I like to say: every leader looks good when times are good. It’s when things are bad that you really see great leadership.
From how I see things, leadership isn’t something you impose on other people. The fact of the matter is, people want to be led—and more specifically, they want to be led by great leaders.
That’s even more true when times are bad. When times are tough, that’s when great leaders step up and keep everyone motivated and focused. They don’t promote fear and anxiety. Instead, they help their team prepare for the better times ahead—which always come.
Another saying is that great leaders are born, not made. That suggests that you’re a great leader because that’s who you are and always have been. It’s something that comes to you naturally.
I agree with that, but only to a certain extent. Yes, there are some natural-born leaders—people who just happen to have leadership skills and abilities. But I also believe that great leadership skills can be taught, that anyone willing to listen to solid advice and guidance can, at the very least, become a better leader than they are right now.
Great leadership always goes hand in hand with great businesses. Here are some of the strategies I’ve learned and used over the years to improve my leadership skills—skills that you can improve, day in and day out, to help push your business toward the next level.