Tip #1 – Lead By Example
A good leader should set the example and the tone. Hypocrisy is not an option, so if you want your team to wear a tie… you do the same!
Tip #2 – Don’t Try Too Hard to be Liked
It’s great to be liked, and being your fun self is a great idea for a leader. But don’t try so hard to be liked that you say yes to everything. This won’t win you respect, you will simply be taken advantage of.
Tip #3 – Use Silence To Your Advantage
To command respect, don’t be afraid to let a silence sit. The best way to get a room of people to sit up and take notice is to stand quietly in the corner of the room, arms crossed.
Tip #4 – Protect Your Team
Your job as leader is to protect your team. That means protecting them from your higher ups among other things.
Tip #5 – Ask Why Your Work Isn’t Motivating
If someone isn’t doing their best work, ask how you could fix that by changing the nature of the work.
Tip #6 – Assign Projects
Giving people control over an entire project shows you trust them, and makes the work more inherently motivating and engaging.
Tip #7 – Take Responsibility
The way you protect your team from superiors is by taking responsibility when things go wrong. Leadership is sacrifice.
Tip #8 – Ensure That Physical Needs Are Met
Your team should be warm, comfortable, and safe.
Tip #9 – Make Your Team Feel Valued
When someone does good work, demonstrate to them why that is so valuable.
Tip #10 – Use The Sandwich Technique
When giving negative feedback, always sandwich it between two positive points.
Tip #11 – Make Instructions Clear and Precise
This is to remove the likelihood of error and confusion.
Tip #12 – Don’t “Play” At Business
Throwing meetings so you can feel like an important manager is a waste of time for everyone.
Tip #13 – Use Process Kaizen
This means making small changes to the way that processes are carried out, in order to make work go more quickly and efficiently.
Tip #14 – Look The Part
If you want to command respect in your office then it is important that you look the part.
Tip #15 – Speak More Slowly
Talk slowly and you will sound more confident and intelligent and what you say will be easier to understand.
Tip #16 – Believe In What You Are Doing
This will come across in the way that you communicate and it will help people to be more on board.
Tip #17 – Stay Calm In A Crisis
In a crisis, a team will look to its leader to know how to act. Therefore, your response is extremely important and will set the tone for the group as a whole.
Tip #18 – Use Transformismo
Transformismo is a term coined by Mussolini that describes placing dissidents and potential rebels in positions of authority. This way you can meet their need for influence while you keep your eye on them!
Tip #19 – Don’t Micromanage
Let your team do the work they’re paid to do, and afford them the creative freedom to feel rewarded doing it!
Tip #20 – Remember: It’s Just Work!
Finally, remember that you are only the boss in the office… and your staff have more important things going on in their lives!
