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4 Steps On How To Become A Leader That Talented People Beg To Work For

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How To Become A Leader, Talented People Beg To Work For

You just finished your umpteenth leadership book, and you want to hurl it across the room.

The advice isn’t bad, in fact, it’s flawless. You absolutely get what you have to do.

You’re supposed to serve the people you lead. Even love them, celebrate with them, and mourn with them.

Remember what they share about their personal lives. Listen deeply to them.

Show them you set high standards and expect at least as much from yourself as you do from them.

When witless policies and procedures threaten to demotivate your team, you should absorb the shock so they can get on with their excellent work.

Yeah, you get what you should do. What’s missing is how to become such a leader.

Follow these tips to become a leader, who talented people, will knock down doors to work for.

 

1. Prepare Yourself To Lead

You’re there to serve the people you lead, so it’s not really all about you.

Paradoxically, you can’t wholeheartedly serve them unless you’ve prepared yourself. And not by taking another class or workshop.

Instead, establish a regular contemplative practice.

Set aside a quiet, peaceful corner in your home, and start your day with meditation.

As you calm down, you’ll be more present to yourself and others, which will support your team’s well-being.

You’ll also have more energy to ride smoothly through your workplace chaos.

Next, try these tips to polish your leadership qualities:
  • Accept that being a leader means you’ll be regularly interrupted, so you’ll need to shift seamlessly between fine-pointed concentration and more expansive awareness.
  • Use the power of your calendar to set and stick to a schedule so your work doesn’t constantly spill over into your personal life.
  • Get and preserve clarity about your business priorities. While this sounds like a no-brainer, you can lose track of them easily when work gets frantic.

 

Leadership is a tough gig and needs the same dedicated approach to excellence as any other demanding profession.

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. ” – John Maxwell

2. Regularly Replenish Your Leadership Reserves

No matter how well you prepare yourself, you know how it goes when you’re in a leadership role.

You’re often on the run, and time flashes by.

Suddenly, you snap the head off the next person who strolls into your office.

You regret their shocked expression as they back away slowly. Surely they’ll forgive you.

You scrabble through your desk drawers for that stash of chocolate you’re certain you hadn’t yet finished. “Please, God, let there be at least a bite left!”

Then all you want to do is put your head down on your desk for just one minute and, bam! For the next few minutes, you’re lights out.

Not so fun, right?

 

To keep yourself in top leadership form, do the following throughout your workday to “sharpen the saw,” as Stephen Covey put it:
  • Pause for a few minutes, especially when everything’s frantic. Lean back in your chair and dial down your brain. Close your eyes, put up your feet, and cross your arms behind your head. But tell your boss and team what you’re doing so they don’t think you’re slacking off! Encourage them to do the same.
  • Build personal time into your calendar, 15 minutes here and there, especially right after an event that you know drains your energy. Mark the time private. Go for a walk, shut your door, and do some jumping jacks or yoga stretches. Get your body moving and rejuvenate your mind at the same time.
  • Honor your intuition. Bring it into the mix of factors you consider when making a decision. Research shows that intuition is a powerful addition to your capabilities. And when you repress or ignore it, you may actually harm yourself over time.

 

3. Have The Heart Of A Lion

Being an exemplary leader requires courage.

You’re there to buffer your team and absorb the inevitable workplace ridiculousness so they can get on with their excellent work.

Like pushing back against absurd policies that seem deliberately crafted to demoralize talented people.

Or taking a cue from the most successful sports coaches and spending most of your time with your top performers, which is opposite from what most of us are exhorted to do.

Even banishing group-speaking by creating an environment where everyone can speak up and contribute their ideas safely — yet being fiercely compassionate and calling out detrimental behavior when it occurs, rather than leaving it to fester.

If you’ve ever been in a workplace where someone was behaving badly, but the managers lacked the courage to address the poor behavior, you know how damaging it can be.

Being fearful of confrontation is natural. But as John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”

As a leader, you are always on stage. People will take their cues from you.

Model the behavior you’d like them to emulate.

Leadership
 

 

4. Be Relentlessly Humble

Authentic servant leadership isn’t, in the end, all about you. If you think you’re all that and a bag of chips, it’s time to recalibrate!

Be willing to re-consider every detail about who you firmly believe yourself to be. Letting go of your idea of a fixed persona is one of the fastest ways to hone yourself as a leader and adapt your style to suit the circumstances.

Challenge yourself to examine your assumptions.

Although ongoing questioning of yourself seems like the behavior of an insecure person, it’s not. You’ll need robust self-confidence.

Seek your team’s opinion, especially when you’re stumped on a problem. You hired excellent people, right? Don’t be afraid to crowd-source a solution.

Apologize to your team and the rest of your colleagues when you’ve stepped in it. Offer up an apology, take your licks, and tell them how you’ll make amends.

And take what you do seriously but don’t take yourself seriously.

“Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position.” – Brian Tracy

Are You Ready To Be A Crackerjack Leader?

No matter the size or scope of your organization, you can become an excellent leader.

When you do, your exceptional qualities will draw exceptionally talented people to you.

They’ll call and ask if you have any job openings because they heard you were great to work for.

Even if you don’t have a job coming up, they’ll ask you to please keep them in mind the next time you have something suitable.

They will also be selling themselves to you, making it easier for you to build an outstanding team.

People who already work for you will turn down transfers, and sometimes even promotions, to keep you as their leader. They’ll brag to their colleagues about the fantastic place they work for, and the great boss they have.

Your team will deliver excellent results.

When you’re a stand-out leader, talented people will crawl over broken glass to work for you.

9 Powerful Quotes That’ll Inspire You to Be Your Own Boss

Lynn Hauka teaches leaders to work less, get better results, and have time for a rich personal life. Find out how at The Balanced Boss and get a free copy of “5 Calendar Hacks To Be More Productive Yet Leave Work On Time.”

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Startups

5 Strategic Power Moves to Successfully Build Your Empire

Transitioning from idea to empire is a journey of strategic planning, execution, and constant evolution

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how to build your empire

The journey from a fledgling idea to a thriving empire is both exhilarating and daunting. The Startup Launchpad is not just a process but also a strategic framework that enables visionary entrepreneurs to become market leaders. This framework comprises five power moves, each a critical steppingstone in building a successful business.

These moves—Ideation, Business Plan, Online Presence, Strategic Marketing, and Launch and Growth—are the blueprint for turning aspirations into achievements. (more…)

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Startups

How to Avoid Startup Clichés and Buzzwords When Pitching Investors

Using jargon can make you sound like you’re trying to fill space instead of providing meaningful data

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How to pitch investors better

Entrepreneurs frequently seek startup funding through a variety of channels. Yet, none seem as challenging as successfully pitching to experienced investors. After all, investors are pressed for time and eager for opportunities. These characteristics make it challenging to motivate them, especially if you’re bombarding them with a pitch full of jargon. (more…)

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From Idea to Empire: 5 Power Moves for Your Startup to Thrive in Today’s Market

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned that understanding market dynamics and choosing the right business model are crucial

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How to thrive in the startup market in 2024

As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned that understanding market dynamics and choosing the right business model are crucial.

A few months into the startup, I was quick to gauge why it is necessary to go beyond the nuances of operational efficiency and the art of sustaining a business amid growing competition.

Collaboration is key.

The HR and the recruiting teams work with departments to foster a culture of collaboration, but what’s indispensable to business performance is the sync between the marketing and sales teams. What we’d consider as entrepreneurs is the need to ensure seamless collaboration to predict and achieve business goals together. In turn, this will help secure long-term recurring revenue for the business.

Besides, entrepreneurs need to focus on revenue as they gear up to take their startup from $0 to $1 million. The journey is filled with critical decisions, from identifying your target customer base to choosing the right funding strategy.

So, what next?

Read on… because here are five practical, results-driven strategies that you as a founder can implement to make a mark in their industry.

#1. Embrace the Lean Methodology

What is lean methodology?

It is all about pivoting resources to create more value for customers with fewer resources. 

This principle encourages you to be more agile and allow rapid iteration based on customer feedback rather than spending years perfecting a product before it hits the market.

Want to implement it?

Here’s what you can do.

Build “Measure-Learn” Loop: What I did was develop a minimum viable product (MVP), a simple version of the product. You can do the same since it allows you to start the learning process as quickly as possible. After launching MVP, measure how customers use it and learn from their behaviors and feedback.

Here’s what I can recommend here:

  • Identify the core features that solve your customers’ primary needs and focus solely on those to develop your MVP.
  • Know the feedback channels where early users can communicate their experiences, suggestions, and complaints.
  • Analyze user behavior and feedback to make informed product development and iteration decisions.

#2. Focus on Customer Development

Let’s talk about taking our startup to the next level. 

It’s not just about getting customers – it’s about really getting to know them. We need to dive into their world, understand their struggles, and see how our product or service can make a difference in their lives. 

It’s like we’re detectives, piecing together the puzzle of our business hypothesis by actually chatting with our customers

What would you ideally do here?

Understand Customer Segments: I’d say, start dividing your target market into segments and develop a deep understanding of each segment’s demographics, behaviors, needs, and pain points. The idea is to get into their shoes and really feel what they feel.

Ensure your Product Clicks: When starting up, think of what you offer and consider whether it clicks with what our customers need. My thought was “Does my product solve their problems? Does it make their day better?” Put yourself through a tough grilling session to show customers the value proposition and ensure that the product’s promise matches what our customers are looking for.

I’d recommend the following actions here:

  • Talk to them – through surveys, interviews, or even casual chats. The goal? To gather real, raw insights about what they need and expect.
  • Use the collected data to create detailed profiles for each type of customer. This way, everyone on our team really understood we were serving. I think this should help your startup as well.
  • Try out different versions of our product with a few customer groups. It’s all about feedback here – understanding if you’re hitting the mark or if we need to pivot.

#3. Foster a Data-Driven Culture

The digital world is highly data driven since it fuels key decisions in a startup. 

I believe it’s essential for us to build a data-driven culture. This means, you’ll move from making decisions based on hunches or assumptions. Instead, the focus should be on data analytics and insights to guide our strategies and improve our outcomes.

What can you do?

Use Data Analytics Tools: You should be using these tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data related to customer behavior, market trends, and our business operations. Here, consider the adoption of pipeline forecasting that leverages AI to find patterns in marketing data. 

In turn, you’ll get areas for improvement since it can analyze historical data and predict the outcome for you to plan your.

Action Items:

  • Pinpoint key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your business objectives and ensure they are measurable and actionable.
  • Next, you can consider training your team to understand and use data analytics tools. This might involve workshops or bringing in experts to build a data-savvy workforce.
  • Once everything is in place, regularly review data reports and dashboards. This gives us a clear picture of a startup’s health and helps adjust your strategies and predict future trends.

#4. Strengthen Your Financial Acumen

A good grip on financial skills is important to steer your business towards growth and making sure it stays on track. For this, you’ll have to understand the money side of things, which helps you manage your cash flow. Think of figuring out smart investment moves and sizing up any risks that come your way.

Here’s a tip on how you can get savvy with your finances.

Maintain Rigorous Financial Discipline: I’m really focused on cultivating a strong company culture, one that truly resonates with our mission. So, I’d suggest fostering open communication and encouraging a sense of ownership and collaboration among everyone in the team.

Action Items:

  • Get to know your financial statements inside out – I’m talking about the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. These are like the vital signs for your business’s financial health
  • Use financial forecasting that helps predict your future money moves. With this, you will have a heads-up on upcoming revenues, expenses, and how much cash you’ll need. Also, research on the available financial forecasting tools that can make predictions spot-on.
  • Don’t go at it alone. Regularly touch base with financial advisors or mentors. With them by your side, you’ll have a fresh perspective on your financial strategies to ensure you’re on the right path to hit your business goals.

5. Prioritize Team Building and Leadership Development

It is crucial to focus on building a solid team and developing strong leaders. This means putting our resources into the people who are going to propel our company forward. 

What you’ll aim for here?

Creating a culture where everyone collaborates and every team member has the chance to emerge as a leader.

What I would do:

Cultivate a Strong Company Culture: This culture should mirror our mission and foster open communication. It’s important that it encourages everyone to feel a sense of ownership and work together.

Invest in Leadership and Team Development: As founders, we’ll have to make way for opportunities for teams to enhance their skills, face new challenges, and grow in their careers.

Some concrete steps that you should consider taking:

  • Begin with clearly communicating your startup’s vision, mission, and values so that every team member is on the same page.
  • Conduct regular team-building activities and workshops to boost skills and strengthen a sense of unity and collaboration.
  • How about starting a mentorship program within our organization? The more experienced team members could guide and support the growth of newer or less experienced folks.
  • Alas… encourage feedback at all levels. We should keep striving to create an environment where open, honest communication is the norm and everyone feels safe to speak up.

I know it’s one thing to get your head around these ideas and quite another to actually make them a part of your everyday business life. But that’s where the real magic happens, right? It’s all in the doing. 

As a startup founder, this means more than just being a big dreamer. How about rolling up your sleeves to be the planner who pays attention to the smallest details. Ultimately, these tips and more tactics around it will help carve a leader in you who listens and cares and the learner who’s always ready to adapt

So, as you’re either starting out or moving forward on this entrepreneurial adventure, keep these practical tips right there.

May these be your guiding lights, helping you steer through the wild and exciting world of building a startup that’s not just a dream, but a thriving reality.

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12 Things I Learned in 12 Months of Working on My Startup

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Image Credit: Unsplash

A few weeks ago I launched my startup. It took exactly 12 months from the initial idea until the moment I saw my app in the App Store. And these were some of the most challenging, fun and exciting 12 months of my whole life. (more…)

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