HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE BEING A GOOD LEADER?

As a smart business owner, you have always understood the importance of building a strong team. You look for people who know their stuff and who are committed to being team-players. Working alongside these stellar humans is always a pleasure; together you have created some beautiful things, and in appreciation for their commitment and hard work you want to ensure that you’re the kind of leader that they need in order to grow and enjoy what they do.

How do you know you’re actually being a good leader? Let’s stop for a few minutes and share some thoughts about what makes a leader great….

• The best leaders are passionate. They’re passionate about developing emerging leaders in their sphere of influence, passionate about preparation and embracing change. 
• The best leaders have faith. They have faith in their beliefs and faith in their team. These leaders demonstrate this faith by listening to team members and by being great communicators, as well as in setting good examples and never giving up. 
• The best leaders make the hard choices. They practice self-sacrifice when necessary in order to enhance the lives of those around them. 
• The best leaders earn the respect of their team. This is crucial to a successful business relationship. When a leader practices empathy and care of others while showing them respect, these actions will cause them in turn to gain the respect of those that follow them. 
• The best leaders know their team. Knowing all the strengths, and the weaknesses, of each team member will help a great leader to manage outcomes. A leader will maintain a vision and use all their resources to handle the challenges faced while bringing the vision to fruition. A great leader knows that it is the people they lead that actually determine the success or failure of any venture, and they will surround themselves with great people that they can cultivate into a team of winners. 
• The best leaders possess a clear vision. They are courageous and committed to integrity, honesty, humility, and a clear focus. They know where the company is going and they are able to communicate the vision in a way that inspires the team to achieve the dream. 
• The best leaders focus on helping others. They are people who lead by positive direction, building agreement among team members. Great leadership is not about who is boss; it’s about keeping the team focused on the endgame, keeping them motivated, and ensuring that they are the best they can be. A great leader doesn’t lead by force, but by encouragement, motivation, and example. 

Being a great leader requires constant professional and personal development and an openness to feedback from both the team and mentors. Self-reflection and developing a plan to take action on feedback as it is received are also best practices for a great leader; they are also rarely satisfied with their current performance. 

There is a lot of information out there that you can pull from to help you grow as a leader, but sometimes it helps to sit down with someone and talk through all the challenges you may be facing. I offer both one-time review sessions, as well as business mentoring and longer programs to get you going in the right direction. Contact me, Anna-Vija McClain, today and let’s set up a time to get together.