To build respect as a leader, you need to continually learn. In order to be a truly invaluable leader, you have to master many skills. Each situation is unique, and you must learn what it’s going to take for you to become a better leader.
Let your team know what you expect. Use your mission like a compass with company values integrated into daily experiences. Communicate this with your team and let them step into their roles to meet goals. It is smart and helps to build relationships and give people direction.
Your employees do not have the ability to read your mind. Communicate exactly how you want a task to be completed, when you want it completed, and by what method you want it done. Have an open door policy. You want your staff to feel comfortable seeking your advice and asking for clarification if they feel something is unclear.
Creativity is something that good leaders foster in their team. Creativity enhances the abilities of everyone around you, and it inspires your business to do great things. Be open to innovation and unexpected courses of action. Remain open to new ideas, even those that do not appear feasible at the moment. You should assist others in blending their ideas with the current needs of the company.
Great leaders always keep a eye to the future. You have to know what it takes to see the future so you can figure out how to plan for what’s coming up. Of course, you cannot always know what will happen, but it is important to hone this skill over time. Keep asking yourself where you’ll be six months from now, or even a year, then you can plan for it.
Make ethical choices. Ethics plays a huge role in any business. When customers know that you have their best interests at heart, they will be faithful to your company. By getting together a set of responsibilities that show how moral your business is, your rules will start to be followed by people.
Leadership is all about finding your own way to best guiding other people while holding true essential values that are universal. Taking what you learned and applying it to your life will be a big help to you. An effective leader is always willing to learn and is always humble.
There are tremendous opportunities for small businesses and social entrepreneurs to support their communities through community foundations, donor advised funds and other means of giving back. Find the neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon where you can make the most impact on the youth in the community.