As a manager in a leadership position you may find yourself constantly struggling with the idea that you need to keep everyone happy all the time. Perhaps you’re worried that if your employees or coworkers aren’t happy they won’t do their jobs or their deadlines won’t be met. As such, some managers seem to get a little bit soft in their leadership – trying to hard to be friends with everyone and forgetting that they’re actually in charge of the group.

There are four main skills a fearless leader needs to have. They include:

• The ability to speak the truth when it needs to be heard, regardless of whether or not the listeners will agree (and the skill to speak the truth tactfully);
• The ability to encourage team members to express their differing opinions while encouraging debate;
• The ability to listen (and listen well); and
• The ability to accept the fact that failure is a possible outcome.

You can, of course, have all of these skills, have a functional team, and still be on friendly terms with every member of your team. You should be working as a unit but your projects and goals should always be your main focus.

Are they? Or have things gotten out of control?

Today I want you to take a look at your team structure and decide whether or not you need to step up your leadership skills. Are you ready to fearlessly take your team to the next level?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

It’s one thing to be the manager of a department or workgroup, but it takes a very special person to be a leader. While popular sayings would have you believe that leaders are born and not made, I do believe it’s possible for anyone with desire to learn how to be an effective leader.

That said, there are a few things every good leader needs to have in order to be effective.

The first is a set of great creative skills. You need to be creative in order to generate new ideas. Being creative doesn’t mean you have to be ready to pull a new idea out of your back pocket at the drop of a hat, though. It means being able to find resources and find ways to effectively implement them in an appropriate manner.

Analytical skills are essential to your success as well. If you’re presented with a group of ideas you’ll need to be able to look at them and use a certain set of criteria to determine which ideas are good, which are not, and which merely need a bit of improvement.

Finally, the development of your practical skills is incredibly important. Your practical skills will give you the ability to take the ideas you’ve developed, implement them, and convince your team and others that they are both effective and valuable.

Put these three skills together and you’ll have the tools you need to be a dynamite leader. It will take time to perfect your skills, but in the end you’ll appreciate the effort you’ve put into developing your own leadership potential.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Anyone can be a leader – at least the kind that tells other people what to do. It takes a truly special person, however, to be the kind of leader that others want to follow. In order to be successful as a manager you should be the kind of leader your employees and team members look up to.

Here are a few things you should keep in mind as you develop your leadership potential:

5. Lead Yourself

Anyone can give out orders, but not everyone can follow his own. A “do as I say, not as I do” type of attitude will not endear you to your employees. Practice what you preach and your team members will follow.

4. Participate

A good leader doesn’t sit back and do nothing while his team members do all the work. Great leaders play an important role in the planning and execution of any plan. You’ve taken the time to build a great team – now take the time to work with them.

3. Listen

Just because you’re the leader doesn’t mean you have the only (or best) ideas. Listen to the feedback your team members give you and take it into consideration as you plan your next project. Taking advice from your team members doesn’t mean you’re incompetent. It means you’re open to new thoughts and ideas.

2. Commit Yourself to the Company Goals

You shouldn’t expect your employees to be loyal to the organisation if you’re not. Take a look at your company’s goals, objectives, and mission statement. Are you working towards meeting those goals with every action? If not, reevaluate the impression you’re sending to your team.

1. Learn from Your Mistakes

No one is perfect. We all learn from our mistakes and move on. Accept that you are not immune to error just because you’re in a leadership position. As a matter of fact, use your mistakes as a learning experience for your team.

Remember, your subordinates are watching you at all times. It’s not what you do, but the way you handle yourself that they’re going to focus on the most. Are you prepared?

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

As a manager, you must act as a leader at all times. Your employees and team members will look up to you for advice, assistance, and sometimes to merely examine how you react to certain situations within the workplace. As you grow and evolve as a leader you’ll find that your employees are growing with you, so you need to set a positive example at all times. Here are a few leadership skills you should keep in mind and work to develop as time goes by.

Versatility

A good leader must be versatile enough to deal with a number of different personalities, learning styles, and challenges. You never know how many people you’ll have to lead, through what type of challenge, or for how long. You must learn to be strong and adaptable.

Personal Behaviour

Imagine that every single thing you say or do is being watched under a finely tuned microscope. Your staff will watch every action you make and upper management is likely watching you closely as well. Your verbal expressions, body language, and attitude will all reflect back on you as your team adapts. Do you have the type of attitude you want to see in your employees? If not, take action to change it soon!

Communication

We talk about the importance of great management and communication skills quite frequently, but what you need to remember is that your attitude and business ethic communicates just as much as your words and body language. Be consistent at all times, regardless of how or when you are communicating – casually, in a meeting, or in a conference.

Evolving Environments

Is your department a fun place to work, or do you have a reputation for harboring a stressful atmosphere? You need to take charge of not only delegating tasks but also of motivating your team throughout the day. Make your department fun with games, occasional casual conversation, or something creative.

You have control of how you are perceived as a leader. Carefully monitor your attitude and how you communicate with others and you’ll soon find your team members are looking up to you rather than wondering why you’re in charge!

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Courses

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

Some leaders are born, while others are created. It’s often difficult, especially as a manager, to convince others to follow in our footsteps, but it is possible. Whether you’re a natural born leader or not, the following qualities can and should be nurtured in order to enhance your leadership abilities.

Vision

Do you have a vision and are you able to share that vision with your team? Having a vision means you know what path you want to take in order to achieve optimal end results. Your communication skills must be strong enough to effectively convince your followers that your path is the right choice given the current situation.

Dedication

Are you really dedicated to your work? Are you willing, if necessary, to spend extra long hours at the office to get the job done? Your dedication will inspire your team members to share the same level of enthusiasm.

Humility

Humility means being able to recognize that you are no better off than anyone else on your team, regardless of your salary or job title. You’re all human and you all make mistakes. Your job status doesn’t exempt you from error.

Fairness

A good leader needs to be able to make fair decisions regardless of how he or she may feel personally about a given situation. Fairness means looking at the facts, not each team member’s personal opinions about them, and then making an educated decision.

Humor

Let’s face it – laughter is the best medicine. People are happy when they are laughing, and laughter eases tension and increases productivity (in moderation, of course). Those stuck in a boring or hostile workplace won’t accomplish much. Put your sense of humor to work and keep the entire team happy.

These are, of course, only a few leadership qualities you should keep in mind but they offer you an excellent place to start. Take a look at your day to day interactions with your team and determine whether or not you need to tweak your leadership style. Good luck!

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”