In fact, just the fact that you have a cool idea in time does not mean anything in itself. Even if you have founded your own business, it is not a fact that you are an ideal candidate for the position of head.
Being a leader means having your own vision and making others believe in it, revealing the talents of employees, listening and influencing. If a person understands that he himself does not have such skills, it is quite possible that it is worth handing over the reins to another. So, for example, they came to LinkedIn.
Many still believe that by admitting their guilt, changing the course of action or listening to others, they will show weakness. That a "real" leader is obliged to stand his ground in any situation. However, this is far from the truth.
Strong leaders admit their mistakes in order to learn from them. They accept feedback, even if it is negative. They admit that they don't have all the answers. And they demonstrate humanity by listening to others and taking care of employees.
Surely you have at least once had to work with a person who tried to seem inflexible, boasted of his omnipotence and put himself above the rest. And it is unlikely that under his leadership you and other employees had good results and high motivation.
Employees want the manager to be genuinely interested in their well-being and treat them with respect, listen to their thoughts and problems with kindness. To strengthen these skills, work on emotional intelligence. This will help you better understand yourself, become more empathetic towards others and build mutual understanding with the team.
There is a stereotype that extroverts are more sociable and confident, and introverts are closed and shy. But extroversion and introversion are more related to how a person processes information. Extroverts solve problems by discussing them with other people, and introverts keep information inside themselves.
And it seems to be no surprise that extroverts are attracted to leadership positions, because they need to communicate a lot with people. But this trait alone does not guarantee that a person will become a good leader. And there are a lot of introverts among successful leaders — take Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Barack Obama. So if you are an introvert, do not think that the manual is not for you.
It takes time to acquire and strengthen them, just like for any other skills. If you want to say that you simply don't have time for this, try to distribute it differently. For example, get up half an hour earlier, group similar tasks and do them together, delegate less important to others. This will free up time that can be spent on reading, courses or working with a mentor.
In fact, there are quite a lot of differences between them:
It is very important to understand this difference. Then you will be able to strengthen either leadership or managerial skills — depending on what you lack. Or look for a person who will complement you.
In itself, this is not bad. Innovators are ambitious and assertive, they are willing to take risks and are focused on the goal. But at the same time, they are usually very independent and it is difficult for them to work with other people.
It's great if you can captivate customers and investors with extraordinary ideas, but don't forget to keep in touch with employees, recognize someone else's talent and work together.
If you break down or punish for unpleasant news, it is unlikely that employees will willingly go to frankness. Learn to control your emotions. After you have received bad news, focus on finding solutions, not on accusations. Facilitate the feedback procedure. For example, conduct anonymous surveys. When there is no need to be afraid of the consequences, people are more likely to share their real opinion.
Yes, there are cases when you need to work side by side with employees and help them cope with some kind of crisis. But first of all, the manager should focus on decision-making, finding priorities and responsibility.
The rest of the tasks should be automated, delegated or outsourced so that you do not waste mental and physical strength in vain. Remember that you are moving things forward with your own work, not by doing the work of others.
Any person, regardless of their position, needs to rest. If you check your mail on weekends and on vacation and do work tasks, you are on your way to burnout. Don't forget to spend time with your loved ones, play sports, try new hobbies. This will help clear your head and relieve tension. As a result, you will not only feel calmer, but you will also be more energetic and creative at work.
