Reign Supreme in 2023: The 4 Habits of an Effective Leader
Reign Supreme in 2023: The 4 Habits of an Effective Leader
Leading a startup toward success takes more than a great idea; the culture needs to be aligned with the vision, the vision needs to be plausible and tangible and the cash flow needs to be, well, flowing.
But even with all of these elements aligned- if the startup doesn’t have an effective leader- guiding each aspect toward the final vision of success, pushing all elements to see themselves at their greatest impact- the entire ship can go off course.
So what can us little people, the Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos wannabes do, to make an impact?
What makes an entrepreneur a great leader?
Emotional Intelligence
Having successful relationships in the real world consists of so many tiny elements that make a huge impact. Being, kind, thoughtful and selfless- are all attributes that align with relationship bliss.
Thinking of your workplace and the people in it as a working relationship, emotional intelligence is the key to relating and unlocking a cohesive vision of success.
Knowing how and why your team acts the way they do, what makes them tick and why better helps you align with how to mitigate work delegation, increased productivity and sense of self in the workplace.
Each situation, whether it be a missed deadline, a success in a meeting or a disagreement between colleagues can all be handled with the who, what and where that better allows you, as a leader, to be effective in moving your startup forward.
Active Listening
We all know that glazed look- the look someone across from you gets when they truly have checked out and are not engaged with whatever water cooler moment has commenced.
The startup ecosystem, many remote, needs to be extra mindful that they aren't just a body absorbing what their peers are chatting about but instead, to be truly effective as a leader- use their emotional intelligence to understand and identify the motives behind what their colleagues are talking about. Why what they are talking about is important to the ecosystem and how in the end- sometimes just lending an ear and providing validation in the moment can be exactly what your team needs.
Knowing when to offer advice and when to allow your team to vent can be the crux of the balance between a boss and an effective and active listener.
Communication
Got some bubble wrap delivered to work yesterday.
The boss said, “Pop it in the corner.”
Took me five hours!
Ok- so you've done the work to be a thoughtful and kind leader. You truly care about the words and feelings expressed by your colleagues and you are invested in moving the team and startup forward.
What now?
Just barking orders or laying out a plan isn't the best way forward as seen by the poor bloke in our little anecdote above.
Using your emotional intelligence, actively listening to your colleagues and then effectively communicating the goals is easier said than done. To be an effective communicator you need to understand that each member of your team hear and see things from their own perspective- taking that into consideration and formulating your action plan in a way that speaks directly to their strengths and being kind within that exchange is what sets a boss apart from an effective leader-remote or otherwise.
And my personal favorite- be sure to close the loop; circle back with your team and communicate, be sure all are on the same page with the finished product.
Flexibility
You've set your team up for success and thus your business is ready to be thrust into success and have that cash flowing. #goals
Then Covid happens, inflation occurs, and the country is thrown into a recession (allegedly).
A sign of an effective and impactful leader isn't just one that is emotionally intelligent, or a great listener or one that is eloquent in their communication- it takes the right mix of that person and then throwing in that X factor- when all goes to **** (ahem) they can pivot, regroup and guide their team toward success, wash, rinse and repeat the steps above.
“A leader. . .is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.”
Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa
Reign Supreme in 2023: The 4 Habits of an Effective Leader
Reign Supreme in 2023: The 4 Habits of an Effective Leader
Leading a startup toward success takes more than a great idea; the culture needs to be aligned with the vision, the vision needs to be plausible and tangible and the cash flow needs to be, well, flowing.
But even with all of these elements aligned- if the startup doesn’t have an effective leader- guiding each aspect toward the final vision of success, pushing all elements to see themselves at their greatest impact- the entire ship can go off course.
So what can us little people, the Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos wannabes do, to make an impact?
What makes an entrepreneur a great leader?
Emotional Intelligence
Having successful relationships in the real world consists of so many tiny elements that make a huge impact. Being, kind, thoughtful and selfless- are all attributes that align with relationship bliss.
Thinking of your workplace and the people in it as a working relationship, emotional intelligence is the key to relating and unlocking a cohesive vision of success.
Knowing how and why your team acts the way they do, what makes them tick and why better helps you align with how to mitigate work delegation, increased productivity and sense of self in the workplace.
Each situation, whether it be a missed deadline, a success in a meeting or a disagreement between colleagues can all be handled with the who, what and where that better allows you, as a leader, to be effective in moving your startup forward.
Active Listening
We all know that glazed look- the look someone across from you gets when they truly have checked out and are not engaged with whatever water cooler moment has commenced.
The startup ecosystem, many remote, needs to be extra mindful that they aren't just a body absorbing what their peers are chatting about but instead, to be truly effective as a leader- use their emotional intelligence to understand and identify the motives behind what their colleagues are talking about. Why what they are talking about is important to the ecosystem and how in the end- sometimes just lending an ear and providing validation in the moment can be exactly what your team needs.
Knowing when to offer advice and when to allow your team to vent can be the crux of the balance between a boss and an effective and active listener.
Communication
Got some bubble wrap delivered to work yesterday.
The boss said, “Pop it in the corner.”
Took me five hours!
Ok- so you've done the work to be a thoughtful and kind leader. You truly care about the words and feelings expressed by your colleagues and you are invested in moving the team and startup forward.
What now?
Just barking orders or laying out a plan isn't the best way forward as seen by the poor bloke in our little anecdote above.
Using your emotional intelligence, actively listening to your colleagues and then effectively communicating the goals is easier said than done. To be an effective communicator you need to understand that each member of your team hear and see things from their own perspective- taking that into consideration and formulating your action plan in a way that speaks directly to their strengths and being kind within that exchange is what sets a boss apart from an effective leader-remote or otherwise.
And my personal favorite- be sure to close the loop; circle back with your team and communicate, be sure all are on the same page with the finished product.
Flexibility
You've set your team up for success and thus your business is ready to be thrust into success and have that cash flowing. #goals
Then Covid happens, inflation occurs, and the country is thrown into a recession (allegedly).
A sign of an effective and impactful leader isn't just one that is emotionally intelligent, or a great listener or one that is eloquent in their communication- it takes the right mix of that person and then throwing in that X factor- when all goes to **** (ahem) they can pivot, regroup and guide their team toward success, wash, rinse and repeat the steps above.
“A leader. . .is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.”
Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa
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