Leadership Archives | Brad and Julie Duncan

Three Ways To Appreciate A Good Leader

May 22, 2019 Brad and Julie Duncan Leadership

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent
in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire

Most of the time, we do not have the liberty or convenience to choose our bosses. And as sad as it may sound, it seems like great leaders are hard to come by these days. Some superiors can be too tough, which can command obedience but also instills fear. Some are too lenient, which can establish rapport, but then breed underachiever. The search for a good leader can be frustrating, so to realize you are under the wing of someone with commendable management skills can feel like winning a lottery. With all the amazing things good leadership brings, the least you can do is show your appreciation. The following are a few ways to show your dream boss how grateful you are to be under their mentorship:

Do more than required.
For a boss, to see his or her staff religiously doing their duties is already an achievement. But if you wish to further give your leader a reason to do better, you may want to show more effort in the work you do. Going above and beyond will show leaders that the people they manage are worth the effort. Aside from encouraging leaders to keep doing their job well, you are also empowering the whole team. Choosing excellence over mediocrity surely makes the job of a leader easier. In the end, the ultimate person who benefits from your actions is you.

Organize an appreciation day.
What can you do to increase the tribe of good leaders? Organizing an appreciation day can go a long way. This will be helpful because a leader needs a dose of encouragement and motivation to stay competent as well. It can be as simple as throwing a surprise party or get-together. Team members can do something special, such as prepare the leader’s favorite dish or buy a gift the leader always wanted. It is also a great idea to give thank you messages.

Offer a solution.
Leaders have huge responsibilities on their shoulders, so it is a requirement to be disciplined and persevering. Aside from ensuring the smooth flow in a group, leaders are also tasked with solving any problem a team may encounter. With all the hard work involved, one of the best things a team member can do is ease some of the burdens a leader has to face. Aside from making sure that you do not create any trouble for the leader, you can also think of ways to make things easier for the whole team. If the team has an existing dilemma or problem, you can suggest ways to overcome or solve it. By doing this, your boss will truly be thankful to have you in the team.

To be under a great leader is a wonderful privilege because you will gain valuable skills and at the same time, discover your potential. You can expect an excellent leader to push you to be better, inspire you to grow and achieve more than you think you are capable of. So, if you know a great leader, do the world a favor by finding ways to express just how much you value their presence.

Three Ways Great Leaders Rise From Their Mistakes

May 7, 2019 Brad and Julie Duncan Leadership

Leadership comes with great responsibilities. But no one said that the heavy load a leader has to bear requires perfection at all times. On the contrary, the very best of leaders are those that are not afraid to make mistakes. They proceed with caution and minimize errors as much as possible. But they also have a full understanding of the risks involved in their actions. Thus, mistakes do not rattle or take them off guard. They recognize the opportunities that come with every mistake they have made. Great leaders overcome mistakes with ease and can even turn them into opportunities. They can do this by adopting a few key mindsets and principles, which are discussed below.

Accept and react accordingly.

In an organization where leaders refuse to acknowledge errors, problems persist and can ultimately break the team dynamic. That is why wise leaders do not turn a blind eye when something went wrong. Instead, they quickly acknowledge it and are willing to apologize for it if necessary. They are not concerned that these actions willl make them appear weak or incompetent in front of their subordinates. On the contrary, leaders will earn the respect and admiration of their team because admitting mistakes is a decision that takes humility and courage.

Do not resort to negative behaviors.

As a leader, you are likely wary of making mistakes because they can often lead to negative behavior or situations. Proactive leaders, though, know that negative actions are a waste of time because in the end, they don’t solve anything. It’s important to get to the root of the problem in order to have a clear understanding of how the mistakes happened and how they can be fixed. However, once the scrutiny reveals the names of the people who are responsible or involved with the mishaps, exceptional leaders have the ability to react calmly and constructively.

Great leaders don’t resort to harsh punishments and instead set their attention on the mistakes done and not on the person who did it. Instead of subjecting people to harsh criticisms, they listen in order to learn how the mistake can be fixed or avoided in the future. Criticisms and fault-finding will only damage your team’s morale, which can create more trouble for an organization in the long run.

Focus on lessons and solutions.

Leaders may feel frustrated over a misstep for a while, but it is important not to linger on the mistake and instead look to the bright side. Be aware that mistakes are just a part of the journey and come heavily laden with lessons to learn. Likewise, don’t dwell on negative emotions for too long after a mistake. It is not wise to dwell on bad emotions. Your main concern should be set on how to solve it. Any problem can be fixed, so try to instead plot ways to correct the mistake.

Do you want an easy way to assess a person’s leadership skills? One way to do it is by observing how they handle mistakes. The mediocre ones may start to panic and end up making decisions that can turn a small mistake into a major problem. On the other hand, great leaders stay cool and collected, giving them presence of mind to turn any mistake to their advantage. So what kind of leader do you want to become?

Four Ways To Genuinely Show Empathy In Leadership

April 9, 2019 Brad and Julie Duncan Leadership

Do you want to get a glimpse of the kind of leadership that makes an outstanding organization? You can by simply observing those in leadership roles. In a team headed by a great leader, people do their tasks with passion and commitment. If only all companies were driven by great leaders, the world would be a much better place. Too often we see people expressing discontentment over management styles. In this unfortunate scenario, people tend to be unmotivated and underachieve. This brings to mind the age-old question of what makes a good leader? However, with all the traits that differentiate a great leader from a bad one, empathy is certainly one of them. The ability to put oneself in another’s shoes is surely a trait that all leaders need to learn. In a way, good leadership without empathy seems impossible. The following four pointers will show how you as a leader can show empathy.

Display emotional intelligence.

Empathy is a trait that allows you to relate to the circumstances of others. It requires one to be patient, caring and kind. It is also something that is hard to fake. Leaders who want to show empathy have to start the process within themselves. The first step is to develop positive traits associated with emotional intelligence. Build a character that others would like to emulate and empathy will come naturally.

Truly listen.

It isn’t unusual for people to approach a leader for some wise words or advice. Sometimes the best support a leader can give is simply lending an open ear. Allot time to listen to what people on your team have to say about certain topics, projects or issues. Great leaders don’t just do all the talking. On the contrary, they continually encourage others to share their opinions or ideas.

Learn and understand the work each person on your team does.

Problems are likely to arise on a team where leaders have little to no inkling about the job that each person on the team does. This stresses the importance of having a broad understanding of the work that everyone is doing, even if a certain skill is not part of your expertise. You should take time to understand the skills needed and challenges involved in each project. It can be done by studying the nature of your employee’s job or spending time with team members while they do the task. Aside from making it easier to show practice empathy to others, it can also raise the spirits of team members.

Show your vulnerable side.

It is important for leaders to appear strong. But no one said you can’t show vulnerability. In fact, leaders who are honest about their strengths and weaknesses can help others become more comfortable around them. Leaders who share how they overcome past difficulties with others makes it easy for people to share and bond over their own experiences as well.

Anyone who aspires to be a leader should understand the great challenges that come with the role. In fact, if you would ask someone to write down all the traits and attributes that an excellent leader should have, you may end up with a long, never-ending list. One trait that will always be present? Empathy. To aim to be empathetic is always a great idea; it will make you an exceptional leader and a better person, too.

Are Your Leadership Skills Future-Ready?

March 19, 2019 Brad and Julie Duncan Leadership

Leaders of today are under much greater pressure than ever before. Aside from the usual tasks of overseeing the development of a team and creating strategies to meet a goal, leaders also need to keep up with rapid technological developments. With machines threatening to take over many jobs, advancements such as artificial intelligence and automation pose a potential threat to future leaders. They can’t afford to sit around and wait for the future to unfold. Great leaders prepare for the future by taking steps to further enhance their skills and abilities. The following lists some of the hard and soft skills that will make leaders indispensable even in an ultra-modern world.

Technological Savvy

It is safe to say that now and even into the future, turning away from technology is no longer an option. More than ever, leaders are eager to learn and embrace new technology in order to benefit their team. They eagerly keep track of the latest applications or software that are relevant in their field of work and take steps to understand how they works. Some of the hard skills that experts say will be in-demand in the future include cloud computing, UX design, and mobile application development.

Virtual Management Skills

Technology has made communication and collaboration possible with anyone, anywhere in the world. To take advantage of these benefits, leaders need to know the tools and apps that will help them manage a virtual workplace. They also need to develop the skills that will allow them to deal with a team coming from multicultural backgrounds and industries. As remote jobs become more popular, leaders need to have a more organized and systematic way of leading their teams and executing on business strategy.

Critical & Creative-Thinker

In the future workplace, where analysts are predicting that monotonous and repetitive jobs will be fully automated, a leader should prepare to train and encourage their team members to exercise their creativity. As the world gets increasingly competitive, the ability to think out of the box becomes more necessary. To keep abreast of new developments and stand out from the rest, you cannot afford to stick with the methods and processes that your team is accustomed to. You will lead the growth of the whole team (including yourself) by committing to conceptualizing and trying new innovations.

Leaders of the next generation are strategic thinkers because they think ahead. They do not just settle in following the trend. Instead, they change the rules of the game by presenting fresh ideas. They do not just stay updated with what is the latest, but also predict what will happen next by studying forecasts and insights.

Emotional Intelligence

The onset of a highly sophisticated world can be very stressful and demanding. Leaders need to be able adjust with major changes in the workplace and help their team cope with these changes. This requires a leader that can easily adapt to any situation. They know that there may be times when they need to adjust their leadership style for the betterment of the whole team. They also know how to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of their team members. All of these tasks will require leaders to exercise emotional intelligence and develop related skills such as flexibility, empathy, patience and humility.

Great leadership is an endless quest for learning and innovation. Even if you are already on the peak of success, you constantly look for ways to further improve and stay ahead. With a mindset that is geared towards continuous learning, a leader can rise up to any challenge and stay relevant no matter what the future brings.

How To Be A Better Leader: Improve Your Listening Skills

February 19, 2019 Brad and Julie Duncan Leadership

Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say
– Andy Stanley

It is typical for people to associate effective communication traits with a competent leader. We expect the person who heads a team to be skilled in conveying ideas through talking or writing. This is perfectly understandable because leaders frequently share information and ideas. Their words, whether spoken or written, can form a foundation that can move a team upward or build a sharp axe that can crush a team’s spirit. Indeed, everyone knows that being articulate with words is an invaluable trait for thriving leaders.

Still, aside from the ability to speak and write well, there is one more important characteristic in communication that all leaders should have. This is the ability to listen well. Being a good listener is a crucial trait because a team where the leader is the only one who keeps on talking is not likely to succeed. Team collaboration is best when everybody in the team feels free to share inputs because they know that their concerns do not fall on deaf ears. So how can a leader hone their listening skills? The following pointers may be helpful.

Avoid distractions.

Even great speakers get bothered by audience members who do not seem to pay attention while they are giving their speech. Aside from being rude, it can also diminish a speaker’s confidence. For this reason, it is very important for leaders to learn how to listen with great attention to anyone they are talking to. To do this, they may have to eliminate possible distractions that can prevent them from focusing on the moment. They may need to turn off phone and email notifications to listen closely to what the other person is saying. A leader who does this will make someone feel respected and valued, and can even motivate them to work more efficiently.

Be genuinely interested.

You can listen with great focus but if you are not genuinely interested about what the other person is saying, the words can quickly fade into thin air. For words to stick in your mind you have to be interested in other people’s thoughts and ideas. This is something that is hard to fake. Feigning interest is not something you can do and hide from for long. On the contrary, good leaders take time to listen to others because they are excited to discover someone’s strength, potential and even weaknesses. For this reason, leaders who desires growth for the whole team aim for real connection and are are eager to get to know everyone on the team.

Pay attention to body language.

Not everyone can express their thoughts well and great leaders know this. To really understand or hear what the other person is trying to say, leaders sometimes need to read between the lines. They know how to notice subtle signs that show if a person is uncomfortable or scared. A bit of sensitivity can go a long way because it will help the leader show the appropriate response that a person needs in a particular situation. For example, a leader who noticed that a person is shy may respond with words that will encourage someone to open up. If a person seems uncomfortable, the leader may give the person more time to organize his or her thoughts.

Do not judge.

A great team is a team where everyone contributes to the best of their ability and does not feel any apprehension in sharing their feedback. To achieve this ideal status, you have to create an environment where everyone is encouraged to speak up. You can do this by controlling your reaction whenever someone decides to give a piece of his or her mind. You have to learn how to listen without letting your emotions get the better off you. You do not make hasty judgments or display uncontrolled anger. Instead you listen patiently until someone is done talking and assess your reactions objectively.

Efficient communication skills can take you places and can help you achieve your goals. But as you freely express your thoughts, remember to pay close attention to what the others are saying, too. Do not forget that flawless speech and writing may make you a leader, but if you want to be a remarkable one, you need to strive to be a great listener.

Leading with a Teacher’s Heart

January 22, 2019 Brad and Julie Duncan Leadership

Teachers spend their days imparting wisdom through lessons of love, compassion and inspiration. In turn, students grow into more capable, informed and mature versions of their former selves. They take their teachers’ guidance and go on to accomplish more than ever imagined. Entrepreneurial leaders can take those same methods and adapt them for the workplace and net similar results. Here’s how to lead with a teacher’s heart.

Affective Filter

In the teaching world, instructors are aware of a concept called the affective filter. This phrase describes an abstract boundary that plays a hand in a student’s ability to acquire a second language. A high affective filter means the student may feel a combination of self-consciousness, anxiety and tension. Contrarily, a low affective filter is marked by confidence, comfort, assurance and a willingness to take risks. Affective filters can be affected by intrinsic factors but can also change due to the environment or interpersonal interactions. Teachers work to control the second two.

Great teachers foster environments of inclusivity, affirmation and acceptance. They rebuke damaging responses when student mistakes are made and respect each pupil’s preference that affect their ability to process information. Amazing leaders can do the same. Earn your employees’ trust,

New Slate Every Day

Teachers understand that their students are in a constant state of learning, which means they will make plenty of mistakes. When children are in school, they are faced with new challenges every day, some of which causes them frustration and stress. When students feel these negative emotions, they sometimes act out in ways that are not ideal. As humans, instructors naturally feel disappointment and frustration in response, but they habitually try to understand the perspective of their students and offer new mercies every morning. They have high standards and expect the best, but reserve plenty of room for grace.

As a leader of adults in a work environment, your standards will undoubtedly include a smaller margin or error, but that doesn’t cancel out the necessity for patience altogether. Follow the example that teachers set and try to start each day with patience and understanding. Remember that your employees are trying their best and want to perform just as well as you’d want them to. However, everyone has the occasional off-day or noticeable mistake.

Specialized to Each learner

In many of today’s schools, teachers are presented with a class of unique learners. No two students have the exact same personality, preferences or learning style. To account for those differences, great teachers individualize instruction. Adept instructors constantly assess and reassess students’ needs and progress, then do what’s best to maintain a balance of challenge and accomplishment. They also make small changes to each lesson to help students thrive. For shy students, they may only call on them when their hand is raised. For active students, they may teach a lesson that intertwines exercise with the academic concept. However they can best serve each student, they do.

On the job, leaders too can specialize tasks. Distribute a communication style assessment and personality test to figure out how each employee works best, then adapt their environment to fit their needs. Pay attention to their communication style, then converse with them using their favorite methods.

Teachers earn their students’ trust and inspire their best work by remaining attentive and sharing information in a kind and effective way. They pour their hearts into every student, every day, without cease. You too can yield the same results with daily practice. Leading with the heart of teacher is bound to help your employees feel secure and valued, giving them the confidence to outperform even your expectations.

Be A Better Leader With These New Year Resolutions!

January 1, 2019 Brad and Julie Duncan Leadership

Leadership is a journey that has its share of ups and downs. You can probably recall glorious moments when your team aced a big project. There may also be times when your group has to rise through failures and losses. Heading a team can feel like treading a rough road as leaders continuously try various ways to tweak and improve their management styles.

For this reason, the new year is also a wonderful time for leaders. The upcoming year presents numerous opportunities to achieve more and be better! You can avoid past mistakes or hasten current progress by carefully reflecting on the things you can do to enhance or change your leadership tactics. Leaders who set their sights on growth and development can start the year right with the suggested New Year’s resolutions below.

Be more involved with your team.

As a leader, you may enjoy power and privilege to some extent. Yet when you come to think of it, a leader is nothing without a team to lead. This irony illustrates that leaders should make it a priority to connect with the people under their wing. If you hardly know anything about your staff, then you must have been leading from a distance.

This management approach can create problems such as miscommunication and poor judgment. Your staff may also find it hard to develop trust and respect for you. This is counterproductive because a research study published by Ken Blanchard Companies reveals that employees deliver better work performance if they trust their leaders. To be more involved and develop trust with your team, you can arrange social events that encourage interaction. You can also develop an open-door policy so everyone can feel free and confident to voice their sentiments or share ideas.

Be better in time-management.

Does your year-end review reveal that you failed to accomplish many of your goals because you ran out of time for it? It is a clear sign that you need to improve your time-management skills. You can examine the activities that ate up most of your time last year that also did not produce favorable results. Maybe you will realize that you have to minimize office meetings with no clear agenda or you may discover that your staff spends too much on easy, doable tasks. To prove this point, a survey done by Harvard Business Review states the majority of managers view office meetings to be inefficient. To increase productivity in the workplace, you can resolve to eliminate distractions and set strict, but reasonable deadlines for tasks.

Love your role as a leader.

Tasks and challenges appear easier when you love what you do. So as a leader, you may need to do some self-reflection to assess how passionate you are about guiding and coaching a whole team. If you see your tasks as blessings rather than burdens, you are on the right track. But if coming to work everyday feels like a struggle, you may need to change your perspective. Choosing to be grateful for the opportunity to lead is a good start. If you truly enjoy your role, you will be more productive and can lead more effectively. Moreover, your enthusiasm will radiate and positively influence your team,

The New Year is always a time for joyous celebrations because it signifies fresh hopes and new beginnings. In terms of leadership, it is possible that the past year has not been so good, but this does not matter going forward. With the new year ahead, you have a whole new chance to start over, fix things and tremendously improve. Take the first step to improvement by making the resolutions above.

Can Negative Feedback Boost A Team’s Growth? Check Out These Tips!

December 18, 2018 Brad and Julie Duncan Leadership

As a leader, you want to be a helpful mentor to the people under your care. To guide a team to excellence you must make an effort to be with them every step of the way. You have to be present to recognize the achievements of a team. Of course, you should also be ready to give constructive criticism when team members are not performing to the best of their abilities. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, a good leader surely has the best intentions of the team and the members in mind.

However, while giving compliments can be as easy as pie, making negative comments can be a bit stressful and complicated. It is like walking on a tightrope as a slight misstep can drastically send a team’s spirit spiraling downwards. You need to carefully and consciously apply management strategies to ensure that honest criticism will have a motivating rather than disheartening effect on your team. The following reminders can help you elicit a positive outcome from a negative feedback.

Explain the reason for giving feedback.

The reason for giving feedback may be self-explanatory but it still pays to discuss it with your team. Good communication is essential to build a thriving team, so it is best that you explain why you want to bring attention to the weaknesses of the team. It greatly helps if everyone understands that even if feedback may not be pleasant to hear, it has to be discussed because it plays a crucial role in the the growth and development of the team. This is also one way to ensure that negative feedback is not meant to malign or hurt anyone. To prove this point, research done by the Center for Creative Leadership reveals that giving feedback regardless if it is positive or negative is effective in motivating employees.

Allow the team members to assess themselves.

A team’s inability to deliver excellent performance can probably be felt by all members, not just the leader. In the same way, teammates who are not contributing as much as they should probably know it too. So you can talk to the team (or to a difficult teammate) right away to voice your concerns. Or give your team members time to do some self-reflection and evaluate themselves. The latter is a better option because the task of identifying the wrong things in a team becomes a collaborative effort rather than an individual task. By asking your team members to rate themselves in terms of work performance, you can smoothly proceed to discuss ways on how they can improve themselves.

Be specific and honest.

The last thing you want to do is confuse your people by giving vague feedback. Explain in detail the issues you notice and specifically point them out. Team members who cannot understand what they did wrong are likely to feel upset over the feedback. To make your message clear, do not forget to be honest when talking with your team. Do not try to sugarcoat your message with false praises just to soften the blow of a criticism. According to an article that appeared in Harvard Business Review, leaders who deliver negative feedback by starting and ending it with positive comments risk losing the trust of their staff. Another thing, a leader is unlikely to see favorable improvements since positive comments are the ones that will stick out in the mind of the team or the concerned individual.

Create an environment that welcomes discussion and feedback.

To prevent ill feelings about negative feedback, give your team a chance to explain their actions or behavior. It is also important that you are ready to take back negative comments if you realize that you have made a wrong judgment.You also want to improve your leadership style, so allow your team to evaluate your skills as well. If everybody on the team is helping each other to improve, your road to success will be shorter and faster.

Leadership is never an easy role. One of the most difficult aspects of heading a team is when you need to discuss their mistakes. It may be a situation that everyone wants to avoid, but it is necessary. Just like growing pains, negative feedback can hurt, but it can turn your group into a power team!

Easing The Transition To Leadership: Survival Tips For New Leaders

November 20, 2018 Brad and Julie Duncan Leadership

If you consistently excel in your line of work, you will surely be a top choice for a leadership post. There is no question that you deserve that most coveted promotion. No one else in the team deserves it more than you..But how certain are you that being a top achiever and a great team player will adequately prepare you to be an effective leader?

Leadership will bring in new tasks and more responsibilities. Thus, it is not unusual to feel anxious when stepping up to a higher post. Loads of worries may pop into your mind. Am I capable enough to guide a team? How can I motivate the people under me? What should do I to earn their respect and trust? Your new role will surely not be easy, but the transition to a managerial position does not have to be difficult either. Read on for strategies you can use to quickly adjust and adapt to leadership.

Make an effort to get to know everyone.

One of the first things you should do upon accepting an offer to lead is to get to know the people in the entire organization. Especially the people that will be under your wing. You want to observe their work ethics and assess their strengths and weaknesses. Adequate information about the background of each of your staff will help you come up with effective management strategies. You can only do this by spending time and closely working with your team. This will be time well-spent because as you get closer to your team, you can also build trust and camaraderie.

Clearly relay your expectations.

Good communication is always a two-way relationship. So just as you know your team, you also want the staff to get to know you as well. You want to carve a clear direction for the team to follow and you can start by letting them know your expectations from each one of them. Aside from avoiding confusion within the team, it is also a gentle reminder of their duties and responsibilities. You can also establish accountability in the group.

Strengthen teamwork.

Instead of focusing on personal growth, your goal as leader will now shift to the development of a team. You want to build a team where the members support each other and diligently contribute to the betterment of the group.You may discover past issues and conflicts as a new leader, but it should not stop you from resolving to create a high-performance team. As the head of an organization, one of your duties is to inspire and motivate everyone to do their best. Setting achievable goals for the whole team to accomplish is one way to do that. You also want to boost the morale of your staff by encouraging them to share insights and ideas.

Take care of yourself.

You need to build stamina in order to cope with the demands of your new position. Take care of yourself by staying healthy. You can easily maintain a positive mindset and be a good example to your staff if you see to it that you get enough rest and exercise. To gain confidence in your new role, you may also want to invest time in self-improvement. You can start by enhancing your look, outfit and style.

Widen your knowledge.

Your scope of work is no longer limited to a specific task or area and this implies a greater challenge. Your desire to rise above competitors and succeed in the industry you are in should also be stronger. So find ways to gain more knowledge by attending training or seminars. You can also join organizations to grow your network and enhance your skills.

Encourage feedback.

The best way to know if your leadership style is working is by directly asking the opinions of your staff. So encourage the team to share their feedback or ask questions. It is important to let them know that you are open to any criticisms because this will help you become a better leader. You can also welcome suggestions and discuss it with the team.

Introverts Make Great Leaders Because Of These Traits

October 23, 2018 Brad and Julie Duncan Leadership

Leadership requires a great deal of courage. As the authority figure in a group, leaders are often portrayed as tough and strict. You are expected to set the rules and the direction for the whole team to follow. These tasks require a certain level of assertiveness and confidence; traits you would usually see in an extroverted person.

Does this mean that people who are naturally quiet and reserved should abandon leadership goals? Definitely not! A 10-year study done by ghSmart, an entrepreneurial consulting company, revealed that the most successful CEOs display introvert traits. Some of these traits are listed below and show why introverts make great leaders.

Observes and listens well.

Introverts are probably not the first one to share ideas or voice out concerns in a meeting. Instead of doing all the talking, they are happy to listen to what others have to say. They are great observers, too, allowing them to carefully assess the situation. This trait makes it possible for them to see a situation in a new perspective. Once introverts decide to speak up, they may surprise everyone with fresh and brilliant ideas. An introvert’s ability to listen intently to others and think things through are essential traits for leadership. Filtering ideas in one’s head before spilling it out avoids confusion and helps a team focus on the key points of a project.

Makes careful decisions.

Decision-making is one of the most difficult tasks for a leader i and being impulsive will not help., You cannot afford to make hasty decisions when managing a group because the choices you make affect the whole team. While others may find it hard to hold off on making decisions, taking time to reflect before deciding is one of the strengths of an introvert. A leader who decides after thoroughly evaluating all sides of a situation usually makes the right choice. This helps a leader earns a team’s trust and respect.

Can work independently.

Being a social butterfly may not be the best asset of an introvert who is seen as someone who dislikes crowds or events. Though introverts are not necessarily anti-socials, they do not mind being left alone in a task. The ability to function well even while alone is beneficial as a leader. As the head of a team, you cannot rely on the support of others all the time. Instead, you should learn how to perform tasks independently.

Can control emotions.

Conflicts are a part of life but some people cannot help but panic when things suddenly go wrong. Extroverts may have a hard time controlling their emotions. On the other hand, introverts who spend a lot of time processing thoughts in their head can think about the most appropriate reaction to a situation. The calm nature of an introverted leader can ease the worries of group members. It will also keep the motivation of a group running high despite tough times.

The notion that someone with an introvert personality will be an ineffective leader is one unfair misconception that should be broken. If you see yourself as an introvert, your chance to be a good leader is as good as that of an extroverted person. So do not ever hesitate to take a leadership role. Your innate traits as an introverted person can even make you a better leader.