5 Keys to Leadership for Small Business

8/7/2019 5 Keys to Leadership for Small Business

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5 Keys to Leadership for Small Business

Even Parties of One Need a Leader

Are you a leader just because you run a small business? No. But you need to be. Without

leadership, the ship that is your small business will aimlessly circle and eventually run out of

power or run aground.

Its not having followers that defines leadership. Cool-headed, farseeing, visionary,

courageous whichever adjectives you choose, leadership is a winning combination of

personal traits and the ability to think and act as a leader, a person who directs the activities

of others for the good of all. Anyone can be a leader, even if the only person theyre leading

is themselves.

But you cant become a leader just by saying you are. Leadership needs to be worked at.Transform yourself into a leader with these five keys of leadership.

1. A leader plans.

The core of leadership is being proactive rather than reactive. Sure, leaders are good in crises

but that doesnt mean they sit around letting crises develop. Leadership involves identifying

potential problems and solving them before they reach crisis proportions and the ability to

identify and reap potential windfalls. So good leaders analyze and plan and adapt their plans

to new circumstances and opportunities.

2. A leader has a vision.

Vision is essential to good leadership. Vision provides direction and without direction, theres

not much point to all that planning; your small business will still flail about. So if you dont

have one already, take your first step towards leadership by creating a Vision Statementfor

your business. Because it embodies your dreams and your passions, a vision statement will

also serve as a leadership vision.

3. A leader shares her vision.

Sharing your leadership vision helps your vision grow and your leadership develop. As you

tell your leadership vision to others, you will strengthen your own belief in your vision and

strengthen your determination to make your leadership vision become reality. And other

people will start to see you as a person whos going places. Your leadership skills will

grow as you and other people recognize you as a person with leadership potential.

4. A leader takes charge.

At this stage of leadership, you put together your planning and your leadership vision and

take action. Whether its implementing a specific plan to improve your businesss bottom line

or responding to a crisis, you, as the leader, are the one who makes the decisions and sees that

the appropriate actions are carried out. You cant just talk a good game to be a leader; youneed to act and to be seen as taking effective action for the good of your small business.
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5. A leader inspires through example.

If I asked you, you could easily name three people whose leadership qualities inspire you. If I

asked you why, youd tell me about the things these inspiring people did or are doing.

Leadership is defined through action. Therefore, in developing your own leadership skills,

you have to act in ways that are fitting to your leadership vision and your self all the time.We can all name many actions of other people whom we admire, but what inspires us is the

integrity that gives these actions meaning.

Becoming a leader isnt easy because it takes a conscious commitment and consistent effort

to develop ones leadership skills. But on the positive side, anyone who is willing to make the

effort can become a good leader.

And as good leadership is critical to business success, your efforts to improve your leadership

skills will be amply rewarded. By working on these five keys of leadership, you can become

the leader your small business needs.

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20 WAYS TO BECOME A LEADER

by Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D.

A recent woman law school graduate might be surprised to find so few women among the

leaders of the firm she just joined. After all, half of her law school classmates were women.

And although this law school statistic is often reported as if it represents some dramatic

change, the fact is that roughly 40% of law school students have been women since the mid1980s.

Although there have been small positive changes, for the most part, legal workplaces

continue to be sadly lacking in women leadership.

There are several reasons for this, perhaps chief among them, the fact that a "committed

lawyer" is defined so that it excludes the majority of women lawyers. If "commitment" is

mutually exclusive with pregnancy and motherhood, then the odds of a woman lawyer

advancing to a leadership position are slim.

This definition also excludes male lawyers who want to be more than just financial providers

for their families. In fact, any lawyer seriously wanting "a life" is at risk of being deleted

from the potential- leaders list.

The best chance of changing this systemic obstacle is to tip the gender scales in leadership

balance. As more women become leaders in legal organizations, organizational values and

definitions are likely to change. The concept of the "ideal lawyer" [1] will broaden to become

equally inclusive of women as well as men whose wives handle family matters. The inclusion

of men and woman who understand that work and life are not a zero sum game would benefit

the profession as well as the individuals practicing it.
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As organizations move from mono-cultural clubs to diversity-welcoming institutions, one

might expect that the "ideal lawyer" image would also evolve into one that equally includes

lawyers of color and those of non-majority sexual orientation.

There is another reason to expect that fostering leadership ability among women lawyers will

benefit the careers of these and future women attorneys, as well as the organizations in whichthey work:

Research on leadership indicates that 50-75% of organizations are currently managed by

people sorely lacking in leadership competence [2]. They are hired or promoted based on

technical competence, business knowledge and politics - not on leadership skill. Such

managers often manage by crisis, are poor communicators, are insensitive to moral issues, are

mistrustful, over-controlling and micro-managing, fail to follow through on commitments

they've made and are easily excitable and explosive. The result is low morale, alienated

employees, and costly attrition. Since the best business outcomes are achieved by satisfied

employees, the legal profession can only gain by an increasing focus on the development of

attorneys' leadership competencies.

Women lawyers can take the lead in this endeavor. Here are 20 ways to become a leader:

1. TAKE CHARGE

Become the sculptor of your own career and life not the sculpture. Leaders are authentic

the authors of their own lives. Take responsibility for your professional development. No one

has a greater investment in your success and satisfaction than you. Especially as a woman,

you cannot depend upon the traditional management structure of your organization to put you

on the path to achievement. It's up to you to direct and protect your career and to develop

your own potential. You cannot afford to be passive or to accept roles assigned to you. Know

what you want and why and be prepared to take action to make it happen.

2. KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS

Work is most meaningful and satisfying when it gives us an opportunity to use our strengths.

Leadership is fundamentally about character. Knowing your character strengths enables you

to find ways to select work environments and work assignments that allow you to express and

develop them. For example, if one of your greatest strengths is loyalty and teamwork, you'll

be most effective and satisfied working as a member of a team. If fairness is among your

greatest strengths, you'll be frustrated and dissatisfied without an opportunity to work onissues of justice. If you're someone who loves to learn, you'll feel bored and frustrated unless

you find ways to master new skills and bodies of knowledge.

It's also important to keep track of your own accomplishments. Unfortunately, legal

workplaces are notorious for focusing on mistakes and defeats rather than what people have

done well. However, good leaders develop talent by matching peoples' strengths with work

tasks. They recognize contributions and celebrate accomplishments.

Start practicing good leadership by keeping a log of your successes. Record even small wins

this is essential for building your own confidence as well as developing a crucial leadership

competence.


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You can assess your strengths by taking the VIA Strengths Survey at

http://www.authentichappiness.org. Dr. Martin Seligman, a psychologist known for his

research in the areas of helplessness, depression, optimism and positive psychology has

developed this website. Since he continues to do research on the instruments on his website,

you can take them for free.

The Gallup StrengthsFinder is another way to assess your strengths. You can learn about it at

http://www.gallup.com.

3. CREATE YOUR VISION

Leaders are vision directed. A leader creates a compelling vision, is committed to this vision,

and inspires others to action by aligning their goals with this vision.

Start developing this leadership competence by creating your own personal vision. Your

vision statement is a picture of the future to which you can commit. It expresses your values,

the contribution you want to make, and the way you want to live your life.

Without a clear vision, it's easy to be led by the expectations of others. As a professional

coach, I can attest to the unhappiness of lawyers who've allowed the demands and approval

of others to become their compass. It is heartbreaking to look back on your life with regret.

Your vision statement is your own personal "why." Knowing what you're working toward

allows you to plan your professional development as well as to be resilient in the face of

obstacles.

If you'd like a format for a personal vision statement, you can email me [email protected] with "Vision Statement" in the subject line.

4. CHOOSE A WORKPLACE WITH COMPATIBLE VALUES

One of the biggest mistakes many attorneys make is to accept a position in an organization

with values contrary to their own. This situation leads to misery at worst, and job change at

best.

Furthermore, you are much less likely to achieve a position of leadership in an organization

with values at odds with your own ethics than you would in an environment that echoed your

principles.

5. ESTABLISH YOUR OWN PERSONAL ADVISORY BOARD

Although the legal profession puts a premium on self-reliance, everyone needs guidance, role

models and support. Old-style mentoring rarely exists in the 21st century legal workplace.

Even if you have an assigned mentor, such "arranged marriages" rarely meet your most

important professional development needs. It's especially difficult for women and attorneys

of color to find mentors who identify with them or to whom they can look for time-tested

strategies that apply to their unique challenges.
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Establishing your own personal advisory board enables you to obtain assistance from several

people. Each has a unique contribution to make to your career success. This approach also

gives you an opportunity to seek needed assistance without over-burdening any one person.

In order to construct an effective personal board of directors you need to assess your learning

needs. Identify the skills you need to acquire or improve in order to achieve the career goalsyou've set for the next year or two. Having identified your knowledge needs, you'll be ready

to identify potential advisors. You can get recommendations from others. At the same time,

observe people you'd like to emulate or those who have some special expertise in the areas in

which you're interested. Look both within as well as outside your current work setting.

The people on your board will change as your learning needs change. Here are a few

important tips for developing your advisory board:

Select people whom you trust.

Keep in mind that the alliances you form with your advisors are substantive,

strategically important, and meaningful relationships. Clarify each person's expectations for the relationship. Negotiate how long you expect

the relationship to proceed in this form.

Understand what you mentor needs in order for the relationship to be mutually

rewarding. For some advisors, helping another attorney succeed is sufficient. Others

might feel rewarded by your offers to assist them in their own work.

You'll need to have advisors who serve different functions. The most important of

these are:

A Culture Guide

If you're a new attorney, or are new to your current work setting, you'll need an

advisor who can help you learn about the organizational culture. This mentor can

provide tips on who is powerful, who the key players and decision-makers are, whom

to seek out and whom not to cross. This mentor may also suggest committees to join

and other avenues to pursue so that you will become more visible.

A Legal Skills Mentor

It's useful to find a mentor with deep knowledge in your area of the law a senior and

successful attorney who can provide candid and constructive feedback about yourwork. You need to have someone you trust to whom you can turn with substantive

questions about your work. Ideally, this would not be someone who will be in a

position of evaluating you: you can't hold back if you want to really learn.

A Role Model

It's especially helpful for women attorneys to form alliances with other women

lawyers who share their work/life balance values. Ask someone you admire to share

her strategies for balancing work and family.


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It's particularly helpful to identify leadership role models. Think of the most inspiring

leaders in your life and list the attributes that elicited your admiration and respect.

Find role models who can advise you about how you can become a leader.

A Good "Connector"

Unless you have a well-established network, it's helpful to know someone who can

introduce you to people you'd like to know. As a knowledge worker in today's

economy, you simply cannot know everything. Establishing a knowledge network

enables you to identify the fastest route to the information you need and the people

who can connect you to that information. Whether you're seeking information

requested by a client, connections to business development opportunities, or looking

for another job, a well-developed network is an essential resource.

6. FIND A CHAMPION

It's essential to have someone who will be your champion in the organization. Most likely,this will be someone with whom you practice. The more value you add to the practice of a

senior lawyer in your practice group, the more he or she will be invested in retaining you.

People who like you, as well as your work, are more likely to be in your corner. It's also

necessary that this person be in a secure position in the organization; someone in a tenuous

spot is unlikely to feel able to go out on a limb for you.

7. WORK TOWARD EXCELLENCE IN YOUR PRACTICE

Excellent work performance is a necessary, although not sufficient condition for leadership.

Stay on top of your professional development. Don't wait for your firm or organization tooffer a seminar in the skills you want to learn seek out your own training opportunities.

Keep in mind the difference between excellence and perfection. Maintaining high standards

for your work reflects positive striving. On the other hand, being harshly self-critical for the

smallest error will undermine your success. Perfectionism easily leads to micro-management

and harsh criticism of others, neither of which are effective leadership behaviors.

It's difficult to strive for excellence unless you're doing what you love. People who are

committed to what they do who are strongly interested in their work are resilient in the

face of challenges. Enthusiasm and passion motivate hard work. Genuine interest sustains

focused attention.

It's important to know what skills you should be developing as you progress in your career.

The ABCNY Report of the Task Force on Lawyers Quality of Life delineates specific

training goals for corporate and litigation associates. You can find these at:

http://www.abcny.org/taskforce.html

Look for Attachment C. For a list of skills against which to assess your progress, you can

send an email to me at [email protected] with "Skills" in the subject line.

The more knowledgeable you are and the better your skills, the more you'll be a resource to

others. Expertise builds your reputation as a credible and trusted resource, which is essentialfor attaining leadership roles.
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8. TAKE INITIATIVE

Whatever you're trying to accomplish, you need to take control of your own destiny and act

on your own convictions. To become a leader, you must first learn to lead yourself. Initiative

is a fundamental leadership competence. Choose your work don't let it choose you. Seek

out work you like or from which you can learn. If the work you really want isn't coming yourway, make a plan to find it. Forge alliances with people both within and outside your

organization who can help you work with the kinds of matters and clients you prefer.

Avoid the "tyranny of the in-basket." [3] You need to actively work on your career, not just

on your work. Develop a career plan. Identify specific, measurable goals and routes for

accomplishing them. Go beyond adapting to whatever comes your way. Proactively select

and influence the situation in which you work rather than merely reacting to situations

created by others. Work to change yourself and your circumstances for the better.

Leaders create a vision, set goals that embody the vision, inspire action to accomplish the

vision, and develop strategic plans which lead to their goals. Start on your path to leadershipby leading yourself.

9. TAKE RISKS

Developing leadership skill requires getting out of your comfort zone. Set "stretch" goals that

enable you to develop new skills. Join committees and take a leadership role. This is an

opportunity to develop leadership competencies as well as increase your visibility. Many

women lawyers have told me that they do their best to fly under the radar. They believe that

this demonstrates that they are team players. I disagree. You stand to lose far more by being

invisible than you do by taking risks. In order to break through the stereotypes that keep

women from achieving positions of leadership, you'll need to appear confident. That means

being willing to learn on the job instead of waiting until you know everything before you take

on challenges. Ask your advisory board and network to help you fill in knowledge gaps.

Present your ideas. Be decisive and to the point. Speak in a convincing manner and make

your statements strong and powerful. Claim authorship of your ideas. Don't qualify your

statements or apologize for speaking. Be assertive, not aggressive. Manage your emotions

when you set limits and make requests. Avoid harsh criticism and always respect the dignity

of others. Depersonalize your mistakes. Just because you failed at one thing doesn't make you

a failure. View mistakes as learning opportunities. If you become so worried about how

you're perceived after you make an error that you never try again, others will conclude that

you always make mistakes. But if you attribute your error to insufficient information, you'lllearn more and try again. Your track record of successes will outweigh the memory of your

small errors. Taking risks builds resilience and self-confidence. The more you stretch

yourself and succeed, the more confident you'll feel. This will empower you to strive toward

a leadership position.

10. BE OPTIMISTIC

As "purveyors of hope," [4] leaders must be optimistic. Realistic optimists take control where

they can and stop investing energy in things beyond their control. When faced with a setback,

optimists don't succumb to feelings of helplessness. They maintain their focus on the larger

purpose, finding ways to bounce back and pursue alternative routes to their goal. Optimistssee mistakes as learning opportunities, not as catastrophes from which they'll never recover.


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This enables them to take the kinds of risks necessary for becoming a leader. Optimism is

especially difficult for lawyers, since so much of legal work is about anticipating and

preventing disaster. But even though pessimism may help you be more effective in practicing

law, it will be an obstacle if you think this way about career planning or the rest of your life.

You're probably used to thinking that optimism is just a personality characteristic and you

either have it or you don't. But, the fact is that research has demonstrated that people canlearn to think more optimistically and that these changes are enduring. If you want to learn to

be more optimistic, I'd encourage you to read "Learned Optimism" by Martin Seligman,

Ph.D. [5].

11. BECOME "UN-FUNGIBLE"

Find a niche which your organization values and about which you can be passionate. Develop

your expertise in this area. If you are the only expert, or one of a few experts in this area,

you'll be of considerable value to your firm. This increases your power to lobby for flexibility

in your scheduling and opportunities to take on leadership roles.

12. MAKE YOUR CAREER MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR JOB [6]

Focusing on your long-term career goals enables you to minimize the power of any given

employer. If your goals are incompatible with those of your organization, or if you can't get

the support you need to make your vision a reality, look elsewhere.

13. DEVELOP YOUR SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

Leadership is interpersonal. Effective leadership is fundamentally about how you relate to

people. Social intelligence consists of several components:

Self-management People who cannot manage the expression of their own emotions

are unlikely to effectively manage others. It's important to develop an awareness of

your own feelings and make deliberate choices about how best to use them in any

given situation. Managing your emotions keeps them from clouding your perceptions

and judgments. Being able to influence how others perceive you and coming across to

others in the way you intend require self-awareness and self-regulation. It's essential

to have a deep understanding of your own values, motives, strengths and limitations.

Though it's not always easy to be honest with yourself, you need to develop this kind

of honesty if you want to be interpersonally effective. Realistically appraise yourself

without being overly self-critical. Ask others for feedback. The knowledge of howothers perceive you is a powerful tool. Monitor yourself; pay attention to your

feelings, actions and intentions. Observe the impact of your actions on others. Self-

awareness is also critical for empathy since we tend to perceive others through the

filter of our own needs, fears, expectations and hopes. When we are aware of what we

expect to hear or are afraid of hearing, we can get past the filter and hear what's really

being communicated.

Social radar Effective leaders can read emotional signals and assess other's emotional

states. Your ability to influence others depends upon your skill at sensing their

reactions and adjusting your approach accordingly. Practice "active" listening

listening not only to the other person's words but also their nonverbal expressions.

Leaders are more persuasive when they can attune their message to their listeners.


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Seek Win-Win Solutions to Problems Leaders elicit far more cooperation when they

work toward equitable solutions, which all participants can embrace. Be flexibly open

to others' points of view and demonstrate your understand of their perspectives.

Always try to preserve the dignity of everyone involved in a problem or project.

Leadership is about building and empowering teams. Practice creating an atmosphere

of collaboration and openness.

14. BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE

Many women attorneys who are excellent advocates for their clients are fearful of

advocating for themselves. In our culture, women are socialized to believe that self-

promotion is not only unbecoming and aggressive but will also damage their careers.

But failing to advocate for yourself can have far-reaching consequences. In the short

run, too much modesty feeds into the gender stereotype that women aren't "tough

enough." Keep in mind that other people see only a small percentage of our actions.

The missing information has to come from the actor herself. Share your knowledge by

offering to help others. Broadcast your wins through in-house newsletters. Expressyour convictions. Self-advocacy is necessary for reaching positions of leadership. At

the same time, make sure that you acknowledge and appreciate everyone who

contributed to the group effort. Leaders are able to make their employees feel proud

of their contributions. They don't need to steel the credit for themselves.

15. BREAK THROUGH EXPECTATIONS

Gender role stereotypes are an obstacle to women achieving leadership in the legal

profession. But believing you'll never break the "glass ceiling" is sure to hold you

back. Sometimes the only way to get past these stereotypes is to address them

directly. Shining a light on unspoken assumptions can enable your listeners to hear

and see beyond their expectations. By identifying these assumptions, you're

conveying power and insight, which inspire trust.

16. BECOME AN EXCELLENT COMMUNICATOR

A leader must communicate her vision in a way that energizes people and galvanizes

them toward action. The ability to gain the cooperation and support of others

through negotiation, persuasion and influence - depends upon communication skill,

which in turn is essential for leadership. Be aware of gender differences in

communication style. (For details, see Issue # 27 of "Beyond the Billable Hour athttp://lawyerslifecoach.com/newsletters/issue27.html.) Essentially, you must take

your listener's expectations into account in tailoring your communications. For

women, it's especially important to give the other person a reason to listen by

addressing a goal your listener wants to achieve. When people feel heard, they're

more likely to hear you. When you understand their goals, you can articulate how

their aspirations can be aligned with your vision. Although implicit gender role

stereotypes foster the belief that mothers cannot be good leaders, the fact is that

parenting is excellent training ground for leadership skills. As a parent you learn to

plan strategically, negotiate, enlist cooperation and persuade all of which you can

transfer to the workplace.

17. SHOW CONCERN FOR OTHERS
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Research [7] indicates that among the most important characteristics of effective

leaders are compassion, nurturance, generosity, altruism and empathy.

"Agreeableness" is a social trait and leadership takes place in a social context, so it's

not surprising that these characteristics are so important for effective leadership.

Women lawyers need to keep this in mind. All too often women are urged to "act like

men" in working toward leadership positions. Be encouraged to learn that the mosteffective leaders demonstrate traits most often attributed to women.

18. DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A SUPPORT SYSTEM

Taking the time to maintain supportive and close connections with others is necessary

to attain and sustain the energy and well-being you need to achieve career success. At

home, you'll need a partner who will agree to negotiate and share family work with

you. Be clear with your significant others that you need their help in order to reach

your goals. Being overloaded with family responsibility is as much of an obstacle to

women reaching positions of leadership as is the "glass ceiling" at work. You'll also

need the support of people you supervise - your support staff, paralegals, juniorassociates, etc. It's easier to recruit such support if you understand their needs and

goals and treat them with compassion and respect. Compassion and encouragement

motivate people much more than impatience and harshness. Learn to delegate well.

Remember, leaders don't do all the work themselves: They effectively match people

to tasks based on knowledge of their subordinates' strengths and aspirations. They are

clear about their expectations when giving assignments. But don't allow perfectionism

to derail good delegating. If you're not satisfied with the finished product, resist the

urge to do it over yourself. Instead, return the work to the person who produced it and

make sure that he or she understands your expectations. That way, you won't feel

overburdened and you'll help the other person increase their own competence.

19. MAINTAIN INTEGRITY

Integrity may be the single most important characteristic of competent leadership; it's

the sine qua non of a trusted advisor and effective leader. People are willing to be led

by someone who follows through someone they trust. Do what you say you will do.

Don't promise to do what you can't. People without integrity may gain power, but they

don't truly lead.

20. PERSEVERE

Persistence in the face of adversity is one of the cornerstones of resilience. Take

responsibility for your own fate. Stay resolute in your values and goals and remain

determined and self-disciplined in your efforts to achieve them. Persistence doesn't

mean you never feel discouraged. Rather, it means maintaining your focus on the goal

in spite of your feelings of discouragement. Like a marathon runner, you keep going

because you believe in what you're doing. You simply will not give up. If your goal is

to become a leader to help the legal profession become a truly diverse, welcoming and

equitable profession, then don't give up. Your leadership is most needed.

Notes:


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1. Williams, Joan (2000). "Unbending Gender Why Family and Work Conflict and

What to Do About It." New York: Oxford University Press.

2. Hogan, Robert (2003) "Leadership in Organizations." Paper presented at The

Second International Positive Psychology Summit, Washington, D.C. October 2-5.

3. Covey, Stephen R. (1989) "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People." New York:

Fireside

4. Bennis, Warren & Goldsmith, Joan (1997). "Learning to Lead." Cambridge, MA:

Perseus Books.

5. Seligman, Martin E. P. (1998) "Learned Optimism." New York: Pocket Books.

6. Wickouski, Stephanie, Esq. Personal communication.

7. Judge, Timonthy A. & Bono, Joyce E.( 2000) Five- factor model of personality andtransformational leadership. "Journal of Applied Psychology," 85 (5), 751-765.

http://www.emergingleader.com/article31.shtml

The Top 10 Strategies for Becoming the Leader That Others Want to FollowBy Bea Fields

One of the most important qualities of a great leader for the future will be his or her ability to get along

with people, to show compassion, and to make others feel good about themselves. This top ten willsupport you in becoming a great leader that others want to follow.

1. Ask each employee what he/she most values, and begin to set company goals to support theseimportant aspects of the lives of your employees.

2. Help people reach their full potential by catching them doing something great!

Compliment them on their successes, even if they are minute.

3. Distribute a monthly company newsletter, whose sole purpose is to recognize and congratulate the"wins and wows" of your employees.

People love to be recognized for their accomplishments, and this will instill a sense of pride in youremployees.

4. Host one fun day each month.

Take employees to lunch, to a matinee, or host a party outside of the office. This one day off willrejuvenate your employees and build loyalty to the organization.

5. Build consensus by allowing employees to vote on changes within the company.

Your job will be much easier if you have the support of the people on the front line.

6. Deal with conflict by being upfront and honest.
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Own up to your role in the conflict and move toward resolution as quickly as possible. If you havebeen wrong, state it, followed by an extension of an apology.

7. Eliminate company gossip from your life, and keep all employee concerns confidential.

If you need support for company gossip, hire a coach who has a reputation of being trustworthy.

8. Trust your employees to make smart decisions without your interference.

Self-esteem is built by allowing others the opportunity to try new things and to be successful byadding their personal touch to a project or assignment.

9. Provide work that is meaningful and that allows your employees and/or volunteers the opportunityto stretch and grow, and above all, provide the training necessary for implementing a change.

10. Cheer the company on by announcing on a daily basis the successes of the previous day.

This surge of energy early in the morning will increase productivity throughout the day.

http://www.icbs.com/kb/inspiration/kb_the-top-10-strategies-for-becoming.htm

How to Become the Best Leader You Can

Be By Using the 4 Principals of Leadership

You do not have to be the most outspoken and charismatic person on the planet to be aneffective and respected leader. There is a great acronym to help you remember the 4 basic

principals: C.A.V.E.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1.

o

1

C is for Communication. There are hundreds of ways we communicate each

day. To be an effective leader you need learn to which methods will motivate

and sustain your team and adapt your style to meet their needs. Great leaders

must also be able to quell disputes within the team and recognize members

strengths and weaknesses. As a leader, their success is your success.

o 2

A is for Action. Get out there and do it! Without action goals aren't met and

nothing will get accomplished. How many times have you heard someone saythey are going to do something and then turn around and not do it? No jobis
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too small or beneath a good leader, you must support them with your fullest

capacity. As a leader you need to set the example for your team even if it

means making the coffee.

o 3

V is vision. Think Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.' s "I have a dream." Now that is

a vision! It is the well defined goal of the group. A great leader will clearly

articulate the goals of the team and the objectives for how to get there. The

vision should inspire your team to work hard, stay motivated and be

committed to the end. A great leader will also be able to adapt their vision as

circumstances arise in a way that maintains the same level of motivation and

commitment from the team.

o 4

E is Empowerment. Empowerment is the cornerstone of great leadership,

however it is often the most overlooked step. It is willingly giving the

authority and skills to team members to make decisions, run with them and

come to you for support as needed. Excellent leaders know that they are not

the best at everything, and team member's skills and abilities can combine for

a more effective outcome. They will also ask the team what resources they

need and work to provide for them.

Tips & Warnings

You can't go wrong with C.A.V.E. Sadly, empowerment is often most lacking in highly structured, insecure and/or

bureaucratic environments.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5204497_become-can-using-principals-

leadership.html

7 Secrets of Leadership Success

Part 1: Top Business Leaders Share Their Best BusinessSuccess Advice

From Paul B. Thornton

Fortune magazine once published an article entitled The Best Advice I Ever Got. It was a

great article that offered wit and wisdom about achieving business success. I liked it so much,

that it motivated me to produce my newest book, Leadership: Best Advice I Ever Got, which

describes the best leadership advice 136 successful CEOs, coaches, consultants, professors,

managers, executives, presidents, politicians, and religious leaders received that most helped

them become effective and successful leaders.
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Here are seven secrets to leadership success:

1. Leadership is about making things happen.

If you want to make something happen with your life in school, in your profession or in

your community, do it. Perceived obstacles crumble against persistent desire. John Baldoni,Author, Leadership Communication Consultant and Founder of Baldoni Consulting LLC,

shared this advice that had come from his father, a physician. He taught him the value of

persistence. At the same time, his mother taught him compassion for others. Therefore,

persistence for your cause should not be gained at the expense of others. Another bit of

leadership wisdom!

2. Listen and understand the issue, then lead.

Time and time again we have all been told, "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a

reason"... or as Stephen Covey said, "Seek to understand, rather than be understood." As a

leader, listening first to the issue, then trying to coach, has been the most valuable advice thatCordia Harrington, President and CEO of Tennessee Bun Company has been given.

3. Answer the three questions everyone within your organization wants answers to.

What the people of an organization want from their leader are answers to the following:

Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What is my role? Kevin Nolan,

President & Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Health Systems, Inc. believes the more

clarity that can be added to each of the three questions, the better the result.

4. Master the goals that will allow you to work anywhere in todays dynamic businessworld.

Debbe Kennedy, President, CEO and Founder of Global Dialogue Center and Leadership

Solutions Companies, and author of Action Dialogues and Breakthrough once shared this

piece of advice that was instrumental in shaping her direction, future and achievements.

She was a young manager at IBM just promoted to her first staff assignment in a regional

marketing office. For reasons she cant explain, one of her colleagues named Bookie called

her into his office while she was visiting his location. He then began to offer unsolicited

advice, but advice that now stays fresh in her mind. He mentioned that jobs, missions, titles

and organizations would come and go as business is dynamic - meaning it is alwayschanging. He advised her not to focus your goals toward any of these, but instead learn to

master the skills that will allow you to work anywhere.

He was talking about four skills:

The ability to develop an idea;

Effectively plan for its implementation;

Execute second-to-none;

Achieve superior results time after time.


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With this in mind, Kennedy advises readers to seek jobs and opportunities with this in mind.

Forget what others do. Work to be known for delivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it

opens doors.

Paul B. Thornton presents more of the best advice for achieving business success that seven

top leaders ever received on the next page. Click to continue reading about effectiveleadership.

More of the best leadership advice ever received by successful people, advice that helped

them to become effective, successful leaders:

5. Be curious.

Curiosity is a prerequisite to continuous improvement and even excellence. The person who

gave Mary Jean Thornton, Former Executive Vice President & CIO, The Travelers, this

advice urged her to study people, processes, and structures. He inspired her to be

intellectually curious. He often reminded Thornton that making progress, in part, was basedupon thinking. She has learned to apply this notion of intellectual curiosity by thinking about

her organizations future, understanding the present, and knowing and challenging herself to

creatively move the people and the organization closer to its vision.

6. Listen to both sides of the argument.

The most valuable advice Brian P. Lees, Massachusetts State Senator and Senate Minority

Leader, ever received came from his mentor, United States Senator Edward W. Brooke III.

He told him to listen to all different kinds of people and ideas. Listening only to those who

share your background and opinions can be imprudent. It is important to respect yourneighbors rights to their own views. Listening to and talking with a variety of people, from

professors to police officers, from senior citizens to school children, is essential not only to

be a good leader in business, but to also be a valuable member within your community.

7. Prepare, prepare, prepare.

If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. If one has truly prepared and something goes

wrong the strength of the rest of what you've prepared for usually makes this something

easier to handle without crisis and panic. One of the best pieces of advice Dave Hixson,

Mens Varsity Basketball Coach at Amherst College has ever received and continues to use

and pass on is this anonymous quote -Preparation is the science of winning."

Along with this are two expressions from Rick Pitino's bookSuccess is a Choice, which

speaks to preparation. Hixson asks his teams every year: "Do you deserve to win?" and "Have

you done the work?" This speaks to the importance of preparation toward achieving your

final goal. If you haven't done the work (the preparation) the answer to the second question is

an easy "no!"

Great advice comes from many sources parents, other relatives, consultants, bosses, co-

workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. The important point to remember is to stay

open, listen to everyone, but also develop your own leadership style.


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Paul B. Thornton is President ofBe the Leader Associates and author of seven books onmanagement and leadership. His latest book, Leadership: Best Advice I Ever Got, is

available at WingSpan Press, amazon.com, and bn.com.

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/smallbusinesslearning/a/leadershippt_2.htm

Secrets of Leadership Success

Leadership Success Series Introduced

By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide

Key leadership success secrets set the great leaders apart from the so-so leaders in today's

organizations. Leadership style is learned from mentors, learned in seminars and exists as

part of a person's innate personal leadership skill set developed over years, and existingpossibly, from birth. Nature or nurture is a question often asked about leadership. I answer,

"yes," because I believe the combination of natural leadership skills and nurture through

leadership development defines your leadership style.

Working from personal experience and research, I will define the characteristics of leadership

that make great leaders. I envision a series of interlinked articles, each of which focuses on

one aspect of leadership.

Leadership differs from management and supervision although some people and

organizations use the terms interchangeably. While the definitions of the terms differ, an

individual may have the ability to provide all three.

Supervision means that an individual is charged with providing directionand oversight for other employees. The successful supervisor providesrecognition, appreciation, training and feedback to reporting employees.

Management means to conduct the affairs of business, to have workunder control and to provide direction, to guide other employees, toadminister and organize work processes and systems, and to handle

problems. Managers monitor and control work while helping a group ofemployees more successfully conduct their work than they would havewithout her. A managers job is often described as providing everythinghis reporting employees need to successfully accomplish their jobs. Onefamous quote from Warren Bennis, Ph.D. in On Becoming a Leaderdistinguishes management from leadership: Managers are people who dothings right, while leaders are people who do the right thing.

While a supervisor and a manager may also exhibit leadership skill or

potential, true leaders are rare. This is because the combination ofskills, personality and ambition essential to leadership are difficult to
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develop and exhibit. According to Don Clark, on his excellent leadershipresource, Big Dog's Leadership Page, Bernard "Bass' theory of leadershipstates that there are three basic ways to explain how people becomeleaders. The first two explain the leadership development for a smallnumber of people. These theories are:

o

Some personality traits may lead people naturally into leadershiproles. This is the Trait Theory.o A crisis or important event may cause a person to rise to the

occasion, which brings out extraordinary leadership qualities in anordinary person. This is the Great Events Theory.

o People can choose to become leaders. People can learn leadershipskills. This is the Transformational Leadership Theory.

The Transformational Leadership Theory is the one I believe is correct for most leaders

today. This belief forms the basis for my thinking about leadership.

The Key Leadership Trait

The first, and most important characteristic, of a leader is the decision to become a leader. At

some point in time, leaders decide that they want to provide others with vision, direct the

course of future events and inspire others to success. Leadership requires the individual to

practice dominance and take charge. If you choose to become a leader, whether in your

workplace, community or during an emergency, the discussion of these characteristics will

help you formulate the appropriate mix of traits, skills and ambition. Successful leaders

choose to lead. Unlike Keanu Reeves as Neo in 1999s smash hit, The Matrix, you get to

decide whether you are the one. The first characteristic of a leader is Choice - leaders

choose to lead.

Characteristics of a Successful Leadership Style

Much is written about what makes successful leaders. I will focus on the characteristics, traits

and actions that, I believe, are key.

Choose to lead. (Current article - you are here.) Be the person others choose to follow. Provide vision for the future. Provide inspiration. Make other people feel important and appreciated. Live your values. Behave ethically. Set the pace through your expectations and example. Establish an environment of continuous improvement. Provide opportunities for people to grow, both personally and

professionally. Care and act with compassion.

http://humanresources.about.com/od/leadership/a/leader_success.htm

Leadership Inspiration
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Leadership Success Secrets

"Coaching isn't a great mystery. It's just hard work, determination, and inspiration at

the right moment." --Bob Zuppke in The Book of Football Wisdom edited by CriswellFreeman, 1996.

"Leadership is based on a spiritual quality; the power to inspire, the power to inspire

others to follow." --Vince Lombbardi

What makes a leader inspirational? The ability to inspire people to reach great heights of

performance and success is a skill that leaders need. Passion, purpose, listening and meaning

help make a leader inspirational. The ability to communicate that passion, purpose and

meaning to others helps establish the inspirational culture of your organization. These points

will tell you how to enable inspiration and motivation in the people you lead.

How Leaders Instill Inspiration in the People They Lead

The inspirational leader feels passionately about the vision and mission ofthe organization. He or she is also able to share that passion in a way thatenables others to feel passionate, too. The nature of the vision andmission is critical for enabling others to feel as if their work has purposeand meaning beyond the tasks they perform each day. Sometimes leadershave to help their staff connect the dots by explaining this big picture toall. Communicating the big picture regularly will help reinforce the reasonyour organization exists.

The inspirational leader listens to the people in her organization. Talking topeople about your passion is not enough. To share meaning - mydefinition for communication - you must allow the ideas and thoughts ofyour staff to help form the vision and mission, or minimally, the goals andaction plan. No one is ever one hundred percent supportive of a directionthey had no part in formulating. People need to see their ideasincorporated or understand why they were not.

To experience inspiration, people also need to feel included. Inclusion goesbeyond the listening and feedback; for real inclusion, people need to feelintimately connected to the actions and process that are leading to theaccomplishment of the goals or the decision.

At a client company, we cancelled an annual employee event because ofcustomer orders for product. Many people did not like the decision, but weinvolved the whole management group, the Activity Committee membersand many other employees in the discussion about whether to cancel orre-schedule the event. The inclusion led to a compromise that, while notperfect, still enables a celebration and a positive motivation boost, yet

allows the company to meet customer needs.


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Important to inspiration is the integrity of the person leading. Yes, visionand passion are important, but employees must trust you to feel inspired.They must believe in you. Your person is as important as the direction

you provide. Employees look up to a person who tells the truth, tries to dothe right things, lives a "good" life and does their best. Trust me. Youractions play out on the stage of your organization. And, your staff doesboo and cheer and vote with their feet and their actions.

Finally, an inspirational leader gives people what they want within hiscapabilities. (You cant provide a raise in pay without companyprofitability, as an example, but you absolutely must share the rewards ifthe organization is doing well.) The inspirational leader also understands

that, while money is a motivator, so are praise, recognition, rewards, athank you and noticing an individuals contribution to a successfulendeavor.

Characteristics of a Successful Leadership Style

Much is written about what makes successful leaders. I will focus on the characteristics, traits

and actions that, I believe, are key in this series of articles.

Choose to lead . Be the person others choose to follow .

Provide vision for the future . Provide inspiration. ((Current article - you are here.) Make other people feel important and appreciated. Live your values. Behave ethically. Set the pace through your expectations and example. Establish an environment of continuous improvement. Provide opportunities for people to grow, both personally and

professionally. Care and act with compassion.

http://humanresources.about.com/od/leadership/a/leader_inspire.htm

How to Be a Great Leader

X

Teachforever

This article was created by a professional writer and edited by experienced copy editors, both

qualified members of the Demand Media Studios community. All articles go through an

editorial process that includes subject matter guidelines, plagiarism review, fact-checking,

and other steps in effort to provide reliable information.

Website

http://lifelessonsformysons.blogspot.com/
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By Teachforever, eHow User

Be a Great Leader

The making of a leader. Believe it or not, if you are committed to the process, you can

develop great leadership qualities and become a great leader.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1.

o 1

Develop Vision: As a leader, you must provide your people with a blue print,

road map to where you are taking them. Your people will never reach your

desired goals the way that you desire unless you spell it out in clear terms

what the end product should be.

o 2

Delegate Responsibility: Yourjobas a great leader is not to do all of the work.

It is essential that you delegate, assign others, to carry out responsibilities. The

more you duplicate yourself into others, the more that can be accomplished.

Delegating responsibility does not alleviate you from your responsibility to

ensure that everyone is accomplishing the desired goals of the group,

company, business, etc..
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o 3

Execute the plan effectively: Once you have determined where you are taking

the group, business, etc... you have to ensure that the plan is effectively put

into action. Ensure that your people are reporting back to you in a timely

manner, making the appropriate adjustments to ensure success.

o 4

Spread the Credit: One of the worse things that a leader can do is take the

credit for all of the work. You will never be a successful leader until you

appreciate the contributions of the people that make you look good. Guesswhat? When you appreciate the people that work for you, they will go over

and beyond to ensure that you look good.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4677763_be-great-leader.html

How to Lead Like a Natural Leader

X

Scott Carpenter MBA SPHRThis article was created by a professional writer and edited by experienced copy editors, both


editorial process that includes subject matter guidelines, plagiarism review, fact-checking,

and other steps in effort to provide reliable information.

By Scott Carpenter MBA SPHR, eHow User

Some people seem to be natural leaders. Others have to develop the skills to become great

leaders. This 'How To' briefly explains the three basic skills all leaders possess. You can be a

great leader; just build your skills.

Difficulty:Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1.

o 1

Develop a vision of greatness. What do your people want or need to

accomplish? Where do you need to go together, some point to reach or

accomplishment that people must stretch to attain. Some examples could be towin a game, reach a sales goal, write a book, start abusinessor a church. This
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vision must be challenging and attainable. It must be relevant to the reason the

people are together. Your vision may be the mission of the group or a specific

project you are trying to acomplish. Your vision peaks people's interest!

o 2

Communication! Develop an extraordinary sense of communication with your

people. You must 'connect.' Leaders speak to their people in such a way that

everyone understands; not an easy task. Telling people to do tasks is NOT the

same as a developing rapport. Developing rapport means speaking so each

listener understands and, then, DESIRES to accomplish the vision. You speak

to the listener, but not be condescending. Improve your speaking and listening

skills. Excellent communication greatly improves your ability to accomplish

strategic objectives.

o 3

Be trustworthy. Probably the toughest leadership trait is to get people to trust

you. It sounds easy to just be trustworthy. However, everyone wants to get

what he/she 'deserves' out of the organization. When people percieve your

personal intentions far outweigh their interests, you lose trust and leadership

credibility. The next step explains some of the attributes that help you become

trustworthy.

o 4

-Show that you are dedicated to the vision. Believe to the point that yousacrifice or will sacrifice as needed!

-Dress the role of the leader. Maybe a suit, maybe coveralls and boots. Your

appearance tells people whether or not you are working toward your vision.

-Show that you care about your people. Ensure mail and paychecks are

delivered. Ensure people take necessary breaks. Ensure people are trained to

and understand your standards.

-Show confidence in your people. Trust that your people will make good

decisions. If you can't do this, conduct training/counseling to build your team's

maturity. Usually, the team's maturity mirrors the leader's maturity.

-Keep people informed. Develop several communication techniques, ie. face-

to-face meetings, written notes, signage, e-mail, daily/weekly newsletters,bulletins, good policy manuals, procedure books, uniforms with a

message/slogan.

-Follow up, follow up, follow up. If you don't follow up, eventually, tasks

don't get done. If you don't care enough to follow up and thank people for their

work, you will not succeed and you are not a leader.

-Reward people for their exemplary work. Create an atmosphere that rewards

people who contribute greatly toward the vision. People love to be recognized!

Leaders have the self-confidence to rewards others, even their peers!

-Develop basic management skills. Management skills include planning,

organizing, people/counseling skills, and control skills. Get any basic

management book to learn more about these skills. Know who your bestplanners are (Planning). Likewise, who organizes people and equipment well


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(Organizing)? Who can train/counsel others (People/counseling)? Who can

decide if the team is on the right track or is wasting resources (Control)? You

must have a good understanding of each of these. However, if you can deligate

some of these tasks to a group expert, you demostrate excellent leadership!

-Be technically competent. Know your industry's details. Read trade

magazines. Understand what is new and upcoming in your business.Constantly study and learn. Expect your people to do the same.

-Display great integrity. Expect people to do as you do.

-Have courage and encourage others. Take smart well-thought out risks rather

than gamble.

-Associate with other leaders. Be involved as a member of leadership

associations.

-Be proactive. Don't rest on past success. Build for the future.

-Be effective and efficient. Use resources wisely.

-Stay calm!

o 5

Understand that some people will simply never follow you. They may never

follow anyone. Treat these people fairly and consistently. Expect to have

difficult days/weeks/years. Other people may also have their future ambitions

as taking your position. They may not see you as a leader and may work

against you. These people will test your leadership ability.

Stay strong and determined! Work with your people and enjoy working

toward your vision. It is your decision to be a leader, anyway. If you don't

lead, who will?

Self-evaluate your performance. Guaranteed, everyone else is evaluating you.

Have fun in your leadership roles. Their is no reason to be an emotional drain

on your organization. Build up everyone.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4702650_lead-like-natural-leader.html

How to Become a Leader Instead of a Boss

A leader leads, a boss rules.

Becoming a leader in your role as owner, manager, supervisor, or administrator can have

many advantages over being a boss. If you want your employees to be autonomous and

independent in their work, accomplishing their tasks with a minimum of supervision, then

become a leader and watch your employees follow your lead. Learn to lead your team like a

leader instead of rule your employees like a boss, and you will become the motivational force

in your company.

Instructions

1.o 1
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Think of your employees as a team and yourself as their leader. Avoid

attempting to control your employees' every move. Take the view that it's your

job to get your employees to want to do theirjobs, just as a coach or manager

of a sports team would get the team members to perform with enthusiasm and

vigor.

o 2

Inspire your employees with your vision for the business, company, or

institution for which you work. Share your vision of what you want to achieve

and fire your employees with your own enthusiasm.

o 3

Motivate your employees with your concerns. As much as possible, let your

employees know when the team's in trouble, when the team needs to improve

performance, and when the team is being called to action.

o 4

Motivate your employees with tangible rewards like a good salary and

bonuses and employee benefits. Show your employees the advantage to being

a productive part of the team. Being a good leader means being practical and

understanding that your staff did not join the company out of a sense of

goodwill, but rather has to make a living.

o

5

Be a leader who is accessible. Unlike the boss or manager who discourages

two-way communication between employees and management, let your

employees know their feedback and concerns are always welcome. Provide

employees with many ways to contact you so they truly feel they have access

to communication with you.

o 6

Be strong and effective. A leader is a leader because she or he can take

resourceful action in times of conflict, troubleshoot problems, and provideconcrete solutions to ongoing issues. Be someone who can do what needs to

be done in times of crisis.

o 7

Be a role model. Behave in the business and work environment as you want

your staff to behave. If you want honesty, be honest. If you want loyalty, show

loyalty to your staff. In business, as in life, people learn by example.

o 8
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Avoid exploiting your position as manager and boss to your own exclusive

benefit. In other words, a leader leads by being part of the team, not above it.

If you're lenient with yourself, be lenient with your employees. If the team

succeeds, share the praise and rewards with your employees.

o 9

Respect, honor, and take full advantage of the skills and talents of your staff.

Your employees are your team; let them do the work. Leading employees

means avoiding micromanaging. Empower employees to work by giving them

as many freedoms to do their jobs as possible, within the constraints of

company policy.

o 10

Insist on the same freedoms and rewards and respect that you give your

employees. You have limitations and needs, yourself. While you must have

high standards for your own behavior, a good leader takes care of him or

herself. A suffering or stressed leader leads to less than optimal leadership.

Your taking care of your own needs, both personal and professional, helps

reduce work stress in everyone.

Tips & Warnings

A boss is pitted in opposition to his or her employees; a leader leads his or her

employees to success.

Good leadership is not easy, but it gets tremendous rewards. A business that operatesunder good leadership has lower turnover, is more efficient, and commands superior

job performance.

How to Become an Effective Leader

X

Nicole Smith

Faith Books & More Publishing brings your dream of becoming

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By Nicole Smith, eHow User

Become an Effective Leader

As a leader you have a responsibility to your employees, group, organization, or team to leadfairly and ethically. The title "Boss" or "Manager" does not automatically make you a leader.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

things you'll need:

Pen Paper Printer

1.o 1
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Understand what is a leader. A leader is the appointed head of a group, a team,

or organization. He or she is a charismatic person who is able to make good

decisions and inspire others to reach a common goal.

o 2

Understand what is leadership. Leadership is the power to communicate

assertively and inspire others. It is the ability to influence others.

o 3

Understand the leadership qualities. Charisma is one quality that is oftenmistaken as the most important leadership requirement. However, you can

attain charismatic leadership more easily if you work to develop the following

qualities: knowledge, trust, integrity, standards, decisiveness, assertiveness,

optimism, results, vision, and an appearance of power.

o 4

Understand the leadership styles. Just as no two snowflakes are exactly alike,

no two people lead in exactly the same way. Here are the leadership styles: 1)

Dictatorship, 2) "Almost" Democracy, 3) Partnership, and 4)

Transformational.

o 5

Understand the traits of a leader. 1) Positive Thought - visualize yourself and

team winning 2) Positive Talk - communicating a winning attitude. Tip:

Positive talk is key to helping your organization visualize a win.

o 6

Learn how to communicate as a leader. Communication is the ability totransmit information, thoughts, and ideas so that they are satisfactorily

understood by a listener or listeners. As a leader you need to communicate

through verbal communication (i.e., high-impact words, buzzwords, using

analogies and metaphors, anecdotes, and speeches) and non-verbal

communication (i.e., exhibiting assertiveness, facial expressions, posture, hand

gestures, interpersonal distance, and personal appearance).

o 7

Learn how to empower others. Leadership has great flexibility in varying the

level of empowerment based on the individual's capabilities and seriousness ofthe consequences of the individual's action/inaction. When assessing
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capabilities of others, consider the following: 1) willingness to accept

empowerment, 2) training, 3) judgment, and 4) experience.

o 8

Develop a vision. Idealistic in nature, a vision gives a sense of the differencesbetween the present and future states of an organization. To develop a vision

you need to: 1) start with aspirations, 2) do research, 3) spend some time

thinking about the organization, 4) think about possible and necessary

improvements, 5) think about do-ability, and 6) use your intuition.

o 9

Communicate the vision. As a leader, you need to develop ideas and plans for

an organization's future and communicate them effectively by: 1) informing

management about the care of the future and 2) informing employees & others

about the importance of being innovative thinkers.

o 10

Transform into becoming a good leader. You will need to fortify yourself by

keeping up with the latest leadership trends, observing other leaders (including

leaders in your own chain of command and leaders in the news), and

recognizing that your own unique brand of leadership will change as you gain

experience.

Read more: How to Become an Effective Leader | eHow.com

http://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-

leader.html#ixzz1HPcs2jrB

Tips & Warnings

Key steps to think positively:

Break a given problem down to its most basic components and deal with each

separately.

If you deem something as negative, figure out why: lack of experience? Past failure?

Figure out what you can do to increase your chance of success. For example, if your

concern is lack of experience, could you take a class or ask a colleague to help you

learn about a particular topic or procedure?

View each challenge thrown your way as a chance to lengthen your list of successes.

Visualize yourself winning.

Read more: How to Become an Effective Leader | eHow.com

http://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPd5Jrq6

How to be a guild/clan leader
http://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPcs2jrBhttp://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPcs2jrBhttp://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPcs2jrBhttp://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPd5Jrq6http://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPd5Jrq6http://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPcs2jrBhttp://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPcs2jrBhttp://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPcs2jrBhttp://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPd5Jrq6http://www.ehow.com/how_4704970_become-effective-leader.html#ixzz1HPd5Jrq6


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Ever want to become an effective leader? In this article you will learn how to become an

effective guild/clan leader by following these tips and learning from other's mistakes.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

things you'll need:

A clear head A goal/purpose

Atleast 2 loyal friends

1.o 1

Gather your most loyal friends, they will aid you in creating a cirlce of elites

and with busy work.

To be the best, requires dedication.

o 2

Choose the game you wish to dominate with your clan/guild

o 3

Define the goal or purpose of your clan/guild

o 4

Make an example, go out there in the game and show others what your group

is all about, using your most loyal friends you can set an example that people

want to follow.
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o 5

Set a standard of excellence that all your members should live up to.

o 6

Gain followers, either through your actions or through networking and

advertising (Note: this is the most difficult part of the process)

o 7

Respect, is everything. It is difficult to teach one how to earn respect however

the most effective way is through actions. One must show they are capable of

their position and treat others as you wish to be treated.

o 8

Begin molding your new recruits into your ideal, establish comradship and

trust, especially among your elites and make the lower levels feel needed and

always keep them content, listen.

o 9

Do not overemphasize rank, instead focus on belonging and community.

o 10

Rekindle the fire during peaceful times and create a new sense of urgency to

keep your members sharp.
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o 11

As leader you are obligated to fullful your diplomatic duties, you must act

politcally at times and show your men you are just one of them, not to mention

the citizens of your new realm, they are the pool from which you will draw

influence, both good and bad.

o 12

Constantly test your members to make sure they have not gone soft, remember

you have a standard of excellence to uphold. Do this by creating tournaments

within the ranks, to re-establish a pecking order and allow others to gain new

respect, but don't let it go to their heads. Remember you are the top of the food

chain. It is best if you yourself do not compete in such events. Simply evaluate

and give the prize.

o 13

Remember the fallen, retire old members, honor their passing.

o 14

Do battle with the utmost fury, no mercy to your enemies, let it drag on too

long however, and moral will suffer. Make sure to rotate warriors in a time of

war.

o 15

If your're really into it, do research, find out the public opion of yours and

other clans/guilds, discreetly ofcourse and keep in mind the press can be your

greatest ally, or your worst enemy.

o

16

Depending on your goals, halt all recruiting and make your membership

exlcusive, this will help build community, however if you require manpower

you must constantly expand, if this is the case, don't spread your self too thin,

make sure effective leaders are always where they should be, but again, you

are the head hancho, they should answer to you. Building new leaders should

be from the ground up, to ensure loyalty.

o 17
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As with all things, it must come to an end. Go out with dignity.

How to Identify a Leader

X

Freunde

There are so many people in this world that need help. I write on eHow to earn a little extramoney that I can use to do all that I can to make a difference in the world. Money I earn here,

I am saving so that I can fly to Africa and volunteer in schools there. Eventually, I hope to

make enough residual income here that I could volunteer full-time.

Website

http://twitter.com/EricWester

By Freunde, eHow User

Identify a Leader

Leaders are someone that people are naturally drawn to, and naturally want to follow theirlead. Although managers may also be leaders, there's a distinction between a manager and a

leader. A manager explains to people what needs to be done, and a leader takes the charge

and gets things done. A leader will usually serve as an inspiration for others. As a leader, you

will have to build support for projects from people whom you have no authority over.

Identifying a leader is easy if you just look for some of the key traits demonstrated by leaders.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions
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1.

o 1

Identify whether or not the person seems ambitious to do what they are doing.

Does the person just show up each day because they are bored and need to kill

some time, or are they there because they have a passion for what they aredoing?

o 2

Observe whether the person is caring and friendly. A good leader should

always care about other people and be friendly to those they are around. As

well as being caring and friendly, the leader be able to be mature at the same

time.

o 3

Determine whether the person can work alone. Although great leaders will

work in teams quite often, it's important that when the time comes for the

person to work alone, they are able to do so. In other words, does the person

always rely on other people, or can they also do things on their own?

o 4

Identify whether the person is inspiring. This is probably one of the most

important characteristics of a good leader. In order for any leader to be

successful, they must also be able to inspire those they surround themselveswith. People should be able to look at the leader and say "wow, they really

have a passion for what they are doing, and they are inspiring."

Read more: How to Identify a Leader | eHow.com

http://www.ehow.com/how_5613439_identify-leader.html#ixzz1HPfNV7jh

How to Differentiate Between Managers

and LeadersX

eHow Business Editor

This article was created by a professional writer and edited by experienced copy editors, both


editorial process that includes subject matter guidelines, plagiarism review, fact-checking,and other steps in effort to provide reliable information.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5613439_identify-leader.html#ixzz1HPfNV7jhhttp://www.ehow.com/how_5613439_identify-leader.html#ixzz1HPfNV7jhhttp://www.ehow.com/how_5613439_identify-leader.html#ixzz1HPfNV7jhhttp://www.ehow.com/how_5613439_identify-leader.html#ixzz1HPfNV7jh


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By an eHow Contributor

The success of any business depends on having both capable managers and dedicated leaders.

While most outstanding leaders also have superior management skills, not all managers

possess true leadership skills. It's important to differentiate real leaders from within the ranks

of competent managers so that your business grows and evolves over time. Leaders are theguardians of a company's future, and identifying and positioning leaders within your business

structure is crucial to its success.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Assess the Skills of Employees in Management

Positionso 1

Discuss the vision for the company. Managers are more concerned with

executing the day-to-day functions of a company, but leaders think long term.

Employees who do not have a vision for the company or cannot communicate

one effectively will not be good leaders.

o 2

Monitor how employees work within a team environment. Being able tocollaborate with others both above and below you is an important part of being

a leader. Good leaders welcome other people's ideas, foster an environment

where people feel free to share their opinions and then choose between those

opinions effectively.

o 3

Require managers to be evaluated by those under their commands. Inspiring

others to do their best work is an essential leadership skill. Good leaders are

able to train, develop and motivate those under their purviews.

o 4

Use self-evaluation methods to determine if managers are able to learn from

their mistakes. By making your managers report on their own performances

regularly to their superiors, you can gaug

Documents

5 Keys to Leadership for Small Business