If you’ve found yourself in a leadership position in your job or even just within your team, first of all – congratulations! If you’ve made it there, it means that your employer definitely sees you as capable, even if you might not feel it.
Taking on leadership and guiding a team of people through any type of project can feel daunting, especially when you haven’t done so before. However, leading is something that can always be learned, if you’re willing to put in the effort to do so.
Here are some tips for figuring out how to lead at your job.
Understand Your Personality Type
Getting to know yourself better is always helpful – for work, relationships, and life in general. Understanding your personality type on a deeper level will provide you with valuable insights as to why you make certain decisions, as well as act as a tool to improve on areas where you need to.
This doesn’t mean you need to change though. Simply knowing yourself better can help you understand the best ways for you to approach leadership. For example, a more extraverted person might lead with an authoritative voice and chase results, the introvert leadership style leans more on vision and commitment to their team. Neither type is wrong – but knowing what suits you best can help you make decisions.
Lead By Example
Actions speak louder than words, and this is especially true when you’re taking on a leadership role. Team members will look to you not only for guidance and answers to questions, but they’ll see you as a model for how they should behave in the workplace.
Leaders usually act as the embodiment of the company’s values and expectations – no pressure. This means you need to display a serious commitment to the business and your work and influence your team to do the same, which is why a strong work ethic is an essential factor for managers and any other leaders in a team.
Set Clear Goals and Expectations
Leadership is, in essence, telling people what to do. Obviously, simply bossing your team around isn’t going to go down well for any of you, so a better way of handling things is to work together as a group to set goals and then share expectations with your team to ensure that they are able to deliver on what you need from them.
Coming up with manageable targets together instead of just barking instructions will get you in their good books and present a much higher chance of success.
Prioritize Work-Life Balance
Right now, everyone feels at least a little under the pump, and work is getting more and more demanding and stressful for most people. With this in mind, taking care of our mental health is more important than ever.
While encouraging a strong work ethic and dedication from your team is a big part of leadership, an equally important part is ensuring their well-being. Make it clear that their personal lives matter too, and encourage them to take the time they need to be their best-rested and most productive selves.
