5 Toughest Issues Leaders Have to Learn to Handle

One of the first things you learn as a leader is that the buck does stop with you. It's your responsibility to steer the ship and to deal with the challenges that will inevitably crop up from time to time. That's just part of the deal!

 

Some issues are almost inevitable for every leader, and it's up to you to prepare for them. Here are five of the most common challenges you are likely to face. 

 

1.    Learning the Difference between Being Respected and Being Liked

 

People may not always like leaders, but they should respect them. It's your job to make decisions that benefit the organization, the team, or the project. Not everyone will be happy with that. But if you try to please everyone, you will inevitably fail in your job. Choose being respected over being liked. 

 

2.    Office Culture

 

Sometimes office cultural issues can get out of hand. An office can become a hotbed of gossip and rivalry if not carefully managed, which can undermine everything you are trying to achieve. 

 

Set a good example, and don’t gossip or encourage gossip. Make it clear that talking or criticizing colleagues behind their backs will not be tolerated. 

 

Strive to create a positive atmosphere based on pleasant, open communication. 

 

3.    Dealing with Failure

 

Failure of some kind is inevitable. There will be a deal that comes unstuck or a product that flops. Maybe your project overruns its timelines, or an external event might jeopardize the whole thing. 

 

You need to help your team deal with failure, analyze what went wrong, and move on.

 

4.    Communication Issues

 

Human communications can be fraught with problems. People can reply to an email in the heat of the moment, not think things through before they snap back with a smart or angry comment. Or maybe someone is too anxious or scared to be honest about whether they can meet that deadline or not. 

 

Be prepared to have to step in and smooth things over from time to time. Be clear in your communications about what you expect, what’s acceptable, and what’s not. And stay calm if things go off the rails.

 

5.    Staying Focused

 

When you’re the top guy, everyone wants a piece of you. Everyone wants their priority to be your priority. Part of becoming be a good leader is learning not to get distracted from your primary purpose. 

 

It’s your responsibility to stay focused on the project, the team, and the organization. You need to deliver the outcomes that people expect of you. Keep your eye on the prize and your hand on the tiller!

 

6 Leadership Habits All Entrepreneurs Need to Have

Leadership might be one of the most underrated skills that an entrepreneur needs to succeed. When you think entrepreneur, what do you see in your mind? Chances are it's an energetic go-getter, a lone wolf making its way in the world. Maybe you don't see a strong leader inspiring their team onto greater heights of success. But real entrepreneurial leadership may be the thing that makes or breaks a business venture. 

 

Here are six leadership habits you should cultivate to be a successful entrepreneur and a great leader.

 

1.    Self-Knowledge

 

Strong, effective leadership is born of self-knowledge. A good leader and knows their strengths and weaknesses. They know their purpose and why they are doing what they're doing. They understand their business and their industry inside out. 

 

2.    Sharing your Vision

 

Owning your vision and having the ability to share that vision is key to inspiring your team and your stakeholders. 

 

If you don't have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, how can you expect other people to follow you, to believe in your product?

 

3.    Commitment to Your Team 

 

Entrepreneurial leaders are committed to their team. They believe in their team members' skills and experience. They foster skills and want their people to succeed. After all, a business won't grow unless the employees are flourishing. 

 

4.    Active Listening

 

A good leader is one who listens. Respected leaders know they need to hear what's going on with employees, clients, board members, and stakeholders. They make it their business to ask questions, sit back and tune into conversations, to discern what's going on. 

 

5.    Prioritizing Self-Care

 

Good leaders also know the importance of self-care for themselves and their employees. Set a good example by not working 24/7. Take regular vacations, don't eat lunch at your desk, or have working lunches. 

 

People who take care of themselves maintain high energy and motivation. They stay curious and are better prepared mentally and physically for busy and stressful times. 

 

6.    Embracing New Ideas

 

An essential element of being a successful entrepreneurial leader is to be open to new ideas. You need to be able to scent the wind and change course if necessary. Stay open to new ideas, be aware of what your opposition is up to, and of new developments in your field. Change is the new normal: model effective leadership to your team by being flexible and open to innovation. 

6 Ways to Encourage Loyalty Through Leadership

An effective, successful leader is only as good as the loyalty they inspire. True loyalty is built over time. Employees, clients, and stakeholders learn they can trust you and your judgment. You can't buy it, and you can't rush it. But how can you steadily inspire loyalty and build a team that will follow you no matter what?

 

Here are six ways you can start to encourage loyalty right now. 

 

1.    Build Trust

 

Developing a reputation for being trustworthy is gold for any leader. An employee who knows you trust them to do a good job will work twice as hard to please you and repay your confidence in them. Showing trust builds confidence in your team, as well as in your judgment. 

 

2.    Clarity

 

Clarity from the boss means everyone knows what is expected of them and that there will not be any unpleasant surprises. Good leaders are clear about what they want, their vision, and their standards. They also share information and keep their team updated on what's likely to impact the project. 

 

Make sure people know you will be upfront and clear with them, no matter what. 

 

3.    Be an Example

 

Good leaders are also role models for their teams. Be an exemplar of how you want your employees to behave. Be kind, pitch in when things are busy. Few things will make the team feel more valued than a leader who will roll up their sleeves and work with them to meet deadlines. 

 

4.    Develop Positive Relationships

 

A good leader will put time and effort into building good relationships. Please get to know your employees, their situations, and what's happening for them in their lives. Of course, you need to maintain healthy boundaries, but take an interest in your team as people, not just as employees.

 

5.    Encourage Your Employees' Development

 

Good leaders are committed to growing their teams' skills and experience. They know that a successful team is always learning and developing and that staff development is a sound investment in future success. 

 

6.    Be Honest and Open

 

Probably the most important way to build loyalty is to be open and honest in all your dealings. It goes back to being trustworthy. If everyone you deal with knows you can be relied upon to be truthful and open, you will soon be surrounded by supportive people who are fiercely loyal to you. Team members, clients, and board members will want to support you, work with you, and be faithful to you. 

 

7 Traits of the Dynamic Leaders

Some people think that exceptional leaders are born, not made. But if you want to rise above the pack and become a dynamic leader, there are some characteristics you can learn to develop and boost your leadership skills.

 

Experts have analyzed the top traits of extraordinary leaders. Here are some of the most common characteristics they share that you can learn to foster in yourself. 

 

1.    Intelligence and Focus. 

 

Not surprisingly, great leaders are smart leaders. They often are lateral thinkers and can think fast on their feet. Successful leaders are always thinking one step ahead of the game, making intelligent choices, and course-correcting when necessary. 

 

2.    Great People Skills

 

A good leader is a people person. That doesn’t necessarily mean that introverts can’t be good leaders. But they do know how to connect with and get the best out of their teams. They understand the skills mix and potential of their staff and want to help them grow and develop. 

 

Great leaders can also interact well with clients, stakeholders, and other leaders.

 

3.    Competence

 

As well as being smart, an exceptional leader needs to be competent, understand, and be able to do the tasks they expect of their team. A leader who can pitch in on deadlines that are looming will win their team's respect and confidence. 

 

4.    Willingness to Take Responsibility

 

Great leaders do not shirk responsibility. Remember President Truman's desk sign that read 'the buck stops with me'? True leaders are big enough to blame when things go wrong and are happy to share the accolades with their staff when they succeed. 

 

5.    A Drive to Achieve

 

A leader without passion and drive to succeed will not inspire their team. You need to be able to motivate your people into delivering over and above their commitments. Show your team that you care about achieving the project's goals, the team, and the organization.

 

6.    An Ability to Inspire Trust

 

Everyone you work with needs to be able to trust you. Trust is gold when it comes to leadership. According to your values and the organization’s values, if you act with integrity, you will win a reputation for being honest and trustworthy. 

 

7.    Creativity

 

Being able to think creatively is the secret sauce for exceptional leadership. A fertile mind always looking for innovative solutions will mark you out as a dynamic, impactful leader. Encourage independent, creative thinking in your team, and you will make a winning combination. 

 

Top Leadership Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

You want to be the best leader you can. But even if you have had management training and lots of experience, it's easy to make fundamental mistakes that impact your performance and your team's ability to deliver. 

 

Here are some of the most common mistakes people can make regarding leadership and what you can do to avoid them.

 

1.    Failing to Delegate

 

Micromanaging, being controlling, whatever you call it if a leader can't delegate, that spells trouble for the whole team. Many leaders feel they need to keep control over every aspect of the project. But you won't get your best out of your team if you can't let go and trust them. 

 

Learn the art of delegating, and you will get a lot more achieved and the respect and loyalty of your employees. Good leaders know they don't need to know everything about the project. Good leaders trust their team to be on top of things. Good leaders set up structures to make sure things stay on track and then let the team get on with doing what they do best. 

 

2.    Taking Credit but not Responsibility

 

Most people have probably sat in meetings and seen their boss take all the credit. Just showing up to collect the accolades is poor leadership. So is blaming their staff when things don't go so well. 

 

Good leaders share the glory and the blame equally. Remember President Truman’s desk sign that said ‘the buck stops here.’ Take that as your motto. 

 

3.    Not Being a Team Player

 

Responsible leaders are part of the team. They are there, working back with everyone else when the deadlines are looming. Good leaders earn the respect of their employees by working just as hard, if not harder, than their staff does. 

 

Real leadership is being in the office every day, first one in, last one out. They pitch in and make the coffee and print the slides and help clear up afterward. 

 

4.    Forgetting that Leadership is a Job, Not a Title

 

Sometimes people get into leadership positions and confuse their new job with being a dad from a 50’s sitcom – ‘because I say so’ becomes their motto and their modus operandi. They forget they were ever an employee and fall in love with being the boss. 

 

Good leaders never think that being the boss makes them a better person than the rest of the team. Good leaders care more about doing an excellent job than having their name on the door. 

 

What is Transformational Leadership and How Can It Help You Be a Better Leader?

You may not have thought about it much, but if you’ve ever experienced transformational leadership, you’ll realize that it’s a whole step up. Ordinary leaders are focused on getting the job done, managing, and organizing to complete the tasks at hand. And there's nothing wrong with that. 

But transformational leadership can inspire and motivate their teams, stretching them and challenging them to perform better than their wildest dreams. So how can you take on more characteristics of transformation leaders? Here are four things you can start doing right now to lift your leadership game. 

 

1.    Personalize Your Leadership

 

A transformational leader knows their team members inside out and can see the potential in each one. See yourself as more than a manager: be a mentor to your employees and encourage them to stretch their personal development goals. Allocate projects and tasks based not just on current skills but also on challenges to grow and promote motivation and confidence. 

 

2.    Be a Role Model

 

A transformational leader has the power to inspire their team. Model the behavior you want to see, act with integrity, openness, and honesty. You will inspire respect in your team members and give them a model to aspire to. 

 

As a leader, your people will follow your example. They will live up to your expectations, so make those expectations positive. 

 

3.    Be More than a Manager and Inspire Your Team

 

Your job is to set the vision, the strategy, and the goals for your team. Your employees will look to you to be their guide. If you focus on getting the day to day tasks done, you probably get the result you want. But if you show transformational leadership, communicating positivity and optimism, you can fire up your team to deliver results better than the project brief.

 

Transformational leaders are continually encouraging their team members by keeping the enthusiasm high, checking in on progress, acting collaboratively to find creative solutions, and celebrating successes big and small. 

 

4.    Encourage Creativity

 

Creativity is probably the hallmark of transformational leadership. A transformational leader lifts their head above the day to day and is constantly attuned to their industry changes. They are keen to foster innovative approaches and not afraid to take some risk in doing things differently. A transformational leader is not just an active listener and collaborator. They reward independent thinking and people who challenge the status quo. 

 

Typical Avoidance Behaviors

Do you know someone who expresses several avoidance behaviors? Or are you worried that you may be exhibiting some avoidance behaviors? Read on to find out more information on typical avoidance behaviors.

 

Avoiding Certain Situations

 

This is the most accessible type of avoidance to spot. Situational avoidance is when an individual will avoid specific locations, situations, or people because of poor past experiences or anxiety. If you have that one friend who always asks who will be there before they agree to attend an event, they are probably trying to avoid the situation.

 

Cognitive Avoidance

 

This one isn’t as easy to diagnose in others, but this is one you may see in yourself. If you are experiencing cognitive avoidance, you may find yourself repressing certain memories or refusing to think of certain situations. A sure sign you are cognitively avoiding something is if you start thinking about something and then tell yourself not to think about whatever subject you were thinking about.

 

Perfectionism

 

Perfectionism and other compulsive behaviors such as obsessive-compulsive disorder can be classified as avoidance behaviors. These can manifest in several different ways for different reasons. But if you find yourself obsessing over ensuring something is done perfectly, this could be that you are trying to avoid facing or thinking about a problem or emotion. 

 

Changing The Subject

 

This is another avoidance behavior that is easy to spot in your friends and family. If you are having a conversation and find that the person you are talking with changes the subject, this could be because they are avoiding the topic. Of course, changing the topic one time isn’t necessarily avoidance. Still, if they continually change the topic when a particular subject is brought up, this is a sure sign of avoidance. 

 

Inappropriate Emotions

 

Sometimes, when you don’t want to face a certain behavior or emotion, you will replace it with a different feeling. For example, people who feel sad about something may avoid the emotion by becoming angry at the slightest occurrence. Although this is easier to see in yourself than others, you can spot this avoidance behavior in a friend when their emotions may not match the situation. 

 

These are the most common and easiest avoidance behaviors to see, but this certainly isn’t all of them. When you think someone (or yourself) may be exhibiting avoidance behaviors, it’s important to investigate further to discover what may be going on beneath the surface. 

 

Why Do We Avoid Certain Tasks?

Do you find yourself dreading a particular task in your life every time you must complete it? Do you often wonder why you avoid that task? There are several reasons humans avoid completing specific tasks, and the reason why this is can vary from individual to individual.

 

You Don’t Think You’ll Have Fun

 

One of the main reasons people avoid certain tasks is that they don’t believe that they will have fun completing it when they think about that task. Or maybe they’ve performed the task before and didn’t have fun. Humans generally want to avoid doing things that lead to unhappiness. This is especially true when the task at hand is perceived to be especially difficult or complex.

 

Fatigue

 

When you are overly tired, you will generally avoid certain tasks. Even if they are tasks, you usually have fun doing. This is because you are tired and need to get some rest. If you find yourself avoiding tasks because you feel exhausted, then it’s time to get some rest and try to approach the task again later. It is tough to focus when you are fatigued, which could lead you to become distracted as an avoidance tactic for certain tasks. 

 

You Don’t Think You’ll Do Well

 

Fear of failure is another big reason that people will avoid certain tasks. Often, they are afraid of looking bad or at the embarrassment, they may experience if they can’t complete the task. This fear of failure is quite common and one of the easier ones to overcome as it can usually be remedied by working on self-confidence and self-acceptance. 

 

Medical Conditions

 

If no matter what you do, you just find you can’t complete certain tasks, there may be a medical diagnosis behind your procrastination. Several conditions, such as anxiety and depression, can lead to the avoidance of certain tasks. Although this may sound bad, generally, if the underlying condition is treated, you’ll find that it’s a bit easier to find your motivation to complete tasks. 

 

The reasons on this list may be separate, but they all boil down to a lack of motivation. If you find yourself avoiding a task because of one, or multiple reasons on this list, you need to realize you lack motivation. Once you realize this, you can find the cause to motivate yourself in the future better.