Not all leaders have the leadership. I became a business owner and had the leadership position, but I didn’t have the leadership and just didn’t know how to influence my team. It took me a while to crack it. I want to share and also remind myself of the 3 easy exercises that helped me.
1. Show up.
Showing up is easy to do when things are going well for you. How about if you knew it’s going be a rough day? Or if you have to face an opponent or tough decisions? You would want to avoid them and not want to show up. There were times that I dreaded going to work, because I knew I had to deal with people/problems that bullied me. You have to push through that. Here is a solution: All you need to do is get there first and leave last. Literally, you just have to show up! People will notice your commitment and expect your leadership.
2. Do not try to please everyone every time.
You have to balance between love and discipline. I’m a people person, so I naturally try to please my employees, suppliers, customers, and myself. I know there are a lot books that emphasize the importance of making people happy. That is half true. You have to make them happy but what’s equally important is the discipline to do the right thing. When your customers, for example, ask for an unreasonable discount or favor that will hurt the long-term prospect, you have to be able to say no to that. If you don’t do the right thing, it always haunts you back. This candid approach is a basis for clear and efficient communication, which is a must-have quality for leaders.
3. Little Things First.
Leaders often face with many difficult problems. As a leader, you feel like you have to tackle the big problems first. However, big problems are difficult to solve and require a long-term commitment. Important things first doesn’t always work for leaders. For example, if you want to change a corporate culture, you cannot just shove it down to your team members. This is when you have to start with the easiest tasks like changing seating arrangements. When the little accomplishments add up, the big problems no longer seem impossible, and often, the solutions reveal themselves along the way. When you want to solve big problems, try little things first.
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