Becoming a better leader should be the goal of everyone who manages people. I don’t think anyone in a leadership role wants to be a poor leader. At least, I hope not. And I think many would admit they have room for improvement. Unfortunately, it’s been my experience that most people in leadership roles never receive the tools, direction, or time to become better leaders. Too often, becoming a better manager or leader is given lip service but takes a back seat to day-to-day operations.
Becoming a Better Leader
The Road
Becoming a better leader isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s a never-ending process. One of the ways to become a better leader is to recognize the progress you’ve made. It’s important to identify your wins for your self-esteem, to remind you what has worked, and keep you on the path.
Name three things you’ve improved in your leadership role
- _________________________________________
- _________________________________________
- _________________________________________
Learning to be a better leader should never end. With that in mind, review the bullet points below and think about what you could improve. You might not have an answer for every question, but hopefully, it will get you thinking about areas you could improve.
- How can I be a better leader?
- What should I do differently? What do I not do that I should be doing?
- What’s my biggest management weakness?
- What mistakes do I repeat as a manager? What do I do that I should stop doing?
Choose One Area to Improve Your Leadership Skills
At least for me, it’s easy to get caught up and lost in all the many areas I need to improve. However, when you focus on too many things, it’s easy to get lost and then little gets accomplished. Your best plan to improve may be to concentrate on one area. Once you accomplish that, you can move on to other areas. So, where do you start being a better leader? What one improvement will you focus on first?
I will improve my ________________________________leadership skills.
What’s Your Plan to Improve?
Your improvement plan could be to:
- Track your behavior. 6 Steps to Changing Behavior
- Ask for help. The Right Mentor Can Change Your Career. Here’s How to Find One
- Study leadership. The Manager’s Guide to Becoming a Leader
The thing is, without an action plan, not much gets realized because You Can’t Talk Shit Done.
What’s your plan to improve? Think about it, write it down, add it to your to-do list, set goals, and make a follow-up schedule. You got this—one action at a time. If I can help, let me know.
How Can I Help You?
I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me.
Does your business have a management training plan? Businesses and universities use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program. I’m also available to conduct training.
Photo by Diego Jimenez on Unsplash
