Photo Credits: Leon from Unsplash
Welcome to our blog, friend! Keeping in line with our upcoming event, this week’s guide is on leadership! Using my experience and teachings, I complied beginner-friendly tips to help you become a better leader.
SWOT Analysis
Creating a S.W.O.T. analysis should be the first step you take, as it will help you understand how your business is performing. Additionally, it will generate information you can use to influence the direction you lead your business in. It is simple, but it works! Some examples of questions you should ask yourself include:
Strengths: What are you doing better? What do you provide that others don’t? How do customers see you?
Weaknesses: What are you struggling with? What does your competition provide that you don’t? How do customers see other businesses?
Opportunities: What trends can you take advantage of? How can your strengths be made into new chances?
Threats: What is your competition doing? How can your weaknesses harm you? How is your industry changing?
Set Reasonable Goals
Use the S.M.A.R.T method to define what needs to be done and how you’ll achieve it. Using this method for goal setting will increase motivation, task clarity and will improve your chance of completion. They are:
Specific: Do not be vague, use numbers and deadlines. “Increase following by 10% by June” instead of “get more followers.”
Measurable: Be able set goals that can be tracked and have success that is quantifiable. Clearly outline what needs to be done so you can evaluate your progress.
Achievable: Challenge yourself but be realistic, understand the resources you have and create goals accordingly. Don’t assign a 100-person task to your team of 5 or expect a new campaign to be done overnight.
Relevant: Make sure the goals align with your business and will improve it in some aspect. Would making this goal a priority be worthwhile to you?
Time-bound: Set a hard deadline instead of “eventually,” this will help motive your team and allow you to track progression.
Photo Credits: Mihai Lazar from Unsplash
Be Honest and Accountable
Deliver on what you promise and don’t promise what you can’t deliver. Hold not only your team, but yourself accountable and hone up to your shortcomings. Failing is never fun, but it is a part of life. Remember that your failures don’t define you, but how you choose to rebound from them. Set clear expectations for the tasks you assign so you can get the results you want with no confusion.
Improve Your Listening
Listening is not only a sense, but a skill. You can get a lot of excellent ideas from outside perspectives as a leader so take advantage of them! Whether it is feedback from your workers or reviews from your clients, utilize their perspectives to make positive changes to your business. Recognize that even as a leader you do not have all the answers, and no one expects you to! Ask for opinions, ideas, or advice and make sure to give credit where it is due.
Another tip (which can be applied to your everyday life) is to stop thinking about what YOU want to say when someone is talking to you; absorb what the other person is saying and ask questions about what they say. This will not only help you to understand what the person is talking about but will improve rapport and appear compassionate.
Photo Credits: Patrick Fore from Unsplash
Communicate Better
Expanding on the point made in the “Listening” section; create two channels for feedback that you can monitor: one for workers and partners, and the other for customers. Take the time to regularly check in with both parties to ensure you can capitalize on their feedback. Make minor changes more frequently rather than major changes occasionally to avoid frustration and wasted resources.
Additionally, write down what you are going to say when drafting instructions or preparing a presentation to see if it can be condensed or re-arranged in a way that is easier to digest. Everyone learns in different ways, so ensure content is delivered in multiple forms.
