Early in my broadcasting career, I wanted to become a manager. But when I became a manager. I realized that if I was going to be successful, I had to learn how to be a leader.
Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
– Jack Welch
Becoming a leader takes time and practice. It takes focus. It starts with a realization of the behaviors you need to embrace. Here are six of them.
Leaders Are Communicators
To be a leader, you must have a vision and know how to share it. That means you need to be careful about the way you communicate and choose your words carefully.
Leaders Display Confidence
Your team wants to know that you have the strength of your conviction. While they don’t expect you to have all the answers, they want to see that you are willing to share your knowledge and be of help. Your team wants to see you act like a leader.
Leaders Have A Willingness To Act
A leader knows when they must take action. They know that there is a time to listen and research and when it is time to make a decision
Leaders Don’t Expect Privilege
While leaders know how to lead, they never take advantage of any privilege that comes with a title. They will put the needs of their team ahead of their own.
Leaders Listen More Than They Talk
You might be tempted to think that everyone wants to benefit from your accumulated knowledge and have you offer your thoughts at every meeting. But leaders want to hear from others. They recognize that people approach issues from different perspectives. They use that information to help them, shape their final plan. That’s why leaders frequently get into the habit of speaking last when in a meeting. Plus, once the boss speaks, some people tend to stifle their thoughts.
Leaders Like To Lead By Example
There are times when leaders need to make decisions, but they are also times when sitting behind a desk sends the wrong message. During crunch time, good leaders roll up their sleeves and help out. You might find it to be a humbling experience and your staff might find amusement that the boss can struggle too. But true leaders know that there is no job too small for their attention as needed. When the morning guy of a major market commercial news station took time off, the general manager subbed for a couple of days. He hadn’t been on the radio for many years, but I’m sure his staff liked the fact that the boss needed to get up at 2:30 am, and I’m sure the boss discovered a new appreciation what goes on in the studio every morning.
No one becomes a leader overnight. But these six steps will help you make progress to that goal.
Dave Edwards Media 