Today’s article will teach you 21 different ways to become a better leader. I think you will really enjoy reading this article. It will teach you so many different ways on how to be a better leader. Because if you’re going to be a business owner, you also need to be a great leader. Right?
Being a better leader can be simplified down to ‘always thinking of more ways to listen and help’. It is also about modeling strong, positive leadership through example.
Being a Great Leader
Here are twenty-one ways to up your game as a positive leader.
Get Out There and Make Connections
The best leaders are insatiable at learning and improving every area of their lives. Part of this involves just getting out there and networking. Talk to peers and competitors, to find out what’s important to them nowadays. Go to conferences and symposiums and talk to experts. Want to ask someone a question? If you are close enough to have their phone number, just phone and ask!
Some of the best leaders are also introverts. It’s tough cold-calling or putting yourself out there if you’re one too—but thesuccessful introvert leaders all say the same thing: You just have to do it. (And that it does get easier!)
Be Solution-Oriented
Weak leaders shame-and-blame. Strong leaders hone in on specific problems and look for solutions. And they’re especially good at thinking up ‘third alternatives’ or out-of-the-box fixes that far exceed the standard solutions.
Be Action-Oriented
Strong leaders not only look for solutions, but they are also the first to take action on them and implement them. Leaders will find out the best people for specific tasks while others are still discussing possibilities. Leaders will fix plumbing leaks, find caterers at the last minute while others are bewailing a cooking disaster, and generally build up a “get-‘er-done” mentality.
And that includes getting it done for your people!
Don’t Be a Weak Leader
Ask for Help
Part of being solution-oriented and action-oriented is knowing when to admit you need help when to ask for help – and then doing so! A good leader never hesitates to say, “Can you show me how to do this?” or, “Will you explain this to me, please?”
That’s because a great leader knows his or her own worth but is immune to the ego.
Accept Responsibility
Leaders and excuses don’t go together. A strong leader never hesitates to admit when he or she is wrong about something.
Be a Lifelong Learner
Great leaders are voracious learners. They read books, as well as search the net. They are not afraid to go to the source and ask the experts. They listen to podcasts in their cars; go to seminars and workshops; find out how things work and know exactly who to call on for a myriad of needs or situations.
This type of curiosity is a great habit to develop—and it will keep you ahead of your competition and help you come up with concrete or decisive answers when others are still dithering.
Do Some Research
Do Your Homework
Effective leaders will take the time to do the research. And if they commission other people to do the research for them, they take the time to go over the results and make sure they understand all implications.
Use Mentors and Coaches
Great leaders never think of themselves as the top of the heap: There is always someone else they admire, follow, model themselves after, or consult. And they’re not afraid to admit it or shout out to their mentors, either.
Think back over your life: Who was your inspiration? Your mentor? If you’ve let them drop by the wayside, use this as a reminder to reconnect and keep up that valuable connection.
Be Approachable
Nothing will endear you to your community more than approachability … especially if you protect yourself by making sure you also have clear boundaries around access.
If people feel you are approachable, they also feel that you care about them. You’ll never be the dreaded “tyrant boss” or coach, and by setting times and ways for contact, it ensures that contact occurs in a controlled manner and doesn’t burn you out.
Do you Have Skills?
Actively Develop Your Communication Skills
Great leaders have great communication skills. They use these to convey visions, inspire people, negotiate a positive way through conflicts, and above all, they are great listeners. But they also actively develop these skills. They know that most people aren’t born with them, and they will go out of their way to acquire the best communications skills they can.
Use ‘We’ instead of ‘I’
When you use ‘I’ statements within a leadership role, you subconsciously set yourself on a pedestal. Are you focusing on tasks and goals to accomplish, including your team by saying ‘we’ and giving them ownership of the task and goal?
When you do say ‘I’ make sure it’s paired with statements such as appreciation or gratitude statements, or include as many ‘you’ and ‘we’ statements as ‘I’ ones.
Everybody Needs Somebody
Learn to Read Beyond What’s Spoken
Another top leader super-skill: ‘Reading’ people. This means not just listening to what’s said, but being able to accurately interpret other clues, such as tone, body language, and facial expressions. Effective leaders don’t let such things slipstream over them. They are able to instantly recognize when someone is dubious about something they’re in the middle of agreeing to, or being evasive under expressions of confidence—and get to the heart of the matter in a positive and reassuring way.
Give Your Team the Right Tools
One of the easiest ways to enable and encourage your team to not only do a great job but enjoy and be inspired by the process is to give them the right tools. Don’t skimp on this: Giving your contractor or team member the pro version of the right tool will increase productivity and speed up the creation process.
And your team members will really appreciate your support.
Be Aware of Your Own Body Language, Too
Don’t just focus on the body language of the people you are speaking to. Check your own body language, too! Do you look people you are speaking to in the eyes? Are you smiling and focusing on radiating a positive attitude? Are you lethargic, animated—or too animated? Are you practice “open” body language (angling toward your guest, for example, not crossing your arms or legs; or using wide-arm gestures that include the audience and bring them in).
Have you previously even thought of what your own body language says?
Are You Creating the Best Experience?
Develop an Engaging Speaking Style
Record yourself speaking on more than one occasion; both informally and formally (e.g. when giving a speech or running through a podcast or webinar script). Play these practice runs back and listen.
Do you put yourself to sleep or do you do the opposite, and chatter so fast that you sound like a squirrel after espresso? Do you practice good breathing, so that your voice is resonant, not squeaky or ‘thin’? Are you fall back too frequently on meaningless phrases like ‘basically’? Do you repeat clichés and specific words too often? Are you hemming and hawing and stumbling?
Above all, is your voice real, authentic, clear, and warm?
Analyze your own voice objectively. Listen for all these things, decide where and how you need to improve and do it!
Make a Habit of Being Goal-Oriented
The best leaders zero in on whatever goal they’re working on and move toward it without distraction.
Learn to cut out tangents and irrelevancies, and focus on your goals, be they huge or small; the ‘big picture’ or a detail. Learn not to allow yourself to be distracted into reactive mode, and get your team members effortlessly back on track.
I AM The BOSS!
Don’t Be a Boss: Be a Leader!
A boss suffers from pedestal thinking: She thinks of her team members as minions instead of fellow professionals.
A leader doesn’t regard herself as the center of the universe: She shares the spotlight, the problems, and the praise with her team.
She gives credit, not takes it: A leader steps back to let her team shine. A leader helps people grow and is remembered as an inspiration in years to come.
Be Prepared to Be a Decision Maker and Take Risks
Great leaders do something else that sets them apart from other professionals: After they have done the research, analyzed the facts, and brainstormed with their teams, they:
Make decisions
Take risks
This is because they have taught themselves not to fear failure. Great leaders know that sometimes projects or ideas fall short.
But they also know that avoiding decision-making and never taking a chance is the real failure!
Creating Habits
Listen for the ‘Wee Small Voice’
Great leaders are also not afraid to question themselves and their assumptions. They learn to be aware of that niggling inner voice that tells one that something isn’t right; or simply leads to a hint of nervousness or fear.
Experienced leaders question this ‘wee small voice’ immediately on becoming aware of it. They get to the ‘why’ behind the doubt or fear and face it head-on. Then they take action to eliminate potential problems that might have been causing the fear. They never let fear rule them or hide in sabotage.
Be Proactive—not Reactive
It’s easy—especially when you are an online entrepreneur—to slip into reactive mode, and end up feeling like a chicken running around with its head cut off: Especially when you have many irons in the fire and people depending on you. But be sure to make time for things that matter (like your health and personal life), and be as proactive as you can. Plan things ahead of time. Delegate.
And once you’ve done all that, learn how to let things go.
Make Time for the Things That Matter
Great leaders do their best to avoid burnout. They know they are human, just like everyone else. And they make sure they recharge their batteries with strong, healthy self-care—and they nurture important personal relationships. You should know that they carry the same respect they show in the workplace back home.
Take Care of Yourself
So, develop a healthy self-care routine:
Meditate or pray
Eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible
Drink at least six glasses of water daily
Cut down on carbs and alcohol
Cut down on other bad habits that can sabotage your health (such as smoking, inactivity)
Forgive
Be grateful
Take time to notice all your blessings
Do something fun
Focus on your family
Give back to your local community or charities you believe in
Read entertaining books and listen to fun podcasts, as well as business ones
Get a hobby
Relax
Get a good night’s sleep every night
Do even half of the above, and you’ll find yourself more alert, more focused—and you’ll have more fun being the leader you were meant to be!
Did you know that having an online business has lots of advantages for you? Online business owners can save a ton of money on gas, and they don’t have to worry about dressing a certain way for work. All that is needed is to designate work time for your business. They can even take their work with them anywhere they go, as long as an internet connection is available.
But every type of business has its pitfalls, and online businesses are no exception.
One of the biggest challenges that online business owners face is staying on task. The internet is a big place, so to speak, and it is full of distractions. There are forums, chatrooms, and blog conversations to participate in. Then there are friends and family to send instant messages to. And don’t forget about those emails to check! The list goes on and on. And I’m sure you have a big checklist of things to do for your clients as well!
It’s very easy to get sidetracked when you work online. But it is important not to let distractions affect your productivity. Even if you’re not getting paid by the hour, time is still money.
So how do you designate work time for your business? Do you set aside so many hours a day, so many hours a week or do you just play it by ear? This last one gets you nowhere by the way!
Set Hours and Stick to Them
One of the advantages of being your own boss is the ability to set your own hours. This is particularly true when you have an online business because you don’t necessarily have to keep hours that are convenient to your customers. But it is important to actually set working hours instead of just working when the mood strikes you.
During designated work time, avoid using the internet for non-work-related activities as this is essential to your productivity.
Here are some ways you can help yourself do that:
Segregate your email
Use one address for personal correspondence and another for business purposes. Set your email program up to automatically check the business one only.
Write notes to yourself
If something pops into your head that you must attend to online, don’t let it interrupt your work. Write it down and take care of it during non-work hours. A good app for that is Keep and you can get that right in your Gmail account.
Are You Open or Closed?
Write yourself a note reminding yourself that work time is for work only, or put up an “Open” sign. It can serve as a gentle reminder that business is the only thing that should be taking place.
Use Flexibility Wisely
Another great thing about working online is flexibility. If something comes up and you need to attend to it right away, you can drop what you’re doing and attend to it. But it’s crucial to only use that privilege when absolutely necessary.
When you have an unexpected interruption, you lose working hours. If you were working at a regular job, you would have to either take sick or vacation time or lose pay. When you work for yourself, you can make the hours up at a time that is convenient for you. It is, however, important to make them up at some point.
An online business is one of the most convenient and flexible ways to work from home. It also presents more opportunities for distraction than many people imagine.
Online business success requires a lot of discipline, but the rewards are many.
One thing that works really well is to have a daily schedule you can look at to make sure you’re on track for your day. So here’s one you can use to keep you on track.
Today’s article is about, you guessed it, do I really need a business plan and why do I need one? Many people who start a business never take the time to write out a business plan. And that is a big mistake in my opinion.
Business Plans
A business plan can greatly increase your chances of success. And I’m assuming that you want your business to be a success, am I right?
The following are some reasons why every business needs to put a business plan into writing.
It helps to map out your future
If you have decided you are ready to start a business, your first step should be to write out your plans for what you want to do with the business and where you see the business going in the future. You have probably heard the old saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” That is very true when it comes to your business. The more planning you do in the beginning, the greater success you will see in the future.
To secure financing
If you decide to take your home business to the next level, a business plan can help you secure financing. A financial institution will want to see, in writing, the reasons that they should loan you money. Simply walking in and telling them why you know you’ll be a success isn’t good enough. However, if you can hand your lender a document that states your business idea, your business goals, a list of steps you plan to take in order to reach your goals, as well as your estimated earnings, you will be seen as a professional and the lender will take you more seriously.
Determines your Action Plan
Your plan will also help you determine your action plan. Your action plan consists of the steps you plan on taking in order to achieve your goals. This is another task that people usually sidestep. Instead of “just kind of knowing” or “having the ideas in your head”, you should take the time to put them on paper. The reason this part of the business plan is so important is that it literally walks you from point A to point B. While your business plan, in general, serves as a map, your action plan is the “turn-by-turn directions.”
Having a business plan to present to your spouse or partner can also help them to realize your business idea is more than just a passing amusement. This can really help you, especially if they are skeptical. They can see that you are serious and will become more helpful and more encouraging. Having the support of your spouse or partner can really motivate you and help you find success. And that’s what you want your business to be, successful!
Need help with planning this out? I would be happy to help you. Book a call with me here – Free Appointment
Your Business Plans Effect on Marketing is our topic of discussion today. Some people say you don’t need a business plan, some say you do need one. So, what is the real answer to this question?
What is a Business Plan?
A business plan serves as the guidebook to your business. Your business plan should communicate what your business is, how you plan on growing it, and what steps you are going to take to achieve your success. See? Easy answer! But, when you work online, your business plan might not look like a traditional marketing plan.
Your business plan also has a huge effect on your marketing efforts. Your business plan can help you decide what type of marketing will add value to your business and which types of marketing will simply be time wasters.
By writing out your business ideas and goals, you can determine your target market. Your target market is the group of people that you want to promote your products or services to. Determining your target market is the first step in planning your marketing efforts. See, this is the right answer!!
Having a business plan, and knowing who your target market is, will lead you to create your marketing plan. A marketing plan is similar to a business plan in the sense that it acts as a guide and helps you stay focused.
What is a Marketing Plan?
A marketing plan is a written plan of action that communicates how you are going to market your business. There are many ways to market your business, such as flyers, paid ads (newspapers, magazines, online), business cards, speaking in front of groups, becoming a guest on a radio show or television program, pay-per-click campaigns, direct mail, and more.
Your business and marketing plans serve as tools in deciding which marketing ideas will work best with your business and your particular brand. It can be easy to try too many different marketing approaches. Whenever you feel confused about your marketing efforts, take some time to re-read your business plan. This can help you decide if the new marketing idea will actually reach your target market and if it is worth trying.
A Few Ways to Market Your Business
Developing relationships with other business owners that offer complementary products is a great way to market your business. When you know which direction you plan to grow your business, you can start scouting out possible future business partners.
So, for instance, if you have created your own line of organizational handbags and would like to start offering diaper bags, you can start researching the top baby-focused websites and see if they would be interested in helping you promote your diaper bags. Doing your research is critical to figuring out who would be best to help you and your business.
Your marketing plan should also include information on how you plan on keeping your customers after the initial purchase. Some ideas include customer-only sales, backend sales opportunities, customer-only freebies, etc.
Now, what would you include in your marketing plan?
If you are looking for help making your business plan or your marketing plan I can help you.
Fill out the form below and I’ll contact you.
Or here’s my calendar link to schedule a Free Connection call: FREE CALL
How to Create a Pattern of Success is today’s topic. If you want to get ahead in your life, you must take the information below to heart. Believe me, if you want your business to be successful, you will do what it takes to get there.
Once you experience success, you will be able to look back and realize that you achieve all success pretty much the same way. You set a goal, follow through on the tasks needed to be done for achieving results. You keep an open mind, learn from others, track your successes and learn from failure. It’s the same thing, over and over again. And it works.
If you want to create a pattern of success in your life, you can start now by learning the secret that successful people know. Successful people are only successful because they are doers and they follow through. They are not smarter than others; in fact, it is entirely possible you are smarter on paper than they are.
You just don’t follow through!
Listed below are some of the very best actions you can take to make your business successful.
The Realization
Become a Goal Setting Expert
Start at the top and learn how to craft the best goals for yourself. Know that the goal is something that can be accomplished. And know that the goal is measurable before you finish writing it. Most of all, make sure it’s a goal that you really want to achieve. The benefits of goal setting are #1 in my book.
Schedule Everything
People who achieve are doers. If you want to get something done, schedule it no matter how silly it might seem to you. If you put it in a schedule at a particular time, and not just on a generic “to do” list, it will be more likely that you get it done. You will eventually gain more time in your day, believe me.
For instance, if you have set a goal to write an 80,000-word novel by a certain date, then you should know how many pages you need to get done each week and which days you can work on it, which times, hours, and how long it takes you to write a page. Successful writers write; they don’t wait for inspiration to strike. They schedule it and do it. The same can be said for anything you want to achieve. You don’t wait until you want to do it; you do it on schedule.
The Win
Automate the Mundane
There are a lot of things that need to be done but that can escalate easily into “busy work” which doesn’t get you closer to a goal. Bookkeeping for instance is something that can be accomplished today, with the right software, almost automatically. You can schedule payments to happen automatically; you can also use software that enters everything for you in the ledger. Freeing up time to focus on your scheduled activities that must be done to achieve the goal is a more productive use of time. It will definitely give you a win for the day.
Get Outside Expert Help
To be a success doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself. You’re not on your own. The best scientists, professors, doctors, lawyers, and CEOs have assistants who help them look great. You too can hire outside help and contractors to help you do the tasks needed to reach your goals. Other than doing exercise for you and things you must do physically for yourself, there isn’t much you can’t outsource today.
Real Progress
Stop Reinventing the Wheel
In most cases, someone has already done it before you. Someone has already worked out the kinks and devised a plan of action that will work for you too with hardly any tweaks. Learn from other people’s mistakes and realize that you can gain valuable information from what others are already doing.
Never Stop Learning
They say it takes ten thousand hours of reading about a topic to become an expert on any subject. Keep this in mind as you look toward your future and set your goals. If you want to be an expert, you’ll need to start today building up those ten thousand hours. Even if you know nothing about a topic today, you can be an expert in just ten thousand hours.
The Victory
Know Your Core Values
So, as you set goals to create a pattern of success, it’s imperative that you know what your core values are in terms of family, personal, financial, and physical life. Everyone has different areas they need to work on more than others – you need to know what your areas are to set realistic goals that you want to meet.
Track, Assess, Repeat
Nothing is ever done without the paperwork, as they say. Well, that includes creating a pattern of success. Only by setting goals, then tracking and assessing the results of the goals, and then repeating what works will you create a pattern of success.
In conclusion, creating a pattern of success requires knowledge of goal setting, goal achieving, and in-depth knowledge of yourself.
Starting today you can gain that knowledge and create a real pattern of success in your life.
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