideas may not only work in your favor but is also a proven factor in employee retention.

Being the manager of a business is no easy task. Unless you have been a manager previously, it can take time to adjust to the responsibility of the position and be one of most difficult professional roles you will ever experience. Nevertheless, once you notice that your efforts are delivering impressive results, it will certainly give you that feel-good factor and perhaps strive to do even better. If you have never managed a team before, knowing how to conduct yourself and the policies to introduce to your team can be a challenge, yet it is simply a learning curve that will develop and improve over time. Hopefully this blog has given you some helpful hints to take on board as a new manager and give your team the very best chance of success.