Leadership | Percy Barr

Position Yourself as a Leader in 20 Minutes or Less

Percy — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 11:31:00 +0000

Positioning yourself as a leader will make your work more meaningful and advance your career. You can gain influence based on your title or on the knowledge and skills you already possess.

While it could take years to climb the ladder up into senior management, tapping into your strengths is something you can start doing right now. Learn how to use your current assets to build up your clout in the workplace.

Expand Your Current Knowledge to Position Yourself as a Leader

1
Read daily. Pick up books about business advice or any topic that interests you. The more you read, the better prepared you’ll be to contribute to any discussion. You’ll sound like a leader, whether you’re engaging in small talk or critiquing a new logo.
2
Sign up for training. Take advantage of programs your employer offers. Brush up on your high school Spanish or become proficient with a new software package.
3
Browse during breaks. Those brief intervals you spend on hold or pausing between meetings can be put to good use. Break out your phone and search for industry news. You’ll stand out if you’re the first one to notice a major lawsuit or merger.
4
Take a course. Many adults juggle full-time jobs while going back to school. Schedule an appointment at your local university to see what you need to complete your degree.
5
Consult an expert. Contact others in your network who would be willing to share their wisdom. Interview a colleague who has published a new book and promote her work on your personal blog. You’ll both benefit from increased information and publicity.
6
Shadow a star employee. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, a high performer may be pleased to show you the ropes. Let them know that you admire their style. Offer to assist them with specific tasks so you can learn from their example.

Daily under 20 Minutes Tasks to Prove Your a Leader

Take responsibility. Prove that you can be trusted to live up to your obligations. Develop a reputation for completing assignments and meeting deadlines.
Document your accomplishments. Make it a habit to write down your ideas and achievements. Looking over your victories will boost your confidence. Even the missteps will suggest adjustments you can make to do better next time.
Express enthusiasm. Attitude is an essential part of leadership. Speak kindly to your coworkers and care about their welfare. Find gratification in your work and how it serves the community.
Take the initiative. Be willing to go the extra mile by volunteering for tasks that fall outside of your job description, even if they’re less than glamorous. Pitch in when the sales team needs a hand entering quarterly data.
Share feedback. Thank people for commenting on your performance and recommending steps you can take to further your professional growth. Offer constructive and tactful criticism that enables others to do the same.
Give generously. Above all, let your colleagues know that they can count on you when they need your time and expertise. Strive to be a valuable team member. Keep an eye out for anyone who’s struggling so you can create mutually beneficial relationships.

Transform yourself into the kind of leader other employees will want to follow. Your knowledge and skills are valuable resources that can help you to develop your talents and inspire others.

The post Position Yourself as a Leader in 20 Minutes or Less first appeared on Percy Barr.

Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders

Percy — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 09:35:00 +0000

Great leaders know how to motivate others. Since the amount you can accomplish on your own is limited, it's necessary to have the assistance of others. Someone that can motivate others to do their best has an incredibly valuable talent. When you can inspire others, you can accomplish much more.

1
Be emotionally supportive. To help others shine, removing the fear of failing or looking foolish is critical. Most people are frozen by fear and prefer to remain comfortable. When fear is more significant than motivation, nothing happens. Removing fear can be just as effective as instilling additional motivation.
2
Provide additional support. Ask what resources are required. Does your employee require further help or funds to get a project off the ground? Perhaps your child needs a tutor or assistance with creating a resume. Determine what resources are required for success and provide them.
3
Follow up regularly. Show that you care by monitoring your staff's progress. It's enough to ask and then listen. Asking questions will also help to keep them on track.
4
Be publicly supportive. It's one thing to support an employee in the privacy of your office. It's quite another to be supportive in front of her co-workers. Parents are guilty of this, too. Avoid only supporting your children around the dinner table. Support them in public also
5
Acknowledge and reward. Acknowledge progress and effort regularly. Everyone needs a little boost now and then. Ideally, give acknowledgement publically. Conversely, your disgruntlement and any discipline should always be handled privately.
6
Ask for ideas. You might hear a few thoughts that are better than your own. It's easier for others to get excited about their ideas than to get passionate about yours. Using insights from your team will create a sense of purpose and involvement.
7
Be clear. Vagueness breeds confusion. Confusion saps enthusiasm. When the objective and the necessary steps are clear, motivation is more natural to generate. Ensure that everyone is clear on their roles.
8
Set a good example. If it's important to you, it will be important to your employees, spouse, or children. Don't just tell them it's important, but show them by your behavior. Make the objective a priority in your own life.
9
Create a vision. Paint a picture of the end results in the minds of those involved. The work is rarely enjoyable, but it's the end result that matters. Keep reminding everyone of how great things will be when it's over. The work is the path to reach that endpoint.
10
Deal swiftly with dissenters. It only takes one dissenting, charismatic employee to bring the whole thing crashing down. There's often one complainer that tries to undermine the enthusiasm of everyone else. Don't underestimate the damage this one person can do. Have a heart-to-heart conversation with them or move them out of the group. Motivation isn't just about adding positive motivation. It's also about removing the obstacles. Dissenters are obstacles.

Encourage others to do their best work or to follow their dreams. Motivating others is a skill that anyone can develop. You can only be as successful as your team. Avoid the belief that you can do it all alone. You can't.

The task of a great leader is to inspire others to be overachievers. It's a challenging task, but if you're good at motivating others, you'll always be one of the most influential people around.

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10 Characteristics of Great Leaders

Percy — Wed, 27 May 2020 10:54:00 +0000

While it’s commonly argued whether great leaders are born or made, there’s little doubt that great leaders share several characteristics. Leadership skills are among the most important to develop if you wish to advance your career. You’ll find that you already possess some of these qualities and likely need to develop the others.

Great leaders share these qualities:

1
Lead by example. Effective leaders know that they can get the best out of others by setting a good example. If you want your followers to commit, be positive, passionate, and involved, demonstrate those characteristics each day. You currently communicate by your actions to others by the example you set?
2
Take responsibility. Lousy leaders look to shift the blame when things start going wrong. A great leader, however, knows that setbacks occur. He also knows that if a failure occurs, it was his poor planning, vision, effort, or leadership that resulted in the poor results. A great leader accepts responsibility for the outcome, both positive and negative.
3
Great communication skills. The ability to share your vision and your plan are paramount to your success. Effective leaders are excellent communicators and work to enhance their communication skills further.
4
Know how to develop others. It’s important to develop others to become better leaders. A great leader takes the time to develop the skills of her followers. The more capable your followers, the more impressive the results you’ll ultimately attain.
5
Inspire confidence in others. If people don’t believe you’ll be successful, you won’t receive their best efforts.
6
Can deal with chaos. Chaos is inevitable when working on big projects with a lot of people. Things will often go wrong. Plans change. The objective can change. A great leader knows how to calmly and purposefully deal with the unexpected and guide others through the resulting distractions.
7
A plan. You might know where you’re going, but do you know how to get there? Can you effectively share that plan with the members of your team? Is your plan believable and achievable?
8
Integrity. Team members have to believe and trust in their leader. Can your team believe what you say? Do your team members trust that you’re fully committed to the project and them? Without integrity, no one will trust you enough to commit and engage with your plans.
9
Vision. For leadership to be effective, a leader must know where she’s headed. After all, you have to lead to a specific destination. Do you have a vision for the future, and can you communicate that vision to others? Is your vision clear and easy to understand? Is your vision focused? Do you know where you’re going?
10
Motivator. It’s been said that one skill needed by great leaders is the ability to inflict pain on team members and get away with it. Impressive future results require sacrifice and discomfort in the present. Are you able to inspire people enough that they’ll continue to follow you instead of revolting against you?

How many of these ten characteristics do you possess? Are you willing to develop those qualities that you lack? Great leaders have several qualities in common that you can learn and apply to enhance your leadership skills. Review these qualities and look for ways to develop your leadership abilities further.

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7 Attributes of Great Leaders

Percy — Sat, 23 May 2020 10:01:00 +0000

Leadership is a daunting task, and there are many theories about how to lead others best. But regardless of the theory employed, there are attributes that great leaders share. With the right blend of attributes, you can thrive within any leadership system. It’s possible to develop these characteristics with study and effort.

Ideas are easy. It’s the execution that’s so challenging. Big ideas require multiple people to bring them to life. Leadership is all about getting everyone on the same page and moving them in the same direction.

Consider developing these qualities that enhance leadership ability:

1
Confidence. Confident people inspire confidence in others. When your team sees your confidence, they believe that you know where you’re going and how to get there. Confidence is contagious and elevates morale. No one else will be confident if you’re not.
2
Trustworthiness. One of the most essential attributes of a great leader is character. People need to trust someone before they will follow him. Trust is accomplished through honesty, walking the talk, and showing respect. Keep your word and follow through.
3
Enthusiasm. Be enthusiastic about the task at hand, your position, and the opportunity to lead. No one will be more enthusiastic than you are. Demonstrate the type of enthusiasm you’d like to see in your team members. Let everyone know that you believe in your mission and its importance.
4
Steadiness. There will be obstacles and times of uncertainty. Great leaders can weather these situations and demonstrate the steadiness necessary to keep the rest of the team focused. These are the times your team will look to you the most. Be positive. Be confident. Be a rock.
5
Focus. It’s easy to become distracted, especially when things start going wrong. Learn to ignore the noise and stick to the relevant facts. Avoid looking too far ahead. Deal with the current situation and maintain your commitment.
6
Flexibility. Nearly anyone can hold the course, but only a great leader can change direction without tipping over the ship. Be open-minded enough to find the elegant solution to the challenges that arise. A few course corrections are the rule rather than the exception.
7
Communication. Be able to communicate your vision to the others in your group effectively. Be willing to listen to new ideas. Provide the information required for others to do their best. Communication skills are paramount to all leaders. If you’re looking for a single skill to enhance, this is a great place to start.

Regardless of the leadership strategy followed in your company, these attributes will serve you well. Great leaders share many of the same qualities. Learning to demonstrate these attributes will enhance your leadership abilities and increase your power and influence at work.

Leadership skills can’t be learned and developed in a day. Bringing an idea into the marketplace requires a leader. Make yourself the obvious candidate.

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5 Communication Skills From Top Leaders

Percy — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 23:13:29 +0000

Do you struggle with communicating effectively? Communication is a vital part of success at work or in other parts of your life. Top leaders have practiced and mastered the skills that enable them to communicate so well. Luckily, you can also learn these same skills!

Follow these strategies to practice essential communication skills:

1
Learn to listen. Top leaders know that listening is a crucial part of communication. Learn to love listening and engage in the stories of others.

Try to pay attention during a conversation instead of being distracted by your phone or other devices. Have one conversation at a time to give each person your full attention.
Try to retelling the other person's story in your mind. This practice will give you a better understanding and increase your listening skills.
Everyone wants to be heard. Others will notice that you're listening to them and will go away from your conversations, thinking what a great communicator you are because you listened.
If appropriate, repeat back to the person your listening to what you thought they said—you're looking to see if you understand the argument.
Ask for clarification of what was said. Everyone indeed wants to be heard, but they also want to be understood.

2
Avoid slang. It's normal to use slang or other types of informal language while talking to friends or family. However, the business meeting usually requires a more formal language set. Pay attention to whom you're talking to and make the necessary adjustments.

Slang, acronyms, and profanity can also make some people feel uncomfortable, especially if they're not familiar with them.
Keep profanity out of the business meeting. You never know who will be offended.

3
Focus on being brief. Top leaders know that you don't have to make a long speech to be effective.

Practice being brief and getting your point across with fewer words and less time. People appreciate short conversations and respect others who don't go off on tangents.
However, ensure you're still providing enough information while you talk. You don't want to be vague or miss important details.
However, ensure you're still providing enough information while you talk. You don't want to be vague or miss important details.

4
Pay attention to other's emotions. When you talk, take note of how the other person is reacting. Words are powerful, and communication can affect people in many different ways.

You may want to learn psychology to understand emotions better.
Show sympathy and empathy when it's appropriate during a conversation.
Look at things from the other person's point of view without criticism or judgment.

5
Be charismatic. Communication is more natural for charismatic people, but you can learn this skill.

One of the most critical aspects of charisma is confidence, but not arrogance or self-righteousness. Confident communicators know their value and worth, but they're also respectful of others.
Another facet of charisma is optimism, and it's also a big part of communication. Even if you're having a difficult conversation, focus on something positive. Top leaders are good at finding the silver lining.
Charismatic communicators are interesting, but they also share interesting information with others. They focus on innovation and new ideas that give people a spark.

If communications are a skill you need as a leader, I'd like to suggest joining Toastmasters. Toastmasters is an international group dedicated to creating better speakers. You get to have multiple chances to speak at each meeting, and it provides a safe environment to try out new skills and approaches. If you choose the right group, it will be close to the situation you need to speak on a daily bases.

You can learn to communicate more effectively by following these tips from top leaders. Practice these skills as often as possible. You'll have many opportunities each day. Every time you have a conversation with anyone is an opportunity to practice a little more. And as you know, practice makes improvement!

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