Parent Post
Leadership, like every other
Leadership, like every other skill, requires fear-conquering. Many fears can come into play when leading a team.
Entrepreneurs face this as their companies grow. You go from being an eager person with a great idea to a leader, manager, and someone who is looked upon for inspiration.
Here are the five main fears you will face as a leader and how to overcome them.
Making decisionsDecision-making is critical
Making decisions
Decision-making is critical for business leaders, and it’s not always “good” decision-making.
Sometimes it’s just about making a decision and moving forward. Analysis paralysis can cripple an organization and if poor decisions are made, go back to the failure section.
The ability to learn how to make good decisions in highly chaotic environments can help take your business to the next level. Sometimes you have to slow down and take your time, even if it means missing a potentially good opportunity.
Pushing forward too fast will always lead to major obstacles that will cost money. So be prepared, use the information at hand, and make the best possible decisions you can. When you miss the mark, adjust quickly.
SpeakingAs a leader within
Speaking
As a leader within an organization, you should be doing the most is publically addressing your team. If you can’t do this with confidence, then don’t expect your team to follow you into “battle.”
Take every opportunity you can to speak in front of audiences. This could be during meetings, client presentations, guest lecturing at local universities, or industry conferences.
Practice makes perfect. The more you do it, the more confident you will be.
CriticismAs a leader, your
Criticism
As a leader, your shortcomings will be highlighted more than your strengths. The team looks up to you to make the right decisions.
Being self-aware is a highly useful quality when carrying the load of leadership.
Face the criticism by regularly requesting anonymous feedback from your team. This can be done by using 360-degree reviews or surveys with specific questions about how effective you are in your role.
ResponsibilityAs a leader, you
Responsibility
As a leader, you are not just responsible to clients and shareholders, but your first priority is your team.
Being responsible for a person’s livelihood can be a stressful burden. Your role is to define the mission, provide resources, and remove obstacles. Embrace the fact that you have a team to lead.
Assuming you have the right people doing the right things, remember that they can be your best resource for important information. Keep them in the loop and ask them to do the same for you. Working together as a team will lighten that burden of responsibility.
FailureFailing at anything sucks.
Failure
Failing at anything sucks. Especially when all eyes are on you. But you do not become a successful leader without having experienced failure along the way.
Failure can come in several forms when leading a team:
- Making bad financial decisions
- Bringing in the wrong people
- Overpromising and under-delivering
- Inconsistency
- Not properly communicating the vision and everyone’s role in mission success.
When you make mistakes, own them and let the team know what you are going to make it right. Be as prepared as you possibly can and make adjustments along the way.
