Do you aspire to be a strong leader who is respected in your field? Maybe you want to inspire your team and lead them to great success. If you’re going to step up and become a transformational leader, you should consider adding these characteristics to your management style toolbox.

1. Know Your Leadership Style

There is no one right way to be the best leader. The style that will work for you is the one that comes naturally. To improve your leadership skills, you need to know what your preferred personal style is. Take some quiet time and reflect on your skills, strengths, and weaknesses. What do you enjoy about leadership? What do you find difficult or shy away from doing? There are plenty of resources on the internet, like quizzes, to help you work out where your talents lie and give you insight into your management style.

I offer an assessment that helps you discover your leadership style and what gaps you need to address. Once you know your style, you can begin to work out how to improve. This assessment, along with a one-hour debrief, helps you fast-forward your leadership journey. Click here to watch a free video on your DISC style. If you would like some personal coaching from me in this area, you can begin by purchasing a DISC Assessment that will produce a 30-page report along with a personal one hour debrief, you can message me directly for more information at dreddierivero@gmail.com

2. Choose to be a Positive Role Model

Whether you like it or not, your team member will echo your management style. They will live up to your expectations and follow your example regarding work practices, professional relationships, and motivation.

You can choose to be a leader who only expects the best from their staff and places the greatest importance on integrity, ethical and professional behavior, and hard work to get the job done.

Remember this simple truth: “Your actions speak louder than your words.” Many times, you can teach more effectively by modeling the correct behavior.

3. Encourage Creativity

Leaders who encourage creative thinking get better results from their team members. If you encourage staff to challenge the status quo and think outside the box, you will get more innovative approaches.

Practice active listening and collaborative problem-solving. Share and celebrate successes and foster creative thinking.

One of the great traits of generational groups like Millennials and Gen-Z is that they are creative problem solvers and can creatively hack challenges. Be open to getting results in a way that you didn’t foresee. Allow your team to solve problems creatively.

4. Be Passionate

Enthusiasm is contagious. Share your passions with your team members and show them that you care about the projects you’re working on. Get them to look beyond the immediate tasks to see what impacts the project intends to achieve. Make their work meaningful beyond just hitting targets.

Today, people want their work to make a difference. Cast the vision for something big that, when accomplished, will have an impact. If you are not excited, I seriously doubt your team will be.

5. Be Positive

True leaders stay positive, no matter what the circumstances. It’s a given that there will be hiccups, setbacks, and even failures that you will have to navigate with your team. Be open to making mistakes and then correcting them quickly.  Their motivation and confidence rely upon you taking an optimistic, constructive perspective no matter what. Celebrate those successes and use failures to learn, adapt, and move forward.

With you to inspire them, your team will stay energized and focused on more and more success.

Dr. Eddie Rivero
President, The Rivero Leadership Group
Presiding Bishop, Global Network of Churches & Ministries