Become a LEADER –

        Leaders are not born, they develop.

        They are people who must make hard decisions and take the initiative from time to time.

        This year make an effort to develop and improve your leadership skills.

        As a leader, you must belong to a team or group and be able to influence, guide and shape the attitudes, expectations and behaviour of others.

                You can become a leader by studying,  practising and acting on constructive feedback.         Invite and listen to comments from colleagues, friends and family.

        Don’t defend criticisms, be grateful for any criticism you receive.

        You must learn to manage yourself before you can set a good example for others.

A Handful of Tips to help you improve your leadership skills

* Be Ambitious

        Build trust. Engage in honest open communication with your team.

        Create a vision. Focus on that vision and communicate it to others.

        Stretch yourself by setting goals and objectives and work to achieve them.

        Focus attention on the important issues.

* Accept responsibilities

       Don’t procrastinate when important decisions are called for. Lead from the front.

        Develop an enthusiastic loyalty to your employer and your people.

* Continuously improve your skills

       Master good communication skills – these are basic for all good leaders.

       Learn to ask basic questions and listen with great care. Don’t interrupt when others are speaking.  Hear them out before you comment.

        Seek mentors from leaders you admire.

        Make powerful friends by networking at professional organisations and service clubs. 

* Learn the acts of training and delegation

       Encourage your people to constantly undertake training, and learn new skills. Set a good example your self.

        Keep up-to-date with modern technical and political knowledge.

        Delegate decision making down to the lowest levels where the action takes place.

        Trust your people and don’t interfere.        

Expect results and praise good works.

* Inspire people to achieve 

        Keep calm in times of stress.

        Make an effort to be flexible. Try adjusting your behaviour to meet the experience, knowledge,  and skills of others.

        Let people learn from their mistakes.

        Always be fair and considerate to others.

        Remove as many bureaucratic rules as possible from your organisation.

        Great leaders exhibit integrity at all times.       Leaders set high standards and inspire others to achieve.

Geoffrey Moss(mossassociates.co.nz)

“The art of leadership consists in getting people to do what you want done, because they want to do it.”

For those in need,  download our FREE book “NO JOB! WHAT NOW? available from our website.

Source: Time-Savers, Moss Associates. Ltd  New Zealand; McGraw-Hill, Australia; Times Business Books,  a Federal Publishing House, Singapore and  Qingdao Publishing House, China.