Leadership Is an Art: 3 Ways You Can Master It
To become an entrepreneur, you must become a leader first. But how to be a good one? Everyone has to love and respect you, so you can take your company forward without worrying about employees quitting left and right. Do you have to be strict and fearful? Or should you chill in the breakroom with your employees? What makes a true leader?
In my latest podcast episode, business coach Rajiv Talreja made a comeback. We had an intense discussion regarding the startup culture of our country. Effective leadership was a recurring topic throughout. So today, let’s find ways to ace the leadership game.
1. Expand your vision
Don’t just think of the next month or year when you start something. Plan the next ten years. Create a vision board. That is the first step of effective leadership, and it creates the difference between good and brilliant businesses. You should have the courage to set the goal and then build backward. That doesn’t mean you forget about the daily struggles. However, while achieving short-term goals, do keep the ultimate vision in mind.
Let’s say an employee asks you, so what’s next? As a leader and as an entrepreneur, you should have the answer. Presenting a clear map of the company’s goals, past accomplishments, and projected trajectory will motivate every dedicated employee.
2. People management skills
Great businesses are built by a core team of competent employees. No entrepreneur can make it alone. To be a good leader, you must have the skills to identify and nurture a good team. They should care for you and the company but don’t hesitate to question you. When you supervise many people, you must understand how to solve the unique problems each member faces.
This can only happen if you have good management skills. It is not a hardcore technical skill you can acquire by reading books and earning a degree; these soft skills only come from experience.
3. Being a soft leader
Force and authority are not sustainable measures of effective leadership. You have to be accountable for results while also prioritizing bonds and relationships. Being a great leader is to get your work done for the ultimate purpose you aspire for. Commanding directly may be ineffective in the long run. Express what you want. People will do it because they love and care about you.
Having said that, love alone will not work. Love is one essence of being a leader, and so is courage. A leader knows who they need to be in a tough situation. You need to be soft and loving while giving your employees a hearing of their life if they mess up. But it should be done with due respect. The receivers should understand you are displeased with them, but you care for them. Do not be afraid to be soft but brutally honest whenever needed.
Just as it is true that everyone cannot be a leader, it is also true that being a leader is not like climbing Everest. You can do it, but you have to be patient and calm. You need to talk less, hear more, and build an environment that only nurtures talent because that constitutes effective leadership.
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