Everybody has their idols, even engineers. Most of the time, our idols involve CEOs of great tech companies or great minds who have changed the modern world as we know it. And sometimes, we look at them in awe, and ask them, “What’s their secret?” “How did they become so successful?” These questions become more frequent once you start climbing the career ladder and become a team leader or boss yourself.
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But a lot of times, the secret lies in the simplest of things that make the biggest difference. Not only for themselves, but for their team. Here are 5 of them:
Take interest in your workers as people, not as employees
Remember, your workers aren’t robots, they’re people. And people want to be heard, appreciated, and understood.
Get to know your workers on a personal level. Learn about their life, their struggles, and their motivations. Chat with them in the office during break time. Throw the business relationship for a minute, and show your workers that you care. Make it sincere, too, since nobody likes a phony. This will help motivate your workers and let them know that they’re an important part of the company not just as a skilled worker, but as a person
Nobody likes “nervous Nelly”s
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We know that making a decision has to be a careful choice. You need to weigh your options and take everything into consideration. When that time comes, don’t be paralyzed. Don’t procrastinate on the decision and leave it again for another day, since that attitude can spread like wildfire to the rest of the company’s workers.
Instead, think about your decisions hard, but quick. Ask yourself “What’s the worst thing that can happen if I make the wrong move?” If you’re anxious and indecisive on the matter, don’t show it. Thinking about for longer than you plan to is a boss’ version of procrastination, so don’t focus too much on the worst case scenario. Just choose what is best.
Strategies and tactics win the race
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CEOs are visionaries. They don’t just think about great things in the spur of the moment. They’re always thinking about the company’s next big move. If there’s a way to improve the company, they do it, no matter what the odds. It all lies down to tactics and strategy, which is doing the right things in the right way.
Don’t wait for validation. Just do it.
Leaders should have higher expectations of themselves than anyone else. So you have to believe in yourself and your abilities first before anyone else can. Analyze the situation and when you know the best decision to make is the one everyone thinks is crazy, do it anyway, no matter what the odds. Believe in yourself and your ambitions, and leave it to your gut and your brain to do the rest.
Fight for what you know is right
Tying in to the previous point, being a leader is a roller coaster ride and a team battle for honor at the same time.
There will be times where even the most skilled of your workers think they can’t do it, but if you have a great strategy and you know it’ll work out if you fight hard enough, then charge forward. Lead your time to victory. Yes, anything you try and crash and burn, but if you’re always in the defense stance, are you ever going to move forward?
A good leader knows the right time to defend, and the right time to attack, and lets no one get in the way of their decision.
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