How to Be a Thoughtful Leader

When you hear the term leader, what comes to mind? Do you picture someone who is stone-faced and not receptive to change, or do you see someone who wants to use their position to help guide others towards success? Being a leader is a very rewarding position, but it’s also a big responsibility. If this is your first time being a leader, you may feel a little nervous and overwhelmed at first. In this article, we’ll be covering tips to help you be a thoughtful leader.

Practice What You Preach

There’s a big difference between being a leader and being a leader that leads by example. If you work in corporate finance, it’s probably a good idea to have your own finances in order. You should be able to lead by using real-life experiences. So, in addition to living within your means, you also need to have to keep monthly expenses manageable. If student loans are an issue, you should consider a student loan consolidation. You can usually roll pre-existing loans into one, pay less interest, and possibly even pay all your loans off sooner than expected. As with any type of a financial decision, it’s always best to weigh the pros and cons to determine whether it’s right for you.

Continue to Learn from Your Industry

Every business is different due to the sheer number of industries and sectors there are. To be a more successful and thoughtful leader, broadening your knowledge is one of the best ways to do so. This is especially true given how fast each industry is evolving. There’s always something new to learn albeit how to market products better or how to manage your own fleet.

You Need to Be an Inspiration

When you’re a leader, creating and building trust is essential you’re going to have people who will look to you for guidance and inspiration. As a new leader, you might be stumped on how you can be more of an influential leader. The first thing you can do is to start being a more proactive listener. In fact, you’d be amazed at how much of a positive effect being a good listener can have. Some leaders can actually fail as a whole if they don’t listen to the people they’re working with. If your team has an idea they’d like to share and see incorporated into fruition, you can build trust with them by actively listening and considering their proposals. Also, if there’s no trust between you and those that follow you, problems can arise.

Don’t Let Failure Affect Your Motivation

One of the biggest fears that most leaders share is failing. Failing can make you feel like you didn’t meet your responsibilities as a leader. Although failure can be disappointing and de-motivating, that doesn’t mean you should let it influence you. Instead, don’t be afraid to talk about your fears and use your failures as a learning mechanism. Failing is honestly an effective teacher as it allows you to go back and assess everything with a different perspective. Once you’ve figured out what exactly went wrong, you can come up with different strategies to ensure you don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Learn and Master New Skills

Just because you’re a leader doesn’t mean you’re exempt from learning. If anything, you’ll be learning a lot more than you think in this position. One aspect of your learning is the skills you need to hone. Below is a list of skills you need to learn and master as a leader:

• Keeping a cool head in difficult situations
• Practicing empathy towards others
• Knowing how to provide effective and constructive feedback
• Being able to effectively strategize
• Improving your communication skills
• Becoming more dependable to others

These are skills leaders must have if they’re to thrive in their industry. Keep in mind, however, that you won’t learn them overnight. It will take a little time to get comfortable with them, but you’ll fall into it rather quickly if you put in the necessary effort.

The Takeaway

When it comes to being a thoughtful leader, you need to put yourself in your subordinates’ shoes. Empathy goes a long way, even in difficult work situations where tempers may flare. Always strive to listen with an open mind and guide co-workers and your employees with kindness instead of harsh criticism. You just might be surprised at the end result.