Do you think of yourself as a leader? A leader can assume that role in many situations from the workplace to the classroom to the living room. Yes, you can apply leadership skills to help your family achieve all of its potential. Here are some helpful tips on how you can improve your leadership skills.
Tip #1 Embrace A Positive Attitude
Everyone looks to their group leader to set the tone for the day. If you work someplace where the boss is always miserable, then it’s a safe bet that your job will be miserable as well. Putting forth a positive attitude can change the entire dynamic of a room. When you’re optimistic, others will gravitate towards you in the hopes of having some of those “good vibrations” rub off on them. This does not mean walking around with your head in the clouds. Instead, being optimistic is about embracing a solution rather than a problem. It really does come down to a shift in attitudes.
Tip #2 Keep The Lines of Communication Open
A strong leader isn’t afraid of diverse opinions. In fact, they encourage them. You should practice active listening in every conversation you have whether that’s with a co-worker or your kid. At its core, listening means you’re showing that you care about another person’s feelings. That will be reflected back in a positive manner. A leader also asks for feedback before it is even offered.
Tip #3 Fire Up Creativity
The greatest thing you can do for your team is to give them permission to “think outside of the box.” Encouraging creativity allows for a freedom of expression that can provide answers to problems in the most unlikely of sources. Around the home, you want to encourage your kids to be as creative as possible. That will help with their own development. Time to bring out the Crayons and Play-Doh. You can do that at home, too!
Bonus Tip – Reward Often!
It is up to a leader to provide motivation for the team. In sports, winning is certainly a reward but that shouldn’t take the place of playing a hard fought game at the best of your ability. Rewards handed down by a leader don’t have to always be trophies or cash bonuses (although those aren’t bad). A little verbal praise can go a long way towards providing strong motivation. We all want to do well at everything but unless we’re told how will we ever know?
Who is the stronger leader that you’ve been inspired by?
