Becoming a Better Leader

by | May 20, 2014 | Coaching, Communication, Leadership

As you seek to grow your firm it will be advantageous for you to become the best possible leader you can be to inspire, motivate and lead your team. I read somewhere that great leaders don’t create followers. Great leaders create more great leaders. That is a great approach to take, to empower your people to become better, to take on more responsibilities and leadership roles within the firm. This is also a great way to support your succession plan (which I talk about later in this chapter). Some tips on becoming a better leader. In most cases, it boils down to having great communication skills.

  • Treat each member of your team individually.
  • Have regular one-to-one time with each team member and get to know what truly motivates them and what they want to achieve in their career.
  • Provide regular feedback on their work. Tell them what they are doing right or great and why, and tell them how and where they can improve.
  • Set up clear expectations from the beginning so there are no miss-understandings later.
  • Ask for their feedback on client and firm matters-this is a great way of empowering them. They have a ton of ideas that could benefit your clients and the firm-just ask them.
  • Always remain approachable and willing to listen.
  • Share your vision for your firm and engage your team to be a part of that vision. Most people and especially this younger generation like the team approach. Take advantage of that and leverage it.
  • Create systems and processes to make it easier for your people to do their jobs. And if you don’t know where to start-ask your people how you can make their jobs easier.
  • Share your knowledge and mentor your people. Share what you have learned about time management, client management, file management, email management and help your people become as efficient as you’ve become.
  • Lead by example. If you are asking your people to do something that you don’t or won’t do yourself, you can’t really expect them to do it either

Is brevity your friend?

by | Mar 21, 2012 | Asking questions, Coaching session notes, Communication, Networking, Speaking at events

The more you can say in the least amount of time, the better. Do you often feel the need to fill silence? Silence can be very powerful. Whether you are in a meeting or giving a presentation, silence allows the people you are communicating with to absorb what you are saying. 

The next time you are communicating, email, phone, in a meeting, networking, or giving a presentation, try being a brief as possible. Try using less words to say more. Keep your sentences short.  Pause more between sentences. Look for more powerful words to use. And if you have a certain amount of time allotted to you, don’t be afraid of using less.