If you have recently been success in winning promotion in your organization, you might have discovered that you are now expected to lead and manage work colleagues who were previously on the same level as you. This might be a situation that you feel uncomfortable with; however, by being prepared and mastering the art of people management and business leadership, you can competently lead your team to success without losing the respect of your colleagues. Here are some essential skills that you can develop to success as a leader in business.
Delegate tasks effectively
You might be a perfectionist who struggles to relinquish control over certain tasks that are not part of your job description. Or there might be certain members of your team who are happy to sit back and let others take the slack. A strong business leader is able to delegate tasks in a way that makes the most of each team member’s personal strengths and skillsets. For example, if one person has a highly analytical eye, you could set them a data analysis task and have a less experienced colleague assist them in order to build up their own skills. Effectively delegating tasks will maximize the varied skillsets of your team and free up your own time to work on other tasks. However, you should resist the urge to constantly check in on colleagues as they complete their delegated tasks, as this can come across as micro management.
Pursue further education
Pursuing a further education program can help you feel more secure in your new leadership role as you will develop specific managerial and analytical skills. When choosing a program, consider which areas would be most useful to your business and where you would like to strengthen your skillset. You might, for instance, choose to complete an MS Business Analytics from Carroll University online to develop vital analytical skills that can help to inform your organization’s future policies. Or you might decide to take a certificate in people management from your local college to provide you with the techniques and confidence to deal with the colleagues you are managing and get the most out of your team. You can also enroll for executive coaching services for best solution.
Encourage open communication
With ever-changing deadlines, a mix of personalities, and long working hours, the office can quickly become a stressful environment for many people – and that is not even considering the stresses that your colleagues may be facing in their personal lives. By encouraging an atmosphere of open communication in your office, you can help to avoid misunderstandings and miscommunications that can all too easily boil over to become larger issues. Likewise, as a business leader you should be aware of your colleagues’ moods and be able to recognize when something isn’t quite right. Then, you can ascertain whether the problem is something work-related than is resolvable, or whether it is something in their personal life for which they might require some flexibility in working hours or compassionate leave.
