Think of a leader that you admire. What are the traits that they have that you would most like to emulate yourself? Great leaders have several things in common. They inspire people to become better both personally and professionally. They also encourage them to achieve success. But how do they do this? Great leaders have three common traits: they practiced inspired leadership, as well as servant leadership, and they lead by example. Here’s how to cultivate these essential leadership skills in your business.

3 Traits of Great Leaders

Inspire your team

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

William Arthur Ward

Inspired leadership involves three important concepts. The first is inspired leadership; that is, helping your team understand. Inspired leaders are more than all talk, they are also action. These leaders are always working hard to ensure that their team understands the task at hand. Inspire leadership also includes inspired direction, which is showing them what works. They help their teams know what way to go by providing a map to follow. Additionally, inspired leadership includes encouragement. Inspired leaders believe in their teams even when they may not believe in themselves.

Serve your team through servant leadership

Great leaders do more than Inspire their teams, they practice servant leadership as well. The best leaders have one very important trait: humility. They put the needs of their team ahead of their own. They inspire others on their teams to grow as people and encourage them to become servant leaders themselves.

5 Steps to servant leadership

1. Listen. One of the most important ways to become a servant leader is to practice your listening skills. Servant leaders truly listen to their teams and not just when they have an issue either. They listen to their teams, answering their questions and addressing their concerns, and providing encouragement when they need it the most. They listen with more than their ears, they listen with their whole bodies. This means that when they’re speaking with somebody they turn their attention and their full bodies toward them to let them know that they’re listening, they put their phones down, they make eye contact and they uncross their arms to drive home their openness. Their bodies say I am ready to listen. Many leaders don’t know how to listen. Instead of listening to the words they are hearing and taking in other nonverbal cues, they’re thinking of their next comment or a quick retort. By giving somebody your full attention and truly listening to what they’re saying, you not only show that you respect the other person but you also make them feel heard and more comfortable. This helps to build trust and makes them more confident in your leadership.

2. Acknowledge. The best way to show someone that you listen to them is to acknowledge what they’ve told you. Repeat their main points. Say, “What I’m hearing you say is…” this gives you the opportunity to make sure that you understand what they’re saying. It also provides an opportunity for them to clarify what they’re saying. A lot of times when we communicate with others we think we’re saying one thing when we mean something else. By repeating what they say to make sure that you understand correctly you both have an opportunity to clarify the concern and make sure everyone’s on the same page. Once you’ve clarified what they’re telling you take the time to empathize, sympathize, or further understand where they’re coming from. The seemingly simple step shows the other person that you care about what they say and truly understand where they’re coming from.
3. Validate. The next step of servant leadership is to validate others. When someone shares something with you, show appreciation for what they’ve shared. It’s not always easy for people to raise a concern, ask a question, provide feedback, or even share an idea they’ve had. How many of us have had bosses who acted in a negative way when we had a question or an idea or a concern? Many of us have had jobs where we had a horrible boss who either didn’t welcome our ideas or would treat us terribly if we had the audacity to speak up. When team members are able to share, celebrate it. And, when they have ideas to share, always give them credit. However, do not validate negativity. Negativity spreads like cancer. We are all adults. And while people may be upset when they come to you, encourage them to have a constructive conversation.
4. Offer encouragement. Humans are thirsty for praise. The best way to encourage positivity for your team and those around you is to encourage those positive behaviors and attitudes that you want to see in your team. It’s also important to exhibit those positive behaviors and attitudes that you want to see, but we’ll get into that later. For now, it’s all about offering encouragement for a job well done. We all function better with positive reinforcement. For example, if a team member is providing encouragement to another team member who may be going through a challenging time, then shout it out. Praise them for this positive behavior. Or if a team member comes to you with an idea for improvement, don’t get defensive. Instead, consider the idea and perhaps encourage them to help put that plan into action. When others on your team see that you’re receptive to other ideas, they’ll be more likely to share their ideas for improvement. This gives the team ownership and makes them more confident in you as a leader.
5. Community. We evolved in communities. Everyone thrives in a nurturing community led by a servant leader. Everyone contributes to the community’s success. When you practice servant leadership, your team will be inspired to become servant leaders themselves. They interact with one another differently, always trying to encourage and build relationships with others. This helps to create strong, thriving communities, no matter what your business or industry. You are able to survive the challenges that come your way because your team feels empowered to adapt and thrive.

Model the behaviors you want to encourage

Although your team will listen to what you say, they’re more likely to behave how you do. For example, if you preach positivity but your actions are negative, then your team will follow your example. Or, if you are encouraging your team to reach out to everyone they meet and talk about their businesses but you don’t do that, then they’re not going to feel comfortable doing it either. People have more respect for leaders who not only talk the talk but walk the walk as well. The best way to encourage success for your team is to lead from the front and be an example of success.

How do you do this? First, you develop the heart set of a leader. In last month’s blog, we explained how to lead with heart. When you lead with heart, your team will emulate your example. They will trust you more, and will be confident in your leadership skills. 

Next, have a consistent work ethic. This is huge. You can’t expect people to work hard if they don’t see you working hard yourself. For example, if you’re encouraging your team to have a power hour every day, but you haven’t done one in weeks, it’s not likely that they’re going to start doing them. Your team will work as hard as you do. 

Next, have a positive attitude, especially when times are challenging. People often think that those who exhibit a positive attitude when the sky is falling or see the world through rose colored glasses. This is not true. Those who stay positive in the midst of challenging circumstances understand that those challenging circumstances won’t last forever. Nothing less forever, whether it’s success or failure. Everything has a season. By cultivating a positive attitude, you encourage your team to stay positive as well. You help them maintain a positive mindset and understand that nothing is permanent and that whatever challenges they’re facing now won’t last forever. 

Finally, it’s important to take courageous action instead of being passive. When we’re facing a challenge it may seem like the easiest thing to do is to do nothing. Often, this is the most comfortable thing to do. In reality, challenging times call for courageous action. Inspire your team to be courageous when the time calls for it. Be the example that they can follow when they’re facing a challenge that calls for courageous action. The more you set the example for the behaviors and actions you wish to see in your team, the more likely it will be that your team follows that example. This is how you create a strong team that can withstand the challenges of business.

Teamzy can help you become a better leader

Teamzy is more than a CRM. Sure, we give you the tools to set the foundation for a strong social selling business, but we’re more than that. We also offer online courses to help you sharpen your leadership skills. Click here to learn more.