How do you lead other people. We have all heard the expression, “Follow the leader.” How do you lead and how do you get people to follow? Being in leadership position is not always easy. You have to have the keen ability to motivate individuals to complete a task, achieve goals, and overall follow you. As a leader, you carry the torch of accountability. You hold an obligation to your team demonstrate effective leadership acting in authority and as a team player. Above all, you have the distinct responsibility to inspire individuals to become creative, rise to their full potential, and eventually become leaders themselves. Here are some great suggestions to lead other people:
1. Begin a practice of taking individual people aside from time to time ask for their insight or opinion about something important. Let them think about the challenges and problems that you think about, and allow yourself to be impressed by the solutions or insights they contribute.
2. Make a point of acknowledging people for the work they do, but especially for the work they don’t think you know they do!
3. Start interacting personally with people at every level of your organization. You may not realize it, but your people want to be with you and get to know you, and they want you to know who they are. Interacting with people at every level of your organization’s hierarchy helps dissolve any resentment between the ranks and create a culture where everyone feels like they matter.
4. Let other people be right from time to time! Since you’re the boss, you get to be right even when you’re not. Give people the experience of being heard and making a significant contribution by giving them the benefit of the doubt once in a while, even when you disagree with them. Yielding to other people’s opinions, when appropriate, helps foster respect, and mutual admiration.
5. Give other people opportunities to lead. Let people express and develop their own leadership by catering to their strengths. If a particular project is well-suited to someone’s unique gifts and abilities, let them provide leadership by contributing their expertise.
