Ask Diane: How can I be a better leader?

Q:

Being an entrepreneur is hard sometimes. There are days when I feel everything flows; and days and I wonder why ANYONE would want to hire me. How can I be a better leader?

A:

Good leaders share some essential positive and universal qualities. If we want to be effective leaders, we need to incorporate those qualities into our own lives. If we want people to follow us, we must be worthy of following.

I’ll share three of the key lessons I’ve learned (and continue to learn) in my own leadership development.

• Listen:  Listen to yourself, your employees, your team, your family, your colleagues and your friends.  Good leaders know how to listen and read between the lines.  Listening is a lost art.  Get really good at it.  Then pass it on….becoming an effective listener is a skill that’s caught, not taught.

• Learn:  Be a life-long learner.  Pass your information out to all that you come in contact with.  Learn something new every day from books, magazines, websites, speakers, and people.

• Let Go:  Be ready to let go of your image of control.  You really have no control anyway.  Let go of what you think the answer is, and allow people to grow and share their gifts.  Lead by your example.  Let go of perfectionism in the workplace and at home.

Need help surviving in the business world? Submit your entrepreneurial questions to Diane at diane@dianecunningham.com. Please note that all questions selected for public display may be edited for clarity and privacy and become the property of NACWE.