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Tag: Leadership Qualities

  • Free Webinar | October 26: How to Be a Visionary Leader for Yourself and Those Counting on You | Entrepreneur

    Free Webinar | October 26: How to Be a Visionary Leader for Yourself and Those Counting on You | Entrepreneur

    Vision is the cornerstone of achievement, and visionary leaders possess the unique ability to see opportunities where others see obstacles. Learn how to unlock the secrets of becoming a visionary leader and start your journey toward unprecedented success!

    Join us on October 26th at 2:00 PM ET for an inspiring webinar led by Logan Stout, author, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur, whose companies have generated billions in revenue. Discover how you can become a visionary leader not only for yourself but for everyone counting on you.

    During this insightful webinar, you will learn:

    • How to establish a clear Vision that guides your path to success.
    • Strategies to take action on your Vision and turn dreams into reality.
    • Techniques to embody your Vision, making it an integral part of your leadership style.
    • Methods to effectively transfer your Vision to inspire and empower your team.
    • The self-discipline needed to stay committed to your Vision, no matter the obstacles.

    Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Logan Stout’s wealth of experience and wisdom. Register now to secure your spot for this transformative webinar on visionary leadership! Whether you’re an aspiring leader or an established one, this event will equip you with the skills and mindset needed to make your Vision a reality.

    Register now and set yourself on the path to becoming a visionary leader.

    About the Speaker:

    Logan Stout is an accomplished business owner having generated billions of dollars of revenue throughout his career. He is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, best-selling author, keynote speaker and leadership trainer who has made regular appearances on all forms of major media outlets: TV, Magazines, Radio, Podcasts and more.

    He has been endorsed by Hall of Fame athletes including Troy Aikman and Pudge Rodriguez, renowned entrepreneurs Barbara Corcoran and Daymond John from ABC’s Shark Tank, Success Magazine’s Darren Hardy, Zig Ziglar’s son and CEO of Ziglar, Inc. Tom Ziglar and many more spanning a wide range of professions.

    Entrepreneur Staff

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  • The 5 Key Qualities of a Good Leader | Entrepreneur

    The 5 Key Qualities of a Good Leader | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In today’s fiercely competitive business landscape, the demand for exceptional teams capable of innovative thinking and delivering stellar outcomes has never been greater. Consequently, the creation of high-performance teams has become a paramount objective for numerous top-tier companies.

    A cornerstone of high-performance teams lies in effective leadership. Virtually no empowered team attains greatness without a strong leader at its helm. Leaders are the driving force that steers and inspires individuals toward a shared objective, ensuring seamless alignment and collaborative harmony among team members.

    Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to interact with powerful leaders of highly empowered teams. Over time, I have noticed several attributes that each of these effective leaders possess. In this article, we will explore five of the most important leadership attributes: Confidence, integrity, sacrifice, tenacity and enthusiasm.

    Related: 10 Simple Steps to Build an Exceptional and Efficient Team

    1. Confidence

    Being a high-performance leader entails having unwavering confidence in both yourself and your team.

    Fostering confidence in your team necessitates letting go of micromanagement. It’s essential to convey your support and trust to your team members. While addressing any shortcomings with constructive feedback is crucial, it’s equally important to demonstrate your belief in their capacity to improve.

    Ironically, your personal confidence can receive a significant boost by acknowledging your own weaknesses. By recognizing areas where you may fall short, you open the door to delegating related tasks to your team. This empowerment allows your team members to excel in areas where your strengths may not lie. Consequently, you can focus on tasks where you excel, leading to a self-assured boost in your own confidence.

    Related: 10 Ways to Build Your Entrepreneurial Confidence

    2. Integrity

    Trust stands as an essential prerequisite in the realm of team leadership. Devoid of trust, a team cannot truly exist.

    This fundamental truth resonates strongly with accomplished military leaders who understand that obedience to orders becomes uncertain without their soldiers’ trust and respect. Such circumstances can have profound consequences, potentially affecting lives in the process.

    To showcase your personal integrity to your team, prioritize honesty and fairness in all your actions. Consistently apply your principles when addressing various situations, and maintain open and transparent communication with all team members. Uphold your commitments and promises, even when you believe they might challenge your reputation. Such actions will foster a deeper trust and reliance within your team.

    Related: The Importance Of Honesty And Integrity In Business

    3. Sacrifice

    Evolving into a high-performance leader should never revolve around seeking accolades or personal glory. True leadership entails making sacrifices and consistently prioritizing the needs of others above your own.

    I’ve come to realize that achieving greatness often demands sacrifice. In my journey, both my family and my business have required significant investments of time, effort, money and even sleep. Every ounce of energy I’ve dedicated to these priorities has proven to be worthwhile. While the path to creating what matters most to me has been marked by hard work, I can honestly say that I’ve never regretted a single moment of it.

    Finally, a great leader understands that their success is intricately tied to the well-being and growth of their team. By consistently putting the needs of others at the forefront, a leader not only fosters a harmonious and motivated team but also paves the way for their own growth and fulfillment in the process. After all, leadership, at its core, is a journey of service and dedication to a higher purpose beyond personal glory.

    4. Tenacity

    If you lack tenacity, venturing into leadership might not be your right path. The leadership journey is not always a walk in the park; it can often feel like an arduous uphill battle. Life throws challenges, uncertainties and obstacles your way, and as a leader, you must navigate through them with determination and unwavering resolve.

    Having tenacity, often called “grit,” is akin to having the sturdy foundation upon which your leadership journey is built. It’s the inner strength that propels you forward when faced with adversity. Without it, it’s easy to become disheartened or give up when the going gets tough.

    Leadership demands more than just vision and charisma; it requires the resilience to withstand setbacks and the determination to persevere in the face of adversity. Tenacity becomes your compass, guiding you through the stormy seas of leadership, ensuring you survive and thrive in the most challenging circumstances. So, if you aspire to lead, nurture and harness your tenacity, it will be your steadfast companion on your leadership journey.

    Related: Why Tenacity Is One of the Most Critical but Overlooked Entrepreneurial Skills

    5. Enthusiasm

    Enthusiasm is the lifeblood of sustained excellence in any field. Enthusiasm is also the spark that ignites your passion and drives you to push boundaries, persevere through challenges and maintain an unwavering focus on your goals. Without genuine enthusiasm for your work, the risk of boredom and burnout looms large on the horizon.

    In the realm of leadership, enthusiasm is contagious. When a leader exudes genuine enthusiasm for their vision and mission, it has a ripple effect throughout the team. It boosts team morale and inspires individuals to go the extra mile, fostering a culture of high performance and achievement.

    Enthusiasm is not a fleeting emotion but a reservoir of energy and drive that propels individuals toward greatness. It sustains tenacity and makes the sacrifices worthwhile, as the passion for the journey and the desire to excel remain undiminished. In essence, enthusiasm drives high-performance leaders, propelling them to achieve extraordinary feats and leave a lasting legacy.

    Don Weber

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  • What Does It Mean to Be An ‘Authentic Leader,’ Anyway? | Entrepreneur

    What Does It Mean to Be An ‘Authentic Leader,’ Anyway? | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Authentic? Try genuinely cringey. After his marketing firm laid off some employees last summer, HyperSocial CEO Braden Wallake posted a tearful selfie on LinkedIn. If Wallake aimed to come off as a vulnerable, authentic leader, his gambit backfired, provoking more outrage than positive engagement. As one commenter noted, at least the “crying CEO” still had a job.

    Compare that misstep with a moving video message early in the pandemic from Arne Sorenson, the late former president and CEO of Marriott International. A drawn, weary-looking Sorenson, who is suffering from pancreatic cancer and has lost his hair during treatment, should probably be resting at home. Instead, his voice breaking, he speaks candidly of the coming mass layoffs at the hotel chain, offering his people empathy and hope.

    We know authenticity when we see it. But what does it really mean, and how can leaders do it well? Here’s where things get complicated. At Meta, in presidential politics, and as a corporate consultant, I’ve worked with hundreds of leading CEOs and public figures. And authenticity meant something different to every one of them. In fact, it’s such an overused term that it should come with its own air quotes.

    But more than ever, people want leaders to offer a glimpse of their real selves, even if that view is to some extent curated. Why is authenticity so fashionable? Social media, for better or worse, has blurred the line between public and private. Remote work and Zoom meetings only upped the ante, prompting participants to share their personal lives with strangers — right down to that well-stocked bookshelf and not-so-casually placed guitar (guilty?).

    All that aside, authenticity is far more than just a gimmick … if you can get it right.

    Related: Authentic Leadership: What Is It and Why is it Important?

    Authenticity is complicated — and that’s OK

    For bosses who put in the effort, authenticity can boost trust in them and improve workplace wellbeing. It can also make workers more engaged and productive. One study of more than 700 employees at 85 small firms showed that when business owners are perceived as more authentic leaders, staff engagement and innovation see an uptick. In another analysis of some 200 European workers from a variety of industries, there was a statistically notable positive relationship between authentic leadership and on-the-job performance.

    That said, authenticity comes with its own built-in set of pitfalls and paradoxes. Beyond the motivational posters, it’s devilishly hard to pull off in practice, and I’ve seen it done wrong far more often than done right. For leaders, mastering authenticity starts with coming to grips with three key contradictions:

    1. Authenticity can be selective and strategic

    Let’s start with a critical nuance. Authenticity doesn’t mean shooting from the hip. In fact, there’s often a calculus involved. A leader can be authentic but also thoughtful and selective — choosing which selfie to share with the world, so to speak. For politicians, strategic authenticity is almost a reflex. Ronald Reagan loved jelly beans so much that he made them a fixture in the White House, passing around a jar of his favorite brand at meetings. A calculated choice to help humanize the world’s most powerful person? Sure. But that didn’t make Reagan’s jelly bean obsession any less authentic.

    2. Authenticity demands integrity — but in the classical sense

    Strategy aside, at its core, authenticity demands integrity. I mean this in the way Socrates did: All of the parts must be consistent with the whole. A leader who strikes one pose with colleagues and a completely contrary one with friends will be hard-pressed to convey authenticity. Walmart chief executive Doug McMillon, who started out unloading trucks for the retail giant, lives and breathes this kind of integrity. In photos and videos, he often wears the same name tag as every Walmart associate, because that’s who he truly is.

    3. Authenticity requires lowering the drawbridge

    You can’t follow someone you don’t trust, and you can’t trust someone you don’t know. Ultimately, authenticity demands a certain level of vulnerability — showing a glimpse of the person behind the professional facade. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the retired U.S. Army general who commanded forces in Afghanistan, radiates this quality. I’ve seen him put privates and Presidents at ease with a candid personal anecdote or self-deprecating joke about his life and career. At a biological level, this act of opening up inspires deep reciprocity and confidence in the listener. Great leaders like McChyrstal enable people to get to know them in an instant so everyone can move on to trust and believability.

    Related: How to Become an Authentic Leader

    3 steps to authentic leadership, from beginner to expert

    Of course, mastering this in practice is easier said than done. For many leaders, opening up doesn’t (and probably shouldn’t) come naturally. Missteps — sharing too much, or the wrong thing or the right thing at the wrong time — can have real consequences. For leaders grappling with the mechanics of authenticity, here are a few stepping-stones that may help, based on conversations I’ve had with people who found compelling ways to get real.

    1. Find your on-ramp to authenticity:

    Every leader who wants to be authentic must start somewhere, by showing a little of themselves. Start by exploring what small, human detail can be your on-ramp to authenticity. This needn’t be earth-shattering or especially revelatory … as long as it’s you. Sports fan, amateur chef, gearhead, volunteer, reader, podcast listener, DIY enthusiast — all good options.

    In her early days as CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra posted micro book reviews on Facebook. The fact that Barra — an engineer at the pinnacle of American corporate life — shared those reviews with the rest of us mere mortals made them wildly popular.

    2. Set your own boundary between public and private:

    I’ve advised CEOs who shared intimate details of losing loved ones, while other leaders were reluctant to share pics of the family dog. Ultimately, there’s no “right answer” when it comes to how much of yourself to put out there. It depends on your own comfort level and an honest assessment of the risks involved.

    But here’s the thing: Authenticity will come much more easily if you invest time in thinking about and setting this boundary in advance. For instance, I’m an open book in many respects. My time in the army, hobbies (from gardening to learning guitar), even political opinions — that’s all on the table. But there are critical details about my family and friends that I simply won’t share. Part of staying grounded is holding back something from the rest of the world.

    3. If it’s scary, that means you’re doing it right:

    Reaching the next level of authentic leadership requires courage. At the end of the day, people are inspired by others who demonstrate the courage to take risks. Willingness to put your reputation on the line can speak volumes — helping cut through corporate noise and forge a real connection with an audience.

    One leader taking such a risk is Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of yogurt giant Chobani, who champions a politically charged cause: refugees. Through the Tent Partnership for Refugees, Ulukaya encourages other companies to follow Chobani’s lead by hiring those newcomers, making the case that they’re a dynamic economic engine.

    For leaders willing to get real — whatever that means to them — the rewards can outweigh the risks. I’ve carved out my own version of authenticity and helped guide others in the same direction, with positive results. Just don’t expect anyone to shed a tear if you get caught faking it.

    Related: The Surprising Secret to Authentic and Powerful Leadership

    Craig Mullaney

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  • This Leadership Style Is Redefining Success in the Business World | Entrepreneur

    This Leadership Style Is Redefining Success in the Business World | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In today’s business landscape, a distinct type of CEO stands out. These are not the conventional leaders solely driven by profits or quarterly results; they are transcendent leaders.

    A transcendent CEO embodies a visionary mindset that goes beyond the confines of conventional leadership. While many leaders might tunnel-vision on short-term profit margins or the next quarterly report, a transcendent CEO adopts a panoramic view of the business landscape. Their vision is not limited to mere fiscal performance; they aim to foster an environment where every stakeholder finds their place in the bigger picture.

    Related: How to Improve as a Leader by Optimizing Your Management Style

    Qualities of a transcendent leader

    For a transcendent CEO, business success is a multi-faceted gem that radiates with the collective fulfillment of everyone linked to the organization. They believe that an organization’s true value is realized when its employees find not just jobs, but purpose and passion in their roles. It’s reflected in suppliers and partners who feel genuinely valued and engaged, not just as transactional entities, but as pivotal cogs in a larger mission.

    Furthermore, their vision extends to the broader community. They understand that businesses don’t operate in isolation; they’re part of a community, a society and an ecosystem. As such, a transcendent CEO seeks to ensure that the organization’s impact is positive, sustainable and enriching, not just within its walls, but beyond. This ripple effect, where value and purpose permeate every layer of interaction and engagement, is the hallmark of transcendent leadership. It’s a leadership style that doesn’t just aim for success but seeks to redefine what success truly means in the modern business world.

    These leaders operate with a commitment to ideals that go beyond the bottom line. They use their influence to promote values such as unity, freedom, truth and love. This approach doesn’t disregard profits but prioritizes a balance between financial growth and ethical principles.

    Drawing an analogy, transcendent leaders are akin to modern-day alchemists. While they don’t literally turn metal into gold, they do strive to evolve rigid, outdated business models into more flexible and inclusive ones. This “Omni-win” approach ensures that success benefits the individual, society and the environment.

    Central to this leadership style is empowerment. Every team member, regardless of their position, is valued as an essential contributor with unique potential. This leadership model doesn’t strictly follow a top-down or bottom-up approach; instead, it incorporates the strengths of both. This balanced approach recognizes the mutual growth of individuals and the organization.

    But this leadership isn’t just about external tactics. At its core, it emphasizes personal growth and inner alignment. For a transcendent leader, internal spiritual and psychological alignment is crucial. They understand that true leadership starts from within.

    Related: Empowering Your Team Should Be a Top Priority. Here’s How to Start.

    Transcendent leadership vs. traditional leadership models

    Historically, the model of leadership in the corporate world mirrored that of ancient hierarchies: a structure similar to the pyramids, where a select few at the top wielded immense power, while the majority at the base supported these upper echelons. This authoritarian model, while stable and structured, was often imbalanced, relying heavily on a top-down approach. It primarily favored those in command, often sidelining the potential of those below.

    Such a leadership model, while credited with several milestones in business advancement, has inherent flaws. Centralized power often breeds a sense of complacency and entitlement in leaders, while the potential of countless employees is left untapped. In a world rapidly evolving, this is no longer sustainable. A vast reserve of innovation, creativity and productivity remains dormant when leadership fails to recognize and harness the brilliance that every individual brings to the table.

    In contrast, the servant-leader model attempted to subvert this hierarchy, placing the CEO at the foundational level, directly in service to customers and employees. While this approach brought a wave of fresh perspectives, promoting empathy and service, it also had its limitations. It sometimes led to leaders becoming too accommodating, often at the cost of decisive action and strategic foresight.

    The true evolution in leadership bridges the strengths of both these models. Enter the transcendent leadership approach. It understands that every individual, irrespective of their position, has something unique to offer — a specific talent, a distinct perspective or a groundbreaking idea. It acknowledges that leadership isn’t about dominance but about fostering an environment where each individual feels empowered to bring their full selves to work.

    Related: 7 Timeless Principles That Will Help You Become a Better Leader

    Transcendent leadership is more than a strategy; it’s a mindset shift. It requires leaders to introspect deeply, to align their inner psychological and spiritual values with their outward actions. In a world full of distractions and pressures, this might seem like a daunting task. However, the benefits of such alignment are unparalleled. Leaders who can harness this balance are not just efficient; they are holistically effective. They lead businesses that aren’t just profitable but are purpose-driven, communities that are not just engaged but empowered, and teams that are not just productive but passionately innovative.

    Reaching this state of transcendent leadership isn’t an overnight transformation. It requires continuous learning, self-awareness, and most importantly, a genuine commitment to seeing and treating every team member as a potential leader. The outcomes of this approach, though, are profound. Organizations that embrace this model don’t just thrive; they redefine success in terms that are both quantitatively impressive and qualitatively enriching. In essence, the evolution of leadership is the journey from power for a few to empowerment for all.

    Transcendent leadership offers a fresh perspective in the business world. It suggests a model where organizations don’t just thrive financially but also contribute positively to the broader ecosystem.

    Satyen Raja

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  • 4 Ways to Avoid Becoming A Nightmare Boss | Entrepreneur

    4 Ways to Avoid Becoming A Nightmare Boss | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We’ve all had that boss, the one who makes work life so much harder than it needs to be. We all swear we’d never do the same if we were in charge, right? Then, one day, you become the boss — and gasp: you’ve become the nightmare! Or is that just me? Honestly, I think my first step in becoming a better boss was being that nightmare at one point. I saw firsthand the dysfunction it caused, and here’s what I learned.

    No-no’s from a reformed nightmare boss

    Looking back, I can see that I never really set my employees up for success. During my stint as a nightmare boss, I had an amazing team; I just wasn’t an amazing leader. I wanted them to produce perfection (or what I considered perfection) without guiding them in how to do so. I struggled with articulating my vision for their roles and setting expectations. Instead, I would cherry-pick anyone willing to work and just hope they would learn well through trial and error. I have since realized this is a horrible way to onboard anyone. To avoid my mistakes, consider the following.

    1. Don’t try to mold someone to fit a job post

    Just because you like someone or need a new team member immediately doesn’t mean they are right for the job. I own a PR agency, and in this creative industry, some things simply can’t be learned. You either have the talent — as a copywriter, a designer or a media relations guru, for example — or you don’t.

    That’s not to say skills can’t be honed, but it’s essential to learn what people’s strengths are instead of what you’d like them to be. And who knows? Even if they aren’t a fit for that particular job, they may be perfect for another role on your team.

    On the flip side, when you find someone with the right passion and talent, you still have to manage them effectively. I once had an incredible brand director who was so creative and proposed making videos to convey PR lessons.

    This was long before Reels and TikTok, so it was a fantastic, novel idea, and I was all in on proceeding full steam ahead. However, because I didn’t hold her accountable for producing the end result, no videos were ever made! Not one.

    Related: 6 Tips for Hiring the Right People

    2. Don’t fire fast and regret it later

    When people make mistakes — and they will — take it as a teachable moment instead of a reason to cut them loose. This one was big for me. I was hiring fast and firing even faster. That’s no way to run a stable and successful business. Though I wanted people to succeed on their own, I now know that is not how things work.

    People need direction, input and support. When they mess up, that’s the time to teach and redirect so they can improve for the next time. I look back on the talent that was a part of my team, and I regret some of the fast decisions I made, letting them go before trying to show them how to make things work. I have since come a long way in this regard.

    What’s more, following this approach, I can appreciate that sometimes it’s just not a fit, even when you have taken the time to teach. That’s still okay, too, and in making that effort, I can be confident in my decision.

    Related: How to Fire an Employee

    3. Don’t separate yourself

    You and your employees are on the same team, and while there needs to be respect and clear roles, creating a you-versus-them mentality will not be effective. You must be approachable, willing to do the work and ready to share the successes.

    My PR agency is much stronger with a team that feels comfortable sharing ideas, no matter how off-the-wall, and letting me know when something isn’t working or when they have a better solution.

    For example, I’ve been trying to set and streamline operational standards for more efficiency, but having more of a content-oriented brain, organization and I are not the best of friends. This is not true of others on my team who are strong in that area and in the new project management tools we’re implementing.

    So, while I’m leading the charge, others are attending to process details. Not only will this produce better results, but my staff will also take more ownership in use of the software. Win-win!

    Related: 7 Proven Tips for Building Trust and Strengthening Workplace Relationships

    4. Don’t forget that you’re human too

    Both nightmare bosses and dream bosses are human. The difference is that only one of them is likely to admit it. When you misstep, acknowledge it and, if warranted, apologize for it. Showing you’re human doesn’t make you a weak boss; it makes you a more skilled leader and will further cultivate connection among your team than acting infallible ever will.

    Along these same lines is making the effort to do better. Remember when I mentioned teachable moments above? That applies to the boss, too. Things move fast in my industry and probably in yours — when growing a business, we always want to say yes to the client.

    But we need to learn to say “no” when doing so protects our team. Sure, there are times when an immediate turnaround is necessary, or we want to overdeliver to grow the relationship, but setting boundaries with clients and keeping expectations for staff realistic will go a long way toward bridging the gap between a not-so-great boss and a great one.

    Related: Why Vulnerability Is a Strong Business Leader’s Most Powerful Weapon

    The path to dream boss status

    Would I say I’ve achieved dream boss status? You’d have to ask my team to know for sure, but I’m trying my darndest to be, and that’s half the battle! With a bit of intentionality and by avoiding these mistakes, you can channel your inner dream boss too.

    Emily Reynolds Bergh

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  • Staying Within Your Comfort Zone Can Kill Your Business — Here’s Why. | Entrepreneur

    Staying Within Your Comfort Zone Can Kill Your Business — Here’s Why. | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Every founder must step outside their comfort zone to be successful. I’ve never met a founder for whom that isn’t true — but it’s hard. We all have insecurities, bringing a certain level of imposter syndrome to the table. Those deeply personal struggles can cause us to gravitate to what we’re good at, what we know, and what feels safe — even when it’s not what our businesses need at that time.

    So, how can leaders get out of that box? It’s not about gaining competency, although that is an undeniably important step. It’s about understanding where, how, and why they’re avoiding what’s uncomfortable. Self-discovery is the beginning of the journey to success.

    Getting there is almost never easy. But with better self-awareness can come deliberate habit-breaking, which helps your business strategy and your effectiveness as a leader.

    Related: Why Self-Reflection and Self-Awareness Are Vital Skills for Any Entrepreneur

    Your first instinct is often wrong

    In times of crisis, we revert to what we’re great at. The founder who’s great at fundraising says, “I’m going to raise more money.” The founder who’s great at engineering says, “I’m going to release a new feature.” But often, collapsing into default isn’t helpful. The odds of your superpower being the optimal next step at any given time are low.

    I know a founder who’s unbelievably good at sales. His default is to go out and sell because more sales means increased revenue. But as issues at his company arose, more revenue wasn’t the answer — the product just wasn’t good enough.

    He had to analyze data on what was actually happening and consider the relationship that existed after the sale was made. He realized the best thing for his business was to temporarily stop selling. That was uncomfortable for him because it halted momentum, forcing him to learn new skills. But it allowed the team to fix the underlying problems, which put them on track to build a sustainable business.

    All founders must look at their business and themselves objectively. Even though founders have to be good at many different things, nobody is good at everything. In the same way that leaders plan company strategy, they need to plan personal strategy. If leaders aren’t methodical, they end up doing only what they’re good at, plus random tasks that come across their desks each day.

    Founders have to manage the business they have, not the business they want. You’ll inevitably have objectives that aren’t in your wheelhouse, but you must face those tasks to succeed. Part of good management requires leaders to acknowledge their management style — and understand where and when that needs to evolve. I tend to be a raw, demonstrative, talkative person. Sometimes, that works. But there are times when I need to find a style that doesn’t feel as natural but is necessary to build the partnership.

    Related: How to be an Adaptable Leader and Use Change to Your Advantage

    Creating an environment that encourages change

    If founders want to push their teams to get outside of their comfort zones, they must lead by example. It’s about encouraging people to be deliberate. What do they need to do today? What resources are necessary for those things to happen? An eat-the-frog mentality is helpful here: If people spend the first 30 minutes of their day doing what makes them uncomfortable, they get a positive feedback loop from knowing they accomplished the worst of it and can spend the rest of their day on tasks they enjoy.

    Getting 360-degree feedback matters, too. People will tell leaders if they’re stuck. They can help founders get to the root of why they’re uncomfortable with specific tasks. Open communication will improve leadership accountability so founders don’t slip back into old habits. But leaders have to give their team space to be open. Otherwise, people won’t feel like they can bring anything new to the conversation.

    Related: 3 Reasons You Should Have Difficult Conversations Now

    A System of Personal Growth

    Most founders set aside time to conduct performance reviews. But they typically don’t set aside time to evaluate themselves as humans on the job. Founders need to intentionally allocate time to evaluate what the business needs their ever-changing job to be.

    Founders need to authentically look at their performance to find what they’re avoiding and how to start facing it. Start by asking your direct reports and board members: “What do you think makes me uncomfortable? What are three things I’m avoiding?” It is a tough conversation because the answer is deeply personal and often isn’t a work issue but one that will help you in business and life.

    Leaders can ask themselves questions to evaluate themselves during the time they’ve set aside:

    • Did I do my best to set and make progress toward clear goals?
    • Is what I’m supposed to be doing matching what I’m really doing?
    • What am I doing more of than I should?
    • Did I do my best to find meaning?
    • Did I do my best to cultivate relationships?

    Clear goals shape the questions leaders will ask themselves. They also keep leaders from drifting. More than aptitude, the ability to not drift is a primary difference between high-performers and those who merely do okay.

    Lastly, although everyone can have a stellar day, no one will be able to put 100% of themselves into everything. That’s why leaders should frame their questions like “Did I do my best.” It’s impossible to be perfect, so the goal should be to do the best they can with what they’ve got. Work on improving, but be gentle with yourself. Founder life is hard enough.

    Embracing discomfort is a challenge, but the rewards are excellent

    Founders usually feel uneasy when they step outside of their comfort zone. But failing to face what they’re avoiding can restrict the feedback they need and give them a false sense of what’s going on. That false sense can have a massive negative impact on virtually everything, including employees and vendors.

    We need discomfort to grow as entrepreneurs. So, if founders find themselves feeling uneasy but don’t run, it’s a good sign they have what it takes to excel. With consistent self-awareness and bravery, they’ll lead themselves and their teams to an inevitable win.

    Jonah Midanik

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  • How This Simple Approach to Goal-Setting Will Ensure Your Productivity | Entrepreneur

    How This Simple Approach to Goal-Setting Will Ensure Your Productivity | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As business leaders, we’re often faced with the difficult and overwhelming task of deciphering exactly what leadership strategies and practices are most effective. Besides just being an expert in your respective field, you have to be responsible for overseeing the business and team.

    Creating bookends in life means establishing a routine that supports each side of your day, but what exactly does this look like in business settings? Bookending in business is a simple yet highly effective technique leaders can use to support productivity and create meaningful success in their roles.

    While some entrepreneurs may be familiar with the concept of bookending, the vast majority do not realize just how valuable it is. By implementing even a few strategies into their workday, entrepreneurs and startup founders can level up their leadership skills and stay on top of business priorities.

    Related: 5 Goal-Setting Frameworks to Help You Live Your Dream

    Make your mindset work for (not against) you

    It all starts with your mindset. Your ability to adopt the right mindset indicates how productive you will be and implore your team to be. For me, the ideal mindset encompasses a positive approach, accountability and transparency. Ideally, these tenets are a preface for working towards a desired outcome. This is especially important in situations where you are responsible for making difficult decisions, and there are circumstances beyond your control.

    For you, this could mean continuous self-improvement, learning from your mistakes, adapting your business or attempting to master new skills. For example, you may be unable to control the fact that you must have an uncomfortable conversation later that day or tomorrow. However, by controlling your mindset going into the meeting, you are contributing to the overall productivity of it. This practice allows you to hone in on your priorities and avoid getting sidetracked.

    Having the right mindset is part of the blueprint for productivity in business and can lead to exponential shifts in outcomes. In other words, consistency is key, allowing you to seize new opportunities. The next part is ensuring that you set clear goals.

    Related: 6 Tips for Goal-Setting That, Trust Me, They Don’t Teach You in College

    A roadmap to leading with intention and goal setting

    Now that you’ve prefaced your ‘routine’ with the right mindset, setting intentions and clear, measurable goals will help you stay on track. There are a few ways to put this into practice, but generally, this means outlining a roadmap for achieving desired outcomes to maximize productivity throughout each interaction, initiative or project.

    Take, for instance, networking as a goal. You can go into events or conversations by reframing the outlook of networking as solely transactional. Instead, consider what an engagement or experience may afford and align your expectations accordingly. In doing so, compartmentalizing short-term or immediate actions based on how they tie into long-term goals will ensure you make the best decisions.

    Related: Effective Networking: The Difference Between Access, Opportunity and Being a Part of the Noise

    It’s also important to note that goals should be realistic and achievable for where you are. As I mentioned, a mindset of accountability and transparency is at the start. Without it, you run the risk of making misaligned decisions. While some goals may be achieved faster than others, it does not mean they are less valuable to the overarching business picture. Remember, you already have a strong sense of judgment, so trust your instincts and consider the goals as a guide.

    Reflect on the results

    Reflecting on your results ensures productivity. Allowing time for daily reflection will create new insights that drive new behaviors, decisions and outcomes. Part of reflecting is assessing what worked and what didn’t, essentially establishing the ‘bookend’ of your day. This will allow you to create a clean slate for maximizing your time and efforts the next day.

    Ask important questions and consider how your goals compare to the outcomes. Reflect on each relevant action that day and ensure they return to an intention. Understanding that not everything will go as planned, be prepared to pivot directions and evolve your goals as necessary. When this happens, it is always valuable to bookend with reflection as a means of reverting back to the necessary mindset.

    Practicing self-reflection is an ongoing task. However, in doing so, you will hone in on your strategic thinking skills, improve your levels of self-awareness and improve the quality of your relationships with investors and your team, all of which are invaluable. This is all to say: lead by example and frequently check in with yourself.

    Establishing your mindset and reflecting on performance are the bookends of productivity. Your ability to create efficiencies and execute on goals will set yourself, your team and your business up for success. While it takes time and effort, the work that really matters is mastering the techniques you are using to ensure each day is as productive as the last. Focus on the bookends, and the right decisions will come in between.

    Mike Carpenter

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  • An ‘Embarrassing’ Moment Changed How Peyton Manning Leads | Entrepreneur

    An ‘Embarrassing’ Moment Changed How Peyton Manning Leads | Entrepreneur

    Two-time Super Bowl Champion, five-time NFL MVP and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Peyton Manning knows what it takes to lead a team to success. Over the course of his career as starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, then the Denver Broncos, the superstar athlete became as well known for his leadership skills as his football prowess.

    But, just like everyone else, Manning had to learn how to lead his team the right way.

    The day before the start of the 2023 NFL season, the former quarterback sat down with General Electric chairman and CEO Larry Culp at GE’s “Lean Mindset” event in Chelsea, New York, where a range of industry leaders — from professional athletes like Manning and Giannis Antetokounmpo to Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and more — unpacked how to build team cultures fostering innovation, efficiency and constant improvement.

    Related: 7 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Peyton Manning

    During his conversation with Culp, Manning recalled a moment from his college football days that changed his approach to leadership for good.

    Growing up, Manning’s father, Archie Manning, a quarterback who’d played in the NFL for 13 seasons, always told his son that the position came with the responsibility to step up and lead his team.

    When Manning was an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Tennessee, that’s exactly what he did. It was his first game; the team was losing, and Manning, initially benched, was put into play. In the huddle that followed — with some much older teammates — the young quarterback heeded his father’s advice and gave a pep talk in an attempt to inspire confidence.

    One of Manning’s teammates was far from impressed. Manning said the 6’5″, 330-pound left tackle said, “Hey freshman, shut the ‘blank’ up and call the ‘blanking’ play.”

    According to Manning, the “embarrassing” incident taught him a valuable lesson in leadership. “These new co-workers — these teammates — didn’t want to hear what I had to say until I earned their respect,” Manning said.

    So Manning pivoted to what he dubs “silent leadership,” demonstrating through his actions — showing up for his team, staying humble and constantly striving to improve — that he could be an effective leader.

    And the quarterback’s strategy worked — first on his college team, then during his NFL career.

    Related: 8 Motivational Peyton Manning Quotes | Entrepreneur

    Despite some well-intended advice that fell flat in that first huddle, Manning’s father was still his “hero” and role model when he was a young athlete, and the former quarterback says everyone should find that person who can see them through the next challenge or setback.

    “At no point should we stop being coached ourselves,” Manning said. “No matter what level of success, we all hit a plateau at some point, and you need a coach to get you back on track. That can be a coach, teacher, co-worker, boss — somebody who is honest and candid with you. Don’t ever stop going back to that person.”

    Amanda Breen

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  • How to Master the Art of Saying ‘No’ | Entrepreneur

    How to Master the Art of Saying ‘No’ | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    As an entrepreneur, you are predisposed to say “yes,” which can open you up to new possibilities and opportunities to help grow your business. That magic word can bring in new contacts, thoughts, opportunities and finances to support you. It makes you a risk-taker — and after all, taking calculated risks is what made you an entrepreneur in the first place.

    But let’s be realistic. Saying “yes” often means saying “no” to something else. Agreeing to launch a new product offering might mean you won’t have the capacity to address customer satisfaction across the company. Greenlighting too many projects may spread your attention too thin, eventually leading to exhaustion as you try to juggle everything simultaneously.

    Often, we are presented with a false dilemma: yes or no. Is this a great business idea? Is this employee a good fit for the company? Should I raise capital for this venture? Does taking this opportunity prevent others? You need a clearly defined strategy for your company to break this cycle. You need a north star to keep you on course. But you also need to take time to think. One of my mentors taught me this, and it has been one of the most valuable pieces of advice that has stuck with me ever since.

    Here are three situations where you should consider pausing, thinking long and hard and sometimes coming up with an answer that doesn’t always feel right in the moment — but will benefit you in the long run.

    1. Saying no to external stakeholders

    Almost every entrepreneur labors to build a business that matches their vision, not someone else’s. When the vision of external stakeholders (like investors) doesn’t align with where you want to take the company, it might be a good idea to step back. They may not be right for your business despite deep pockets and an eagerness to invest. And these initial differences may lead to conflicts down the road. This might be the time to decline their offer, although I suggest framing your conversations that would still leave the door open for future partnerships.

    You will also need to learn to say no to customers. Don’t get me wrong: It is critical to listen to customer feedback, especially when improving your products or services. However, stay true to your north star and stay the course with the products or services offered by your company. If a customer is asking for something that doesn’t fit with your business model or doesn’t align with what you think will drive growth and success, saying no would be a good idea.

    Related: Why Saying ‘No’ Can Actually Help Your Business or Startup

    2. Saying no to internal stakeholders

    As an entrepreneur, I am responsible for leading a team to success. I am looking for the best and the brightest in the business, driven by the same mission as me. At my company, there is no shortage of passion for our mission and plenty of ideas and great enthusiasm around how we can continue to improve and drive towards our mission, which is thrilling and energizing. But sometimes great ideas aren’t right for the moment, and even with the best intentions, they may veer from our strategy.

    As leaders, we are responsible for understanding the bigger picture, staying true to our strategic focus and making decisions accordingly. I am continuously learning to balance suggestions, decipher ones to act on and ones to table and say no to ones that may not fit the moment – while encouraging creativity and enthusiasm.

    Related: How to Say ‘No’ to Anyone Without Feeling Guilty

    3. Saying no to yourself

    Running and growing a business is a lot of work. However, we must prioritize work-life balance. I suggest setting a schedule, doing your best to stick to it and learning to control yourself from responding when a professional issue arises during your personal time.

    Of course, there is no perfect recipe for work-life balance. I know there will always be a lot of work that needs to be done, but I also recognize the importance of family time. I’ve learned to draw boundaries when needed. I suggest that you don’t lose sight of your family. Take time with them, sign off from work, pick your kids up and have dinner with them. Be present in their lives.

    Related: Here’s Why Your Team Needs to Say ‘No’ More Than ‘Yes’

    The art of saying no

    It is an art to master and say no to projects, opportunities, and people not aligned with your entrepreneurial goals. By learning to say no, you protect your time and energy, encourage your employees to pitch in with tasks they are best suited for, avoid burnout by taking on too much work and responsibilities and maintain healthy relationships with co-workers and clients. Remember to make decisions based on the company’s vision, mission and strategy you set initially. Sometimes, saying no can be just as effective as saying yes.

    Jurgi Camblong

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  • 8 Ways to Become the Exceptional Leader That People Actually Want to Follow | Entrepreneur

    8 Ways to Become the Exceptional Leader That People Actually Want to Follow | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Some people may have natural leadership abilities, but the hard work combined with that ability creates a true leader. Moreover, good leaders who are willing to do the work of continuous improvement can learn to become great leaders.

    Here are eight skills that can get you there:

    1. Practice self-awareness

    Awareness of oneself is how an individual consciously knows and understands their character, feelings, motives and desires. Through self-awareness, leaders can inspect and improve their behavioral patterns and, as a result, their contributions to successful outcomes. In addition, a high level of self-awareness opens the door to ongoing self-improvement.

    Related: Why a Self-Aware Leader Is a Good Leader

    2. Look past yourself

    The key to helping senior leaders become great is teaching them to look beyond immediate outcomes. In doing so, they become adept at seeing how their decisions and actions will play out in the next two fiscal quarters, at the end of the year, at the end of the next year, and beyond. Good leaders play checkers; great leaders play chess.

    Related: 9 Reasons Humility Is the Key Ingredient to Exceptional Leadership

    3. Embrace humility

    You are not the only one with great ideas. This means leaders must take an honest view of their own importance, which often requires an outside perspective to achieve it. It also means being humble enough to listen to and act on valid feedback, regardless of who offers it. It’s great when someone can offer truthful feedback in a friendly, constructive way. But even if the delivery is less than cordial, resist the temptation to “get them back.” Instead, focus solely on the core of the message, not the delivery,

    4. Maintain a beneficial schedule

    A beneficial schedule enables leaders to do their best thinking consistently. It requires the right amount of rest and time away from work — even thinking about it. It also means incorporating whatever is needed for a healthy body, mind and spirit, since they all work together.

    There are two specific benefits of keeping a beneficial schedule:

    • It fosters strategic and creative thinking. You can’t lead an organization if you don’t look ahead at different time horizons and think strategically about them. This is where creative thinking happens. Getting into that z one requires you to be physically, mentally and spiritually best.
    • It models healthy work-life balance. Many leaders look to the boss for how long they will work each day, when to begin work, etc. If you respond to emails over the weekend, everyone will think it’s the norm. The brain needs to rest and rejuvenate; working or thinking about work 24/7 is the exact opposite.

    5. Learn impulse control

    The ability to hit the pause button on emotion-driven impulses allows you to truly hear and digest what is being communicated by another person or within a group, respond with reason and intention, and logically document shared thoughts for further analysis. This skill enables you to think more rationally and deeply and consider all ideas – or combinations – to devise the optimal plan for achieving the best outcome. It also requires you to set your ego aside and really understand that finding the best solution is all that’s important.

    6. Meet people where they are

    Learning to listen and seeking to understand are common characteristics in all great leaders. The trick is lowering your own filters so you can stop making assumptions based on your perspective. A good coach can help you do this and provide tools to hone inquiry skills so you can ask great questions at the right times to bring others along — the kind of questions that don’t simply elicit information but provide a window into what makes that person tick.

    Related: The 6 Steps From Startup to Thriving Company Culture

    7. Speak kind truths and hear them

    Kind truths are important building blocks of trust in strong working relationships, which are essential to being a great leader. You can’t do everything yourself and be a great leader; you must achieve through others via collaboration and influence. How do you influence? By building trust.

    Examples of kind truths:

    • Call out the obvious. Call out the elephant in the room. Everyone already sees it, anyway.
    • Give direct feedback in a kind way. Refer to the action, not the person, avoiding “shame” language” – when the word “you” is used along with “should” in the past tense, i.e., “You should have known better.”
    • Speak clearly. Often, we try to soften our feedback, not wanting to hurt the other person. However, this makes the feedback muddled and unclear; kind truths are clear.
    • Invite and receive direct feedback. Most people are afraid to tell the boss where they can improve. Instead, ask them, “What I hear you not saying is…do you feel like this is true?” Say it in a non-confrontational, inquisitive way; you will be shocked when they say, “Yes, wow, that’s right.” The key is to do something about it then.
    • Act on the feedback. When someone gives you feedback, mirror it back, essentially asking what change they’d like to see. You can then speak about its plausibility and shape it to pinpoint exactly what needs to change or improve. Then, commit to doing it, with a date when you will check back with them on the changes they have seen. Then, set up whatever system works for you to make this behavioral change rapidly and permanently.

    8. Adopt reciprocity

    Reciprocity is the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit. You can’t be a truly great leader if you do not give to others for their benefit. They are always giving to you; the higher your role, the more they are giving. Give back to them; give to everyone. All the great and successful leaders of our time did more than just take every beneficial thing that was given to them; rather, they gave at least as much, if not more, than they took.

    Karen Brown

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  • How to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace | Entrepreneur

    How to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    How much do you consider mental health in your overall well-being? Many business owners sacrifice their own emotional stability and personal satisfaction for what they believe to be the greater good of the organizations they run. Or they are too lost in all the noise of operating and growing a company even to consider self-care. But there is no rulebook out there that states business owners can’t have a thriving business and a healthy mind. It is all about positive psychology.

    Positive psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing. It focuses on factors like hope, happiness and optimism. Positive psychology is a proactive approach to mental health, not unlike wellness, which is to physical health. We often see a doctor when we feel sick or experience the onset of a disease, which is a reactive approach to physical health.

    A more proactive approach is to adopt the kind of healthy lifestyle choices that reduce our chances of getting sick in the first place. The same thing applies to mental health. We might see a therapist if we are in the throes of a mental health crisis, but it would surely be preferable to take a proactive approach to avoid a psychological emergency in the first place.

    Dr. Martin Seligman is an American psychologist and leading researcher widely considered the “father of positive psychology.” Seligman coined the term PERMA, an acronym that represents what he asserts are the five essential elements of mental health: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment. The concept of PERMA is intriguing, specifically as it relates to the business owner’s emotional journey and mental health.

    Applying the concepts of PERMA to ourselves as business leaders is a great step in the right direction. Then, fostering opportunities to advance the PERMA ideology throughout your organization can dramatically enhance your company culture. I mean, who doesn’t want a team of emotionally healthy, mentally prosperous and happy people working for them?

    Let’s consider the facets of PERMA and how business owners can apply them to foster positive psychology throughout their organizations.

    Related: 5 Reasons We Should Make Our Health a Priority Over Our Business

    P — Positive emotions

    Not to be confused with happiness, positive emotions include personal feelings of love, joy and hope, among others. Seligman posits that our thoughts and actions improve when we cultivate and integrate positive emotions into our lives.

    First, focus on creating a culture of gratitude to help infuse positive emotions in your business. Recognize and celebrate achievements. Encourage your team to find joy in the work they do and in their interactions with others.

    Related: How Positivity Makes You Healthy and Successful

    E — Engagement

    Engagement is our ability to achieve a desirable state of flow in which we ditch our self-consciousness and allow ourselves to be absorbed in something we enjoy. It is about being substantively present in the moment rather than focusing on the mental baggage of the past or anxiety for the future.

    In your leadership role, provide employees growth and career development opportunities that encourage mastery, such as mentorship programs or advanced skills workshops. Implement ways to instill active involvement, autonomy and personal decision-making in the roles of every employee.

    R – Relationships

    We all know that deep, meaningful relationships with others are vital to our well-being. Seligman says that humans are inherently social creatures who thrive on feeling valued and supported by others. These social interactions may also stave off cognitive decline and physical health issues.

    As a business owner, be an active listener, reinforcing the importance of strong interpersonal relationships throughout your organization. Create opportunities for team bonding and collaboration.

    Related: How to Build a Positive Relationship With Your Boss and Colleagues

    M – Meaning

    Having meaning in our lives adds purpose and value to our actions. It is that connection with something bigger than ourselves. A sense of meaning might come from the business one runs, the causes one supports or one’s spiritual beliefs. Meaning increases personal satisfaction in our daily lives.

    Ensure your company mission and vision are meaningful to your team. Create in-house opportunities for employees to contribute to the causes they care about. Let your people know how important they are to the success of your business.

    Related: 3 Ways to Help Employees Combat Burnout and Create More Balance

    A – Accomplishment

    Being successful at the things we do can dramatically enhance our mental well-being. Accomplishment refers to the final product and the orchestration, mastery and self-motivation that propels a person to achieve great things.

    To support a culture of accomplishment in your business, set clear and attainable SMART goals for employees, departments and the organization. Celebrate big achievements, as well as little wins along the way. Understand that setbacks are often catalysts for growth, so provide constructive feedback when employees fall short of expectations.

    Proactively incorporating positive psychology and infusing the tenets of PERMA throughout your business can lead to a healthier, happier and more meaningful existence for you and your entire team.

    Jason Zickerman

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  • Why Employee Accountability is the Holy Grail of Every Successful Business | Entrepreneur

    Why Employee Accountability is the Holy Grail of Every Successful Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Accountability is a remarkably dynamic word and so much more than a simple promise to perform. While the concept is rooted in responsibilities, the term also implies continuous action and a healthy system of checks and balances. At its core, accountability is about showing up, claiming ownership of a task, and then accomplishing the things you have committed. And everyone in your organization should do the same – because accountability is not a solo act. Accountability is the kinetic energy that fuels every successful organization.

    Your own accountability as a business owner is a gimmie; as the leader of your company, your word is your bond. And there are also huge benefits in creating a culture of accountability throughout your organization.

    You want employees to be answerable for their responsibilities. You want your team to work toward company goals, maintain certain metrics and meet their deadlines. While these accountabilities might seem rudimentary, you might be surprised how many businesses struggle with them.

    I believe most employees want to do a good job and try hard to be accountable. If they fall short, a glitch in communication is usually at the heart of the problem. Maybe the employee was never clear on expectations. A lack of transparency possibly hobbled achievement. Or, as is often the case, perhaps the employee’s definition of success differed from that of their manager.

    Fostering a culture of employee accountability is key to the success of any business, and the formula almost certainly starts with respect for your team, their strengths and their goals. Best-selling author and TED Talker Daniel Pink says that fostering a spirit of autonomy, mastery and purpose in your employees allows them the freedom and inner drive to develop creative solutions. He is right; by affording them these opportunities for self-direction and responsibility, you create better alignment in an environment where your people feel valued and their talents nurtured. This is to say that you set the stage in your business for a culture of accountability.

    Related: How to Create a Culture of Gentle Accountability in 3 Steps

    Employees crave autonomy

    Autonomous employees are empowered to leverage their own judgment and take ownership of their decisions. Embracing a culture of self-responsibility throughout your business fosters a stronger sense of employee commitment, supports innovation and demonstrates your trust in your team’s capabilities and professionalism. By giving employees more flexibility and responsibility in their own approaches and outcomes, they become more thoughtful in their actions and decision-making processes.

    Accountability and autonomy might feel like conflicting concepts at times. Getting the balance right can be challenging, but it is well worth the effort. It starts with communication and clarity. When you or your management team assign a task to an employee, ensure that the person is clear about what you want them to do and the expected results. Ask the employee to confirm what you are asking them to do. Let them know you are available if they have questions about the task. Then allow them to do their job. You can check in periodically to track their progress along the way.

    Related: Want Elite Performance? Adopt These 5 Practices Of Top Tactical Units

    Employees want mastery

    Mastery is the process of honing one’s skills to a refined level. When you provide employees with development opportunities, they become quantifiably more engaged, productive and fulfilled in their jobs. Mastery boosts employees’ sense of accomplishment, positions them for a more rewarding career trajectory, and seeds the business with increasingly capable people. I talk a lot about win-win in business. Creating opportunities for your employees to master their skills while increasing your company’s competitive edge is certainly one of them.

    Consider investing in your business’s employee development, mentorship and leadership training programs. The ROI for learning initiatives tends to be high from a financial and cultural perspective. And while an increase in accountability is challenging to track with real numbers, it is most definitely positively impacted by employee mastery.

    Related: What is the Caliber of your Company Culture and How Can You Develop It?

    Employees desire purpose

    Now more than ever, employees yearn for a sense of purpose that serves as something larger than themselves in their professional and personal lives. Millennials and Gen Zs are particularly motivated to make a difference in the world around them at both a micro and macro level. By instilling a profound sense of purpose within the vision and mission of your company, you better attract and retain those people who are aligned with similar concerns and causes.

    When employees feel empowered and impactful in their ability to support what they care about, they are more committed, intentional and accountable. Greater purpose inspires ownership in achieving above-and-beyond outcomes.

    Purpose-driven employees also tend to be more adept at tackling challenges. They have faith in their own ability to overcome adversity to achieve a desired goal, so they willingly take on more responsibility and accountability to make things happen. Purpose is a powerful motivator on so many levels.

    When employees fall short on accountability

    What if you have put in the effort to create a culture of employee autonomy, mastery and purpose in your business, but your people are still lagging in the accountability department or are regularly just not meeting expectations?

    Rather than resorting to criticism, I suggest you take a coaching approach. Ask the employee how they felt a glitchy project went. What worked well and what panned out poorly. Ask them to analyze the processes and procedures, then have them share those opinions with you. This will provide you with enormous insight, at least from this employee’s perspective, that you may not have considered.

    While leveraging the coaching approach, you will often find that the employee admits their own culpability or poor performance in the project and makes suggestions for self-correction. Which, when you think about it, really is the definition of employee accountability, isn’t it?

    Jason Zickerman

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  • Why Gratitude is the Missing Piece to Your Success | Entrepreneur

    Why Gratitude is the Missing Piece to Your Success | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In today’s rapidly evolving and competitive landscape, the quest to enhance productivity, bolster well-being and achieve enduring success is shared by individuals and organizations. The realm of positive psychology, often called the science of optimal human functioning, presents an invaluable reservoir of insights and evidence-based techniques that hold the key to unlocking our innate potential and steering us toward lives of fulfillment. This article delves into the profound and transformative influence of gratitude, investigating how it wields a constructive impact on both personal and professional accomplishments.

    Gratitude extends beyond the surface-level expression of a mere “thank you.” It resonates as a deep-seated human emotion that encapsulates a profound sense of appreciation, recognition and an authentic feeling of indebtedness for the people, experiences and blessings that embellish our life’s tapestry. Informed by an array of scientific studies, the cultivation of gratitude emerges as a catalyst for substantive enhancements across the psychological, physical and social dimensions of our existence.

    Our brain and well-being

    Delving into the neuroscience of gratitude, its practice ignites the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin in the intricate networks of our brains. These chemical messengers are intrinsically tied to the spectrum of emotions ranging from happiness to contentment. However, the significance of gratitude transcends mood elevation alone — it manifests as a force capable of diminishing stress, bolstering emotional well-being, augmenting our capacity to withstand adversity and contributing to a holistic surge in life satisfaction.

    Yet, the sphere of gratitude’s influence extends further. It intersects with our corporeal well-being, as scientific inquiry underscores its role in fostering healthier lifestyles. The tapestry of research underscores a link between gratitude and improved sleep patterns, a reinforced immune system, lower blood pressure readings and a reduction in symptoms typifying depression and anxiety.

    Related: 5 Unique Ways to Show Your Team Gratitude This Employee Appreciation Day

    Gratitude in our relationships and leadership

    Moreover, gratitude’s reverberations are profoundly echoed in interpersonal relationships. Catalyzing strengthens the bonds that connect us. It cultivates a palpable sense of belonging and interconnectedness. By fostering an environment steeped in gratitude, individuals are propelled toward nurturing positive, supportive spaces within their personal and professional interactions.

    Within the dynamic confines of the workplace, leaders who proactively infuse a culture steeped in gratitude awaken a wellspring of excellence within their teams. Through expressing appreciation and offering acknowledgment for the sweat and toil invested by employees, these leaders engender a potent sense of belonging, stoke the fires of motivation and nurture unwavering loyalty among the members of their teams.

    The spheres of teamwork and collaboration equally flourish within the ambiance of gratitude. Practicing gratitude within teams seeds an environment marked by heightened collaboration, fortified trust and an intangible feeling of psychological safety. Acknowledging and valuing the contributions brought forth by individual team members catalyzes the germination of a positive workspace—a landscape that naturally yields elevated employee engagement and subsequently, heightened productivity.

    Incorporating gratitude practices into strategies dedicated to personal growth spawns outcomes marked by their transformational significance. Whether it’s the conscientious upkeep of gratitude journals, reflective exercises that celebrate personal milestones, or the act of expressing appreciation for the learning avenues life affords, these practices collectively give rise to a tapestry of resilience, optimism and a growth-oriented mindset.

    However, the arena of gratitude’s influence isn’t confined to our internal dynamics alone — it unfurls its tendrils even into the realm of customer relationships. Enterprises that channel gratitude towards their patrons not only mold a positive brand image but lay the foundation for enduring customer loyalty, thereby paving a trajectory toward sustained success.

    Related: Why Gratitude Makes Leaders More Effective

    Gratitude and mindfulness

    Beyond scientific study and strategic implementation, gratitude is an accessible tool for individuals striving for holistic well-being. The practice of maintaining a gratitude journal stands as a formidable instrument to harness its benefits. By committing to jotting down three things we’re grateful for each day, our cognitive faculties are adeptly steered towards focusing on the brighter facets of life. This practice inevitably augments the sensations of happiness and overall well-being.

    Moreover, mindful gratitude ushers us into a realm of mindful presence. This immersive practice encompasses a meticulous savoring of the moments punctuating our everyday lives. The canvas for this practice is as expansive as it is varied, encompassing endeavors such as meditation or even the simple act of embarking on a gratitude-laden walk. Through these exercises, we cultivate an acute appreciation for the splendor and abundance that envelops us.

    Yet, the culmination of gratitude finds its zenith in its active expression. Consciously extending gratitude towards those whose lives have intersected with ours emboldens relationships, creating more profound connections and nurturing a palpable sense of community. This can manifest in myriad forms—be it a heartfelt note that acknowledges the impact another has had, an articulation of appreciation in spoken words, or even a small gesture that exudes kindness. In each instance, gratitude emanates as a powerful force capable of suffusing brightness into the lives of others.

    Even amid the throes of adversity, gratitude emerges as an unwavering ally. Navigating through challenging moments, the ability to discern and appreciate aspects for which we are grateful can radically transform our perspective. This shift in outlook empowers us with resilience, kindling hope, infusing strength and often uncovering silver linings amid trials.

    Related: The Power of Gratitude and Appreciation

    In the grand tapestry of our lives, the infusion of gratitude — both personally and professionally — unlocks portals to sustained success and holistic well-being. Supported by a wealth of empirical evidence, its transformative potency reverberates across mental and physical health, interpersonal relationships and overall life satisfaction. By embracing gratitude as a customary practice and cultivating an atmosphere steeped in appreciation within our workplaces, we engender environments primed for the blossoming of growth, collaboration and success.

    As individuals, let us embark on a voyage of gratitude, wherein we contemplate and celebrate the blessings and prospects that envelop us. As leaders, let us be astute to the profound potential of gratitude in galvanizing our teams, kindling personal and organizational triumph. As we immerse ourselves in the currents of appreciation, we tap into our reservoirs of boundless potential, cascading ripples of positivity outward, enriching the lives of those within our orbits.

    Embracing gratitude as the fulcrum for both personal and professional advancement catalyzes the unfurling of a world brimming with possibilities, fashioning a future that shimmers with fulfillment and brilliance for all who traverse its expanse.

    Brian H. Robb

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  • 5 Crucial Leadership Elements to Earn Your Team’s Trust | Entrepreneur

    5 Crucial Leadership Elements to Earn Your Team’s Trust | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Trust – it’s the performance-enhanced steroid that can transform even the most diverse group of misfits into a high-performance team. Without it, standards and expectations aren’t taken seriously and productivity suffers greatly.

    You have to maintain a high level of trust across your team to ensure buy-in for collective efforts toward a shared company goal. Gaining your team’s trust, though, doesn’t happen spontaneously. It requires a great deal of authenticity, clear communication, strong and stable support, integrity and a whole lot of consistency.

    Having led hundreds of individuals across multiple industries and levels of leadership, including vice president of sales and now CEO, I learned some insightful gems to earn those positions. Here are a few lessons for other leaders aiming to create a culture of trust and extract peak performance from their teams.

    1. Authenticity

    In an era filled with curated personas and the mentality of “fake it til you make it,” authenticity stands out as a refreshing departure from the norm. And just like a well-timed, sarcastic zinger in the middle of a boring and quiet waiting room, authenticity has a way of cutting through the noise (or silence, in this case) and creating an instant connection. People have a great appreciation for authentic personalities. We’d rather work with a jerk who is direct and tells it how it is over someone who shares misinformation to just people please and avoid confrontation.

    So, how can you demonstrate authenticity in the eyes of your team? The answer lies in staying true to yourself and being transparent with others. Expressing your thoughts, feelings, and viewpoints openly (yet tactfully), allows your unique personality to shine through. By being genuine, your team will recognize your sincerity, laying the foundation for trust.

    Related: 3 Ways Authentic Leaders Inspire and Retain Employees

    2. Communication

    Saying nothing says a lot, and is a proven path to damaging your team’s confidence in you as a leader. Clear, consistent and honest communication is at the heart of leadership. To develop trust within your team, you have to communicate clearly and consistently.

    Start by articulating your vision, objectives and expectations to your team, ensuring everyone aligns with the same goals. Encourage open conversation and an environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, ideas and concerns free from judgment. And when things go wrong, as they inevitably will, don’t hide behind a wall of silence. Address issues head-on and keep your team in the loop. Remember, a well-informed team is a trusting team.

    Related: Why Effective and Influential Leaders Focus on Direct Communication

    3. Elevate your team

    Great leadership in its purest form is elevating those around you. When you focus on elevating your team — helping them to grow, learn and improve — you create an environment of trust, empowerment and explosive growth. You’re showing them that their development is important to you and that you believe in their potential.

    This isn’t just about professional skills; it’s about personal growth as well. By investing in them as individuals, and showing a genuine interest in their aspirations and challenges, you’re building a deep, foundational level of trust. This trust breeds loyalty, open communication, and a culture where everyone feels valued and heard. As a result, you enhance team morale, productivity and overall cohesion.

    Here are a few effective strategies I’ve implemented over the years to elevate my team:

    1. Skill development workshops and training. As a leader, it’s important to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your team. Regularly conducting skill development workshops or training sessions helps your team members polish their existing skills and acquire new ones. You can start by asking your team the following questions: What skills are you most interested in developing? How do you think this training will help you perform better at your job?

    2. Mentorship programs. Pair less experienced team members with senior members or external mentors. This can provide the opportunity for personal growth and the sharing of wisdom and experience.

    Questions to ask: Who do you look up to professionally? What traits or skills do they possess that you aspire to have?

    3. Recurring one-on-one sessions. Regular feedback is crucial for personal and professional development. These sessions provide a space for open discussion about performance, challenges and opportunities for growth for both you and the subordinate.

    Questions to ask: What challenges are you facing? How can I support you? If you had to put a finger on one thing I could improve on, what would it be?

    4. Encourage autonomy. Giving your team the freedom to make decisions creates a sense of responsibility and boosts their confidence.

    Questions to ask: What responsibilities would you like to take on to grow in your role? How can I support you in this process?

    4. Integrity

    Integrity stands as the backbone of trust. Without it, everything crumbles. In the workforce, integrity is simply doing what’s right, regardless of who’s watching or how inconvenient it may seem. It revolves around honoring your word, acknowledging your errors and making decisions with the team and organization’s best interest in mind.

    To display integrity, ensure consistency in your actions, and fulfill your commitments. If you say you’ll do something, make sure you deliver. In the event of a mistake, accept it, own it and find a solution forward. By continuously operating with integrity, you’ll position yourself as a dependable leader your team can trust.

    Related: How to Maintain Your Integrity While Keeping Up With a Rapidly Changing Environment

    5. Consistency

    Excelling in these areas will serve you well, but the ultimate key to long-term sustainability is in your consistency. Trust isn’t an event, it’s a habit. It’s the consistency that establishes a reliable pattern of behavior that your team can depend on.

    To be a consistent leader, treat all team members equitably and enforce your policies the same. Strive to have a strong presence in your team’s daily activities. Most importantly, be consistent in upholding the qualities above. When your team knows what to anticipate from you, they’ll trust you to guide them, even in the face of uncertainty.

    Kash Hasworth

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  • What A Great Meeting Culture Looks Like (And How to Get Started) | Entrepreneur

    What A Great Meeting Culture Looks Like (And How to Get Started) | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    For most organizations, meeting culture is a real challenge. For many, it feels like meetings consume all available productive time, especially our most productive workday times.

    The real challenge is not the meetings themselves but the culture of meetings, who gets invited, their frequency and efficacy.

    I first learned how to address meeting culture when I became the president of a small company with an extraordinary amount of meetings, given that we only had 25 employees. To create awareness of the actual cost of meetings, we calculated the average dollar cost per person per hour.

    Related: Why Meeting Culture is Draining your Employee’s Strength and Productivity

    Secondly, we did an audit over two weeks, in which we asked leaders to track the number of people in their meetings and the length of the meeting. As you can imagine, there was an immediate decline in the number of meetings and duration due to the awareness the exercise created. At the end of the two weeks, we calculated the average cost of a meeting. The team was genuinely shocked by the actual cost of these meetings.

    Thirdly, we changed the units from dollars to product sales by calculating how many products we needed to sell to pay for a meeting. We took our most popular and largest-selling product as the unit of measure. We said, “This meeting cost 18 product A’s.” We found this was much more effective than simply giving the dollar amount since the team had an excellent appreciation for what it takes to sell that product.

    At the end of the month, I told the team, “We spent 284 Product A’s on meetings this month!” Doing this exercise once a year or every six months.

    Related: ‘Meeting Culture’ Is Costing Companies $101 Million a Year

    Using the modes of meetings to change the culture

    The first thing we had to understand was that there are three modes of meetings:

    • 1:1 meeting (one-to-one)
    • 1:n meeting (one to many)
    • n:n meetings (many to many)

    This led to a framework in which we were able to ask each person calling a meeting to choose the most effective mode of the meeting that would be most effective.

    If we were having a one-to-one meeting, it would be highly effective if both people knew how to manage distractions and stay focused. If it was a one-to-many meeting, the most effective way to do this was a webinar-style meeting. This meant having one person “host” the meeting and another presenting the content. If the meeting was on Zoom, the host managed the comments and questions in the chat while the presenter presented.

    We found that “many-to-many” meetings were clearly the least effective, least respectful and often the default mode. We reserved the ability to call these meetings to only senior-level people in the company. We intentionally restricted the frequency and kept them focused as an example of how meetings should be run.

    Related: What Your Company Meetings Say About Your Culture

    Introducing FIRE meetings

    So, this led us to change our meeting culture. Fire is an acronym for “Focused, Informative, Respectful, and Effective.”

    When setting up a meeting, we start with Focused, in which we train leaders to ask:

    • What is the right mode for this meeting?
    • What will make this meeting successful?

    The next component is Informative. We train leaders to think through the information they want to present and divide them into three categories:

    • What must they know?
    • What is the key point?
    • What additional information can I add to make the meeting more interesting and engaging? (including a great story, fun facts, etc.)

    Keeping meetings Respectful means giving people enough warning before a meeting is called to give them time to prepare or reorganize their schedules. We encourage everyone to be on the call two minutes early so that the meeting part starts on time. This is a keystone organizational habit that creates respect in the culture.

    People who run meetings right to the last minute do not leave time to arrive two minutes early to the next meeting. For this reason, we teach leaders to wrap up the meeting with five minutes to spare and end two minutes early. Once this becomes part of the meeting culture, everything changes for the team. There is a more calm and peaceful atmosphere when moving from meeting to meeting.

    Finally, we get to the element of being Effective. We encourage leaders to keep the discussions focused and to minimize rabbit trails. At the halfway mark, they can state, “We’re halfway through our meeting, and we still need to reach our objective.” At the end of the meeting, leaders need to state if the objective has been reached clearly. They need to give clear next steps as to who is doing what and by when. If the meeting ends early, don’t prolong it.

    I once ran a meeting with the team on the call three minutes beforehand, and since everybody was present, we started the meeting. We reached our objective in under two minutes and were able to end the meeting before it officially started!

    Related: How to Create a Meeting-Smart Work Culture

    Building a culture to empower FIRE meetings

    Encourage leaders to invite people based on the right time, not “just in case.” By this, I mean we often invite people “just in case” they need to be there or may need the information. This is not respectful of their time and undoubtedly ineffective for the organization. Some people need to know at some point, but the real question is whether the meeting is the right time for them to be part of the discussion.

    There needs to be cultural permission for people to say no to meetings. When a leader is willing to give that cultural permission to their team, they will find a much more productive and effective team member who feels respected and empowered. In the long term, giving culture permission for people to decline meetings profoundly affects the team’s productivity, culture and efficacy.

    FIRE meetings can dramatically change the meeting culture of any organization. It makes every team member feels respected as well as informed. Meetings are taken much more seriously when they are called in the right mood, with the right frequency, with the right people in the room, started and ended with a two-minute margin.

    Every organization can enjoy this much-needed meeting culture shift.

    Dionne Van Zyl

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  • 7 Empowering Strategies for Leaders Transitioning to New Roles | Entrepreneur

    7 Empowering Strategies for Leaders Transitioning to New Roles | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the dynamic world of work, more than 50 million workers made a bold move in 2022, breaking records by quitting their jobs for better opportunities amid a hot labor market. Even in the face of economic concerns in 2023, numerous executives stepped away from their long-tenured positions to embrace fresh challenges and greater growth.

    As a leadership coach and founder of LEAD+VISION, I specialize in fostering unshakable inner confidence and cultivating high-performing team cultures through vision-based coaching. Throughout 2023, a recurring theme in my coaching practice was preparing executives for successful job transitions.

    Leaving a familiar, long-tenured job can feel like an overwhelming decision. Rebuilding strong relationships with peers and management, understanding new success metrics, fostering a high-performing team and upholding a reputable leadership image become crucial goals upon joining a new company. It’s natural for impostor syndrome to rear its head, whispering doubts like, “What has gotten me here may not get me there.”

    But fret not! Armed with the right strategies, you can navigate this change with unwavering confidence and ignite success at every turn. Join me as we delve into seven empowering strategies to help you shine in your new senior executive role:

    1. Align expectations for success: Setting the foundation

    First, sit down with your manager and clarify what success looks like in the next 6-12 months. Understand the key performance indicators (KPIs) and company goals. This alignment sets the stage for you to lead effectively, with a clear vision of what’s expected without getting lost in the noise of the daily business. Here are some guiding questions that can help during your first kick-off meeting:

    • What would success look like for you related to my team in the next six and 12 months?
    • What are the team’s current goals and objectives, and how are they aligned with the company strategy?
    • How is my team’s performance measured currently, and what are the key performance indicators or metrics that are used?
    • What are the team’s biggest challenges or pain points from your perspective, and how can we work together to address them?

    Related: How to Engage Employees Through Your Company Vision Statement

    2. Listen actively, grow exponentially

    Embrace the power of listening — a skill often underestimated. As you step into your new role, silence that inner critique trying to prove your worth, a fear-driven act I often observe with leaders in transition. Instead, tune in to your employees, peers, management team and cross-functional teams. Every individual’s insight is a puzzle that builds a complete picture of your new organization. It’s not about you but how well you can orchestrate information and action between these stakeholders.

    Related: Why Embracing Human Design Will Transform Your Workplace for Success

    3. Start collecting data and notice patterns

    Listening is not enough; you need to gather data systematically. Keep track of feedback, suggestions and observations from various interactions. Look for response patterns and trends to identify common themes, challenges and opportunities. This data-driven approach will help you make informed decisions as you progress. You are the orchestrator of information without bias coming in with a fresh set of eyes, able to steer the ship in the right direction.

    Related: How to Harness the Power of Data Analytics for Business Growth

    4. Create a 30, 60, 90 and 180-Day plan

    A well-structured plan is your compass for success. Break down your goals into manageable milestones for the first 30, 60, 90 and 180 days. This will keep you focused, organized and motivated, ensuring steady progress and measurable achievements.

    5. Own your experience and leverage your strengths

    Acknowledge the unique experience and skills you bring to the table. Embrace your expertise and use it to your advantage. At the same time, be open to learning from your new environment. Cultivate a growth mindset, constantly seeking opportunities to develop personally and professionally.

    Related: How to Build a Strengths-Based Culture by Unlocking the Power of Employee Potential

    6. Communicate transparently and clearly

    Clear and transparent communication is the lifeblood of a thriving organization. As a senior executive, your words carry weight, and as the new leader in an organization, building trust with your team and peers is the foundation for your success. Be honest, open and approachable. Keep your team informed about your learnings, progress, newly formed vision and any changes. Transparent communication fosters trust, camaraderie and a shared sense of purpose. It also empowers your team to challenge your assumptions and help build a high-performing team culture.

    7. Create a development plan and hire a leadership coach

    Hiring a leadership coach during your transition can be among the most rewarding and empowering investments. The right coach can ask you powerful questions to observe your thoughts and guide you with a broad toolkit of best practices to confidently develop yourself and your team.

    Ensure that your leadership coach has real-life business experience and can simultaneously act as a coach and mentor. Identify areas where you have room to grow and develop. It’s natural to have some gaps in your skills or knowledge. Don’t shy away from them or pretend to know, fearing being perceived as incompetent; instead, create a development plan. Seek learning opportunities within the organization, workshops, or mentoring to bridge those gaps actively. Find a work buddy, a long-tenured peer or executive, who can be the conduit for institutional knowledge, best practices or translator for challenges. Leverage your team’s expertise to fill in your gaps until you build enough confidence and learn.

    Stepping into a new role can be both stimulating and challenging. Embrace the opportunities that come with change, and remember that growth happens outside your comfort zone. Trust yourself, trust your team and trust the process. You will thrive in your new role by aligning expectations, actively listening, collecting data, creating a plan, owning your experience, communicating transparently and developing yourself.

    As you embark on this transformative journey, remember you are not alone. Every great leader faces new challenges and uncertainties. But with these strategies in your toolkit, you are equipped to soar to new heights. Embrace the possibilities, inspire your team and lead confidently.

    Tugba Yanaz

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  • 3 Effective Communication Strategies That Will Transform Your Team | Entrepreneur

    3 Effective Communication Strategies That Will Transform Your Team | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Modern business society places a progressively greater emphasis on establishing a unified corporate culture as a way of boosting the performance of employees. Scaling your company takes both intelligent and skilled personnel and the right chemistry between them. Workers should be able to get along with each other and with the company’s management if they are to work towards the same goals.

    Surveys identified senior executives as the party that primarily influences an organization’s culture and development. 76% of respondents indicated that founders and CEOs impact corporate culture the most.

    From a C-level executive’s perspective, building a strong team is not only about hiring capable people who can be trusted to do their job in a quality fashion. It is also about properly communicating the company’s mission and values to these people.

    In this article, I will share some thoughts and tips on building and managing a strong team based on my personal experiences as a business and team leader.

    Related: 4 Expert-Backed Strategies for Improving Your Communication Skills

    1. Convey your strategy and motivate employees to reach transparent goals

    One of the first steps when it comes to communication with your workers is being open with them about where your company is going. When everyone in a team can share a common objective and an understanding of what they are working towards, it creates a sense of unity and purpose. It allows individual employees to put their efforts in alignment, fostering collaboration towards the same goals.

    Additionally, having a rational and well-defined strategy provides structure and direction to the team’s actions. Having a clear roadmap with outlined steps, responsibilities and timelines helps team members understand their roles and contributions, minimizing any potential confusion and conflicts. They can prioritize tasks and make collective decisions aligning with the objectives and target milestones.

    As such, communication with team members must always be open, and the company’s plans and strategies must be transmitted to everyone in a transparent fashion. It is crucial to foster mutual understanding between employees and company leadership.

    2. Trust your people to manage things without supervision

    When you are a business leader, you can’t afford to take the time necessary to keep a close eye on the day-to-day workings of your company. Nor should you, really. A crucial aspect of fostering healthy leader-employee relationships is being able to trust your people to complete the tasks you give them without oversight.

    When a team leader demonstrates trust in the abilities of his or her subordinates and provides them with autonomy, it promotes a sense of responsibility. It means the leader acknowledges their competence and expertise, thus boosting their confidence and motivation.

    From personal experience, I can say that if you don’t have that kind of trust, you will have to micromanage every little thing yourself, leaving you with little to no time or energy to focus on the more strategic aspects of running and scaling your business.

    A culture of trust also encourages open communication within the organization. When employees feel trusted by their superiors, they are more likely to reach out with ideas, share concerns and seek guidance when needed. This serves to cultivate a positive-minded work environment that promotes creativity and productivity.

    3. Promote relationship-building in your company

    Encouraging a sense of community and fostering deeper relationships among your employees can easily be a cornerstone for strengthening team bonds. When coworkers can connect personally, it helps build a sense of trust, empathy and collaboration.

    Organize team-building events, create spaces for informal interactions (physically or online) and strive for an environment where employees feel comfortable and motivated to build relationships with their colleagues. When they have established relationships with their peers, people are more likely to share ideas openly, ask for help when needed and work together, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.

    Not only that, but stronger team bonds also improve employee satisfaction and job retention. Workers who feel seen by and connected to their colleagues are more likely to enjoy their work environment than when they are simply considered cogs in a mechanism.

    Overall, fostering relationship-building within a company is a win-win situation as it encourages teamwork and can contribute to higher levels of engagement and loyalty within your company.

    Related: 4 Trends That Will Disrupt Your Communication Strategy

    Bottom line: Better communication supports individual and organizational success

    Effective communication is the foundation of pretty much everything that your team does. It is a fundamental part of any work-related activity, workforce performance and output your company demonstrates.

    This is why any leader who seeks to improve their business and push it towards greater heights must emphasize the people who support all their endeavors and take time to build mutual trust with them. Some of it might come naturally; some of it will take time and effort. But if you can get it right, the results will be worth it.

    Greg Waisman

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  • How to Gain a Competitive Advantage With an Outcomes-Driven Approach | Entrepreneur

    How to Gain a Competitive Advantage With an Outcomes-Driven Approach | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    For generations, most leaders have followed a fairly consistent formula to keep pace with their competitors. That is, they measure achievement based on worker time and activity. In other words, when employees put in more hours, they are expected to get more of their to-do lists accomplished for the betterment of the company. Though this model used to work, it’s starting to unravel. As a result, more progressive organizations are gaining competitive advantages through the power of purpose-led and outcomes-driven approaches.

    Why the change? Workers are craving something different from their jobs. No longer are they satisfied with just having a transactional employer-employee relationship. They want to feel a sense of belonging and connection to their workplaces. For many workers, having a hand in the bigger picture matters because they know how and what they’ve contributed.

    This desire for deeper engagement was amplified when remote and hybrid work became the status quo during the global healthcare crisis of 2020. Talented people realized that they no longer were willing to be tethered to a geographic office or evaluated by numbers on a timesheet. They wanted to be valued and treated like equals with all their colleagues — including their bosses — and not treated like children who required constant monitoring and supervision. In essence, they wanted to apply their innovation and creativity toward a higher purpose.

    Unfortunately, only some organizations seem to have gotten this message (or been willing to acknowledge it). Gartner’s research shows that less than half of the employees they surveyed felt like their employers saw them as whole people. That’s not a surprise to those of us in the people management business. We’ve seen an uptick in companies using so-called “productivity tools” to keep tabs on their workers‘ every screen movement and keystroke.

    Unfortunately, these half-baked solutions are disheartening and oppressive. They are also fast ways to lose the competitive opportunities that come when you make a switch to an outcome-focused way of evaluating success rather than an antiquated “time plus energy equals profits” approach.

    Related: How to Balance Ethical Growth and Competitive Advantages

    How to actually increase innovation amidst competition

    Just how can you help everyone row toward the same outcomes and let go of the way you’ve been managing your people? Try implementing the following techniques:

    1. Revisit everyone’s roles

    Pull out all your job descriptions, and go through them carefully. How you describe people’s roles makes a huge difference. Do you notice that all your job descriptions outline a list of tasks rather than the purpose of the job? This is a sure sign that you’re not enabling employees to reach for outcomes. On the contrary, you’re defining them by how many and what things they do each day or week.

    Now is a good time to refresh the language in all those job descriptions. Your objective should be to outline the purpose that the position holds for the company and the outcomes to be achieved — not detail every task the employee will do. What you’ll find after going through this exercise is a deeper understanding of the value that each position plays within your organization. When you focus on outcomes, you’re creating energy and excitement, which leads to greater innovation and results.

    A side benefit of revamping your job descriptions and roles is that you’ll begin to attract and hire more purpose-driven candidates. A full 70% of workers told McKinsey & Company that their purpose came from their careers. People looking for meaningful work naturally will find a purpose-led job description appealing. Just be sure that you give your interview process an overhaul to ensure that you’re evaluating applicants the new way rather than an old one.

    2. Stop being power-stingy

    Are you honestly focused on evolving with an outcome mindset at your company? Then give team members the power to do their jobs. Period. The distribution of power allows everyone to move faster. Whenever possible, push decision-making to the closest possible level and avoid all the trappings of bureaucracy.

    This may feel very counterintuitive, particularly if you’ve kept most decisions at the executive and director levels. However, you’ll soon find that when you trust people, they typically want to live up to your expectations. Additionally, your actions may spur greater loyalty and tenure. A PwC study indicated that nearly half of workers were willing to forgo a 20% salary bump in exchange for increased autonomy.

    To make this work, you’ll need to be the first to role-model empowerment behavior. Look for areas where you can hand over decision-making power not just to direct reports but to their direct reports. In time, you should see a marked change.

    Related: How to Turn Micromanagement Into Empowerment and Unlock True Employee Satisfaction

    3. Reinforce your purpose often

    People have short memories sometimes. They can lose sight of their purpose and may need you to guide them back. Rather than treat your purpose as just another checklist item during meetings, fold it into conversations. Point out how what someone is doing will get you all closer to the organization’s desired outcomes. Never assume that everyone will see how they’re making a difference. Sometimes you’ll have to show them.

    You can do this in innovative and unique ways sometimes. For instance, Gartner has talked about the importance of companies encouraging workers to take care of their health and well-being. But what many employees don’t realize is that something as seemingly unrelated as taking extra PTO before an expected time-crunch surge can have purpose-related benefits.

    Salesforce emphasizes the importance of employee well-being and work-life balance. The company understands that a well-rested and healthy team is more productive and better equipped to serve its customers. To support this, Salesforce offers various wellness programs, flexible work options and generous time-off policies. By encouraging employees to prioritize their well-being, Salesforce ensures that its workforce remains energized and capable of delivering exceptional results.

    After all, a well-rested team is more capable of handling all the stressors related to a heavier-than-average work week or month. Consequently, that team will be able to keep productivity high and make well-informed decisions because they won’t be depleted from the start.

    Related: Why a Purpose-Driven Business Is the Real Key to Success

    You may not be 100% comfortable with hybrid work, remote employees or purpose-driven management. Nevertheless, they’re the future of work — and that means they’re going to be essential if you want to remain an industry leader. Take time this quarter to talk with the other leaders at your company about moving everyone toward an outcome mindset. You’ll be glad when you find yourself looking at competitors in the rearview mirror.

    Gloria St. Martin-Lowry

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  • 10 Lessons I’ve Learned In 10 Years of Running My Own Business | Entrepreneur

    10 Lessons I’ve Learned In 10 Years of Running My Own Business | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In 2013, I made a life-changing decision. I decided to “take a break” from my dream job, which while amazing, was also fast-paced and demanding. I gained invaluable experience, opportunities, connections and more as a law firm partner, but my personal life suffered.

    I was fortunate to have had financial success that enabled a break, and this difficult decision catapulted me into becoming a full-time entrepreneur. While I miss some things about being a part of a law firm, I love setting the pace of my own life and that I still help others daily, just in a different way.

    Becoming a business owner has revolutionized my understanding of the realities of running a company. I now believe you cannot tell someone else how to run their business if you have never successfully run one yourself. In celebration of 10 years as a fully self-funded female business owner, here are ten things I’ve learned.

    Related: Are You a Business Owner or an Entrepreneur?

    1. You can actually start your own business and be successful!

    I never intended to become an entrepreneur. However, after deciding to pause, I was asked to consult with lawyer friends who had previously been competitors. Unlike work, it sounded fun, and I could do it while “on a break” from law firm life. Ten years later, I manage a team of marketers and work with law firms across the country, helping my team members and my clients succeed.

    Related: 10 Tips for the First-Time Business Owner

    2. No matter how good you are at what you do, some people will still treat you like you aren’t

    You might expect that after over two decades as a lawyer and achieving both legal industry accolades and marketing industry awards, those I talk to and work with would always treat me with respect. You’d be wrong. No matter how many years of schooling, degrees, years of experience and awards you have, some people will always try to make you feel small, treat you as if you do not matter and belittle your skills.

    Don’t work with those people. Don’t employ those people. Don’t allow those people to impact your energy and success.

    3. You cannot control your clients, but you can only control how you respond to them

    Most marketing agencies do not refund client money after being paid. I used to feel the same way — I did the work, you paid me, and I deserved to be paid. Fear of having done a bad job, fear of not being able to afford to refund that money and fear of that client keep owners myopic. Success has allowed me the privilege to evolve.

    I had a client who was negative and abrasive and refused to collaborate. Even though we delivered everything they paid for, the firm was still unhappy. So, I fired them and refunded every cent of their money. While this made my business lose money, the financial price was worth it.

    4. You do not need a physical office to be a seven-figure company

    I spent my legal career working in business attire in a professional setting in office buildings. Once the pandemic hit, the beautiful corner office on the top floor of a building in my neighborhood I had painstakingly searched for and decorated became a source of stress. Our team became remote, not really by choice, and we stayed that way. Now I pay no rent and reallocate those funds. I miss working collaboratively in person, but my team is thriving. We have been able to take on more clients than ever before, all without a physical office.

    5. If a new hire is troubling you early on, they are likely not going to work out

    A successful business owner told me that I would know within two days of working with a new hire if they would work out. I scoffed at what sounded like a lack of care and a lack of willingness to try harder when onboarding.

    After ten years, two days still seems pretty quick, but it does not take long to know if a new hire is the wrong one. The longer you wait to deal with it, the worse things get for the new hire and the existing team. Cut your losses early, allowing that person to move on and you to start looking for the right fit.

    Related: How to Find, Hire (and Fire!) Rockstar Employees

    6. Narrowing services offered means increased expertise

    As a 21-year lawyer, legal marketing is my consulting focus. Because there are a lot of lawyers, and most law firms engage in marketing efforts, I have a decently sized national marketplace from which to obtain clients. One of my strongest selling points is that I have a niche business focused on one industry and am a licensed expert. Expanding into other industries I know less about and have no footprint in would dilute my biggest point of differentiation. Stay focused and grow within your niche.

    7. Saying “no” leaves room to say “yes” to opportunities you don’t know about yet

    It is scary to say no to paid opportunities early in the life of your business but remember, each engagement is a partnership, and you should only partner when it can be mutually successful. Prevent doomed collaborations on the front end.

    Gauge compatibility by paying attention to how they speak to and email you, the “story” of how they came to be in their current position, and more. Every client you choose to work with can come at the expense of being able to take on another, better opportunity you might not know about yet.

    8. Being your own boss is addicting

    Over time, being my own boss has become a commodity worth significant value to me. I greatly enjoy not having to ask permission to spend a full weekend day uninterrupted with my children. The scary part of being the boss is being responsible for yourself, your team, your clients, and many others, but the benefits of determining how to handle those responsibilities are worth it.

    Related: 5 Essentials for Succeeding When You Become Your Own Boss

    9. Set boundaries early and do not compromise

    Boundaries are important in both our personal and professional lives. The legal industry cultivates a culture of constant availability and immediate response, which is stressful. Now, running my own business, I make conscious choices to shape our company culture differently.

    No one on my team is required to work outside of normal business hours. No one on my team has their work email on their mobile device. I no longer provide clients with my personal (and only) cell phone number. Establishing boundaries like these makes work healthier and more productive.

    10. If you can’t pay yourself as an owner, you are not doing it right

    A surprising number of business owners I consider successful cannot and do not pay themselves at all. Their businesses do not generate sufficient revenue to allow the owner to make an income. If you cannot pay yourself (after a reasonable startup time, of course), you are not succeeding. You should reevaluate your financial position, overall business plan, and whether or not owning a business is the right choice for you.

    Stacey Burke

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  • How to Become a Leader That People Actually Want to Follow | Entrepreneur

    How to Become a Leader That People Actually Want to Follow | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Serving as the leader of a company is not just about holding a high position in the corporate hierarchy; it’s about leading and inspiring people to achieve greatness. Starting a business is difficult enough, but to be the leader that people want to follow, one must possess a unique set of qualities that go beyond technical expertise. There are key attributes and practices that can transform an ordinary leader into an exceptional one, capable of inspiring and motivating their team to success.

    In the ever-evolving landscape of leadership theories and styles, one characteristic that has consistently attracted employees is the presence of quiet and hardworking leaders. While charismatic and assertive leaders may grab attention, via grand gestures and bold statements, it is the humble leaders who often leave a lasting impact on their teams. Below are just a few reasons why employees gravitate toward such leaders, which highlight the benefits they bring to their respective companies.

    Related: 12 Character Traits Exceptional Entrepreneurial Leaders Have In Common

    Why employees gravitate toward quiet and humble leaders

    1. Authenticity and trust: Quiet and humble leaders tend to foster an environment of authenticity and trust within their teams. They eschew self-promotion and focus on building genuine connections with their employees instead. By demonstrating vulnerability, admitting mistakes and actively listening, these leaders create an atmosphere where employees feel valued and appreciated. The resulting trust allows employees to feel safe to express their ideas, take risks and contribute to the overall success of the organization.

    2. Empathy (emotional intelligence): These business leaders often possess a high degree of emotional intelligence. They are adept at understanding and relating to the emotions, needs and challenges of their team members. Through active listening and open communication, they create an environment that encourages open dialogue and collaboration. Employees appreciate leaders who genuinely care about their well-being. This fosters a sense of belonging and promotes a positive work culture.

    3. Recognition and development: Contrary to their spotlight-seeking counterparts, quiet and humble leaders focus on recognizing and developing the strengths of their employees. They understand that success is a collective effort and go out of their way to acknowledge the contributions of their team members. These leaders empower their employees, provide them with opportunities for growth and development and actively support their career advancement. By prioritizing the growth of their employees, they inspire loyalty and dedication, resulting in higher job satisfaction and retention rates.

    4. Effective communication and collaboration: Top executives excel in their ability to communicate effectively and foster collaboration within their teams. They prioritize active listening, allowing them to gather insights and perspectives from different team members. By encouraging open and honest communication, they create an environment where ideas are freely exchanged and diverse viewpoints are valued. This approach not only encourages creativity and innovation but also leads to better decision-making, as multiple perspectives are considered.

    5. Reduced ego (team-centric mentality): When leaders let the work do the talking for them, they learn to prioritize the success of the team above their personal recognition. They are not driven by ego or a need for personal glory. Instead, they embrace a team-centric approach, focusing on collective achievements rather than individual accomplishments. They don’t need their names on a marquee but opt to share successes with their company and its contributing teams instead. This selfless attitude resonates with employees who value a sense of unity, collaboration and shared purpose. It creates a supportive environment that encourages cooperation, mutual respect and teamwork.

    While charismatic and assertive executives may initially captivate attention, it is the quiet and humble leaders who inspire deep respect and loyalty from their employees. Through authenticity, empathy, effective communication and a team-centric mentality, these leaders create an environment where individuals thrive, while contributing to the overall success of the organization.

    By gravitating toward such leaders, employees find themselves in workplaces that value them, recognize their efforts and provide opportunities for growth and development. As organizations (and startups) continue to evolve, the demand for these types of leaders will likely increase, reinforcing their importance in fostering a positive and productive work environment.

    Related: The 5 Worst Traits a Business Leader Can Have (Infographic)

    How to be a leader that people want to follow

    But how can business leaders essentially light a fire in their employees? Below are just six simple ways to lead by example and traits that quiet and humble leaders exude to continue leading their companies effectively, efficiently and with empathy.

    1. Visionary leadership: A leader who people want to follow is one who possesses a clear and compelling vision for the organization’s future. They have the ability to articulate this vision in a way that resonates with the employees, instilling a sense of purpose and direction. By painting a vivid picture of what success looks like, they inspire others to share in their passion and actively work towards achieving the company’s goals.

    2. Transparency: Authenticity is a crucial trait for any leader. A leader who is genuine and transparent creates an atmosphere of trust and openness. By fostering a culture of transparency, they encourage open communication, honest feedback and constructive criticism. People feel valued when their ideas and opinions are considered, leading to increased engagement and a sense of ownership in the organization’s success.

    3. Strong communication skills: Effective communication is vital for a leader to inspire and motivate their teams. They must be adept at conveying their vision, goals and expectations clearly and concisely. A great leader is an excellent listener, encouraging open dialogue and creating space for collaboration and innovation. By fostering effective communication channels, they ensure that every member of the organization feels heard and understood, thus creating a sense of belonging and shared purpose.

    4. Adaptability: Regardless of one’s place in the business world, effective leaders are always learning. In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, a leader who people want to follow is one who demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning and personal growth. They stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies and best practices. They encourage their team members to develop skills and provide them with opportunities for growth. Establishing a learning culture shows that they are invested in the success of their employees, enhancing loyalty and dedication.

    5. Leading by example: Leadership is not about giving orders from the top; it’s about leading by example. A leader who wants to inspire others must embody the values and behaviors they expect from their team. By demonstrating integrity, resilience and a strong work ethic, they set the standard for excellence within the organization. Leading by example establishes a culture of accountability and inspires employees to strive for greatness.

    6. Rewarding success: An emphasis on the importance of acknowledging and appreciating their team’s achievements makes employees want to follow leaders. They recognize the efforts of individuals and teams, and they celebrate success openly. By providing meaningful recognition and rewards, leaders reinforce a culture of excellence and motivate employees to consistently perform at their best.

    Related: 9 Reasons Humility Is the Key Ingredient to Exceptional Leadership

    Becoming the leader that people want to follow requires a combination of leadership qualities, emotional intelligence and a genuine commitment to the well-being, both professionally and personally, of their employees.

    In embracing visionary leadership, authenticity, empathy and continuous learning, leaders can inspire their teams to reach new heights. By cultivating a workplace culture of open communication, leading by example and recognizing success, they create an environment where employees feel valued, motivated and empowered.

    Michael Stagno

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