3 Leadership Tips for Beginners

Being a leader is a hard job. You inevitably make mistakes. These mistakes can cause your peers to doubt you and your subordinates to lose faith in you. It makes always knowing what to do or having the right answer all the time an exhausting part of the job. Understanding how to balance all of the things that go into being a leader is tough and, trust me, I’ve been there. So, I want to share the following 3 leadership tips for beginners that I learned along the way. Both in the industry and as an officer in the Marine Corps.

Listen to the People You Lead

Listening to the people you lead is a very important aspect of the job. This is a very important leadership trait to have. In the same way, not listening to your subordinates it can be a very toxic leadership trait. I have had leaders who never listened to their subordinates and let me tell you it drove us all crazy. I’m sure a lot of you reading this have had or currently have a boss like this.

So, understanding that your subordinates have ideas that could benefit the team is important. It enables you to position them accordingly for the maximum benefit of the organization. Proper positioning leads to increased opportunities for subordinates to develop new skills and grow. Which is ultimately what every good leader wants for their people.

Always Lead by Example

Similarly to listening to the people you lead, leading by example is another very important trait to have. Nothing is more frustrating than following someone who refuses to do the same thing asked of subordinates. It’s been one of my biggest pet peeves. If I’m working hard and seeking improvement, I expect the same out of my boss. Especially when is he/she is expecting the same out of me. If you are going to have your subordinates be held to a standard make sure you are either meeting or exceeding that standard.

Be as Transparent and Collaborative as Often as You Can

Being transparent and collaborating with the people that you lead is a great way to enhance productivity. It is also a very good way to build a good working environment and culture. The people you lead have good ideas and talent use and develop them. You can develop them by keeping them informed. You don’t have to tell them everything but you should tell them your plans and where you are trying to take your vision. That allows them the ability to ask clarifying questions, provide suggestions and most importantly buy in! Which is what every leader needs from his/her workforce. Every chance you get you should look to inform your subordinates and find ways to make them a legit stakeholder in your visions.

Takeaway

There you have it. Those are my 3 leadership tips for beginners. I hope this helps you on your leadership journey. Understand that you won’t always be right or liked and that’s okay. What really matters is that the people that you work for understand that you are looking out for their best interest. That’s what you as a leader are in charge of doing. It’s a tough responsibility to have but as Uncle Ben said “with great power, comes great responsibility.”

If you enjoyed this article check out our other leadership articles!