Becoming a leader doesn’t require you to be the
superstar! Oftentimes it’s the “singles” we hit every day and not the
“homerun” that makes us the leader. Consistency is a difficult thing to
achieve. It’s our performance and what we choose to do day-in and day-out
that can separate us from everyone else!
Here are some suggestions on different aspects to
becoming a leader. Many of this applies not only to your profession, but to
your personal life as well.
Dress professionally
First impressions count! Your appearance is an
incredibly powerful tool. Does it reflect professionalism, or create a
barrier between you and your customer or coworkers? If you’re not dressed
professionally, the focus will be on how you look rather than on what you have
to say or if you are in a sales position, not on what you’re selling.
We all influence those around us by how we look, how we
speak, how we act… just about everything we do influences those around us. So
it’s important to concentrate on YOU!
In maintaining a professional image, a good rule of thumb
to follow is “less is more.” Here are some guidelines to help you maintain a
professional image:
- Start with your smile. Are your teeth clean and
white? If not, get them cleaned regularly by a dentist. Bleaching is an
effective method to remove coffee or yellow stains.
- Hair should be clean and neatly trimmed.
- Nails should be kept clean and neatly filed, regardless
of your gender. Nail polish is preferred on women and should be kept to
tasteful colors that match your clothing.
- Clothing should be professional looking, clean and
neatly pressed. It’s safer to stick to basic colors like navy, black, gray,
off-white and red.
- Shoes should be comfortable and you should be able to
walk in them easily. Keep them clean and shined with no scuffmarks on the
toes or heels.
- Don’t wear a lot of accessories. Keep jewelry and
watches simple and tasteful.
- Pay attention to other accessories such as your
briefcase, purse, calendars or folders. Keep them clean and new-looking
because they reflect the quality of the way you do business. If you want to
present a successful image, don’t pull out a cheap, plastic pen to take notes.
Take time to listen
Many of us have become poor listeners. We have heavy
workloads, are short staffed and are forced to multi-task for most of our
day. We pretend we are listening, but in reality, we miss a lot of what is
being said to us. We can build much stronger customer and co-worker
relationships by becoming better listeners.
So how do you do that? By recognizing and overcoming any
listening barriers for which you may have a tendency.
Here are seven of the most common barriers to effective
listening:
- Anticipating what the other person will say.
- Losing interest in the conversation.
- Not paying attention
- Being pre-occupied with other thoughts.
- Having preconceived attitudes about the situation or other person.
- Jumping to conclusions.
- Interrupting!
Active listening is hard work. Not only does it demand
our complete commitment, but we must use our eyes, ears, body positions, brain
and even our heart to really understand what the other person is saying.
Active listeners constantly search for meaning and request clarification when
the meaning is unclear.
Tips for becoming an active listener include:
- Listen to how things are said as well as to what is said.
- Listen to the words used and voice variation.
- Observe body language.
- Listen to ideas, opinions and feelings as well as facts.
- Listen to intent as well as to what is actually expressed by
listening between the lines.
- Listen for changes in voice tone or speaking rate.
- Listen to what isn’t said that you would normally expect to be
said.
We also listen with our actions. Body language sends
powerful messages to the person who is speaking.
Here are some tips to improve your communication through
your body language:
- Maintain eye contact but don’t stare at the other person.
- Lean slightly forward to indicate your interest in what is being said.
- Use facial expressions along with your verbal responses.
- Ask questions about what you have just heard.
