A big part of good leadership is working with your team, which can include hopefully inspiring them to go above and beyond where they’re supposed to.
Better leadership can involve things like encouragement, goal setting, and general assistance and support in getting there.
But there’s another aspect that not everyone realizes: it’s important to focus on yourself as well.
This doesn’t mean forgetting about the others who work for you and taking all the credit for other people’s accomplishments – that’s one of the universal signs of a poor leader.
Instead, what it means is always being on the lookout for ways to improve your abilities. This could involve something similar to what you offer those who work for you, such as support, encouragement, training and hopefully inspiration to be better professionally and personally.
Focusing on your leadership can include:
- Choosing your contacts well. Surround yourself with people as encouraging and cooperative as you want to be. This can provide positive role models to be examples of and help bounce ideas off of, and hold yourself to a higher standard. Think in terms of a workout buddy.
- Push yourself. Just like you should be encouraging your staff to put their fear aside and take some risks, you should do the same to yourself. Get out of your comfort zone and aim higher than the average.
- Find mentors. Just like you enjoy working with people who need a little support, there are likely people who know more than you do about certain areas. And it’s just as likely they may enjoy helping you learn better. This could be an opportunity for you to grow skills in certain areas and maybe even learn some new skills.
- Look for ways to give back. Helping others goes beyond mentoring and direct supervision. You can find other ways to be an inspiration, and in the process, helps yourself grow as a leader. Perhaps look for a charity to support, or create your own, and invite your colleagues to help.
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