Learning to be the good leader that people want is sometimes difficult. Learn the qualities of respected leaders and stay disciplined enough to do them. You also need to know the reasoning behind any actions you take.
Honesty is probably the most important leadership quality to have. Effective leaders are trustworthy. As you are working on leadership development skills, you should remain honest and trustworthy. Show people that you are there to help and support them.
Be as approachable as possible. A lot of people think intimidation and fear-mongering are the best ways to show who is in charge. This is far from the truth and will make your job much harder. Be sure your followers are aware you’re there to help them out, since as their leader, this is your job.
Set goals for everyone under you. Use annual goals to motivate your employees to strive for greatness. Never let your goals fall by the wayside. Try monthly goals along the way to keep workers on their toes.
You need to set goals that are high for yourself, but make sure they are possible. This creates an environment for failure. This is the ultimate way to fail as a leader.
Integrity and leadership go hand in hand. Integrity is about telling the truth and making good choices. People find it difficult to trust people with no integrity. If you lead with integrity, your subordinates will not only trust you, they will also be loyal and respect you.
Try not to make errors that cause you to regress. When you make some kind of a mistake, allow them to help you learn what you can do differently next time. Now is the time to use what you have learned. Leadership means being confident in your ability to teach others and being there when they need you.
There are tremendous opportunities for small businesses and social entrepreneurs to support their communities through community foundations, donor advised funds and other means of giving back. Find the neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois where you can make the most impact on improving your community.