How To Become A Good Team Leader That Others Want To Follow 3m5q3s

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

HOW TO BECOME A GOOD TEAM LEADER THAT OTHERS WANT TO FOLLOW

First edition. August 7, 2021.

Copyright © 2021 Kenneth Rose.

Written by Kenneth Rose.

How To Become A Good Team Leader That Others Want To Follow

By: Kenneth Rose

Contents

Introduction Chapter 1: What Are The Qualities Of A Great Leader

Traits Of A Great Leader

Chapter 2: Inspiring And Motivating Your Team

The Golden Circle Finding Your Vision

Chapter 3: Incentivising For Optimum Results

Why Do Incentives Fail? Incentives And Teamwork Ownership, Autonomy, And Understanding

Chapter 4: Enhance Your Charisma And Authority

How To Give An Outstanding Speech Effective Communication The Law Of Attraction Quick Exercise: How To Become Social Fearless

Chapter 5: Managing The Crisis

Seeing The Unseen Weathering the Storm

Chapter 6: Should A Leader Be Feared Or Liked Chapter 7: Dealing With Disagreements

Trasformismo Or as Sun Tsu put it: keep your enemies close... Explain And Use Social Influence Carrying Out Punishment

Chapter 8: Make Teams And Promote Teamwork

How To Hire The Right People

How To Promote Teamwork

Chapter 9: Understanding Characters And Choosing The Right Person For The Job Chapter 10: Powerful Tips For Leaders Conclusion

Introduction

Most of us will never consider ourselves to be leaders. For the vast majority of us, the idea of taking charge of an office would have seemed completely absurd not long ago. That's a job for high-fliers, people-people, and natural leaders!

Regardless of our reservations, many of us will be thrust into leadership roles against our will. In the vast majority of industries, progress and a pay raise imply taking on more responsibility. And that responsibility will almost always take the form of some kind of leadership position. You can only progress so far before you have staff reporting to you, and the higher you climb the ladder, the more people will look to you for direction and the more people you will be responsible for.

That leaves two options: avoid the pressure and responsibility and live on the modest salary that comes with it, or learn to suck it up and take charge.

And guess what else? When you do accept that mantle and become the best leader you can be, you will discover that it is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have for your personal growth and development. You'll gain confidence, ability, and authority, and it can completely change the way you see yourself.

So, here's the big question: can you learn to be a leader? Is it simply fate that some people are destined to be good leaders, while others will always be disrespected and awkward in the role?

While some people are born with it (as Maybeline would have us believe), it is certainly possible to learn the skills required for leadership if you do not already possess them. And, as it happens, this book is about to do just that for you!

So keep reading to learn the ins and outs of leadership and what it takes to inspire and get the most out of a team.

And once you've honed these skills, you'll discover that they're useful not only in the office and the boardroom, but in all aspects of life. Prepare to be a more inspiring friend and a better parent!

Chapter 1: What Are The Qualities Of A Great Leader

Perhaps the best place to begin is to consider what makes a great leader. What is the ultimate goal here? What do you want to achieve?

When we think of great leaders, we often think of inspiring superheroes. People with heroic, puffed-up chests, powerful voices, and a cool, confident demeanor. They always know what to do and have an uncanny ability to deliver motivational and inspirational speeches at the drop of a hat. No one ever challenges these great leaders because they don't want to; the leaders are so just and wise that they don't need to.

However, if they were to cross them, they would be immediately put right with a stern but fair judgement and unquestionable authority. These are the leaders who make us feel safe, who guide our ships through uncharted waters, and who make us believe that we can accomplish anything as a team. These are the heroes from the Saturday morning cartoons you probably watched as a kid (which, by the way, are based very much on our Father and Mother archetypes).

Chances are you've known a few people like this in your life. Maybe you have a parent who is truly that wise, all-knowing figure. Or perhaps you had a teacher who inspired you when you were younger and helped you make the career decisions that led you to where you are now.

You may also be aware of some well-known real-life characters who fit this description. Perhaps you are aware of a few celebrities or historical figures whom you ire.

But, for the most part, this is not the case when it comes to what makes a good leader. While all of these things may help you to inspire followers, they are not required for you to become an effective leader. And it's a good thing, because that would be a lot of pressure to put on yourself!

So, what makes a good leader? What is the bare minimum requirement?

Of course, this is a somewhat abstract concept that will not be satisfied by a simple answer. But let us give it our all.

Finally, the best leader is the one who achieves results. And they accomplish this by organizing, stabilizing, and motivating a team in order to get more out of them than they could on their own. Simply put, does having this leader in place make a big difference in the team's ability to achieve goals?

If the answer is yes, the leader is performing a valuable function and should be retained. If the answer is no, you could argue that the leader is ineffective and a waste of money or time.

However, while accurate, this mindset is dangerous. Why? Because it leads to 'performance reviews' and other tests to determine the leader's ability. If a leader fails to meet monthly targets or is seen to be spending too much money, they may be punished or penalized. This appears to make sense when considering leaders in of their ability to assist teams in meeting goals, but it overlooks one important factor: time.

Because the ability of a leader should not be measured in of their ability to complete X in T amount of time. If that is the leader's only concern and the only aspect of performance on which they are graded, they will almost certainly make the wrong decisions for the sake of the business and the team. They will stick with what works, what they know, and will avoid taking risks or changing their business model to meet new challenges. A good leader should be able to see the road ahead and seemingly predict the changes that will have the greatest impact on businesses.

These are the leaders who can help a company grow rather than just survive, and who can help avoid catastrophic failures that lead to layoffs or bankruptcy. This same theory applies in other contexts as well: the best parent is one who can not only keep the family happy and functioning well, but also help them to improve their circumstances so that they become happier and more fulfilled. They can also anticipate potential challenges and plan for them so that they can deal with crises while remaining calm and level-headed. This is a true example of a 'Super Dad' and a 'Super Mum.'

As a result, we can conclude that a great leader can assist a team in meeting goals more effectively than they would otherwise, and that these goals should be long-term rather than short-term. When a leader is stifled, it is frequently due to the shortsightedness of the leader above them. If upper management forces quarterly reviews with strict, punitive measures for those who are seen to be underperforming, it will stifle a leader's ability to grow and bring about change. This implies that the goal must be correct as well, and in many ways, the goal is the most important driving force behind a great leader.

Traits Of A Great Leader

It is, however, a rather abstract overview of leadership that does not provide us with much concrete information to work with. So, let us look at some of the more concrete traits that we can use to break down this concept... What makes a good leader?

Good leaders believe in what they're doing

It's possible that one of the most important characteristics of a good leader is that they believe in what they're doing. That is to say, good leaders should be genuinely enthusiastic about their work and have a strong belief in it. This is important because it will help them make the best decisions for the long term of the business, as well as inspire others.

Good leaders see the big picture

A good leader must be able to take a step back and look at the big picture. They must understand where the team is going and what obstacles they will face along the way. This is significant because it allows all of the team's individual to concentrate on their specific aspects.

Good leaders have a wide range of knowledge

A good leader should be a jack of all trades. This is because it will give them the

understanding to see how all the pieces fit together and will allow them to deal with issues as they arise across departments, even if it means taking a more toplevel approach rather than understanding the nitty-gritty.

You'll also discover that having some basic experience in each aspect of your business can help you gain more respect from the professionals in each of your organization's departments.

Good leaders understand people

A good leader should be able to work with people from all walks of life. This means they must be able to empathize with those people and understand what motivates them in order to motivate them to act.

Good leaders are excellent communicators

This means you must be able to communicate as a leader. It is not only your responsibility to communicate the plan with your team, but it is also your responsibility to communicate with your superiors and clients.

Good leaders think ahead

A good leader should not only be concerned with the day-to-day challenges of business, but should also be thinking one step ahead. You must constantly consider what the next challenge will be and how to meet it, as well as how to grow, improve, and scale your organization.

Good leaders have contingency plans

Good leaders should have several contingencies and backup plans. Think about your worst-case scenarios and be ready for them.

Good leaders set a good example

It is critical that you set a good example in all situations. This means that instead of making one rule for one person and another for yourself, you should take a ‘do as I do' approach.

It also entails setting the tone more broadly. Teams look to their leaders as barometers to determine how serious a situation is and how they should respond. If you panic, your team will panic as well. If you remain calm, your team will as well.

Good leaders are courageous

A good leader must be courageous. If this sounds like a Saturday morning TV show, keep in mind that we're not talking about the kind of courage that allows you to stand up to the Decepticons in Transformers. Rather, we're discussing the courage to take risks and break the mold. This is critical.

––––––––

Good leaders accept responsibility

Once you've made a decision, it's critical that you stick to it and face the consequences. That means you must accept responsibility when something goes wrong. This can appear unfair at times, but it is, once again, a feature that is essential for the team's well-being. Accepting responsibility absolves your team of blame and allows them to work without fear of repercussions.

Chapter 2: Inspiring And Motivating Your Team

Now that you have a general understanding of what it takes to be a good leader, it is time to break it down and examine each of these points in greater depth.

But the most important topic we can address is inspiration. If you can motivate your team to work, you will be able to get the most out of them no matter what. They will be completely loyal and committed to what you are doing if they believe in your vision. They will work harder and longer hours than anyone else, and they will propel your company, department, or startup forward faster than anyone else.

Take note of the word 'vision' here. That is critical, and we'll explain why in a moment.

Furthermore, having a vision for your team will help to inspire others. This includes your customers and potential business partners. People will want to work with you more. People will want to buy from you in greater numbers. And more people will want to be loyal to your brand and consider themselves to be a "part" of what you do.

It also goes deeper. This is because having a vision can assist you in making the best decisions for your organization. We briefly discussed the importance of not only keeping your team afloat, but also growing and avoiding disaster. All of this stems from having the right vision.

Your goal is determined by your vision. And, if you get it right, it should be what

drives you to succeed and make your ion contagious. Many of the points we will discuss later in this book will be derived from that vision.

The Golden Circle

Perhaps the best way to illustrate what this means is to look at a business concept known as the "golden circle." What exactly is the golden circle?

According to Simon Sinek's (who first proposed the concept) highly popular TED talk, the golden circle is the difference between innovating companies that grow and thrive and those that fail.

Why is it that Apple is always coming up with new and exciting products, he wonders? (, this was a long time ago...)

Why did the Wright Brothers succeed where others failed, despite having more resources and means?

The golden circle is the answer.

The golden circle is composed of three 'rings' that can be seen as layers. The word 'What' is written on the outermost ring. Within that is the word 'How.' And the word 'Why' is written on the innermost ring.

As a leader, you must think about the following three factors:

• What?

• How?

• Why?

To keep things simple, we'll start by looking at this question from a business standpoint. That means we can rephrase these questions as follows:

• What do you do?

• How do you do it?

• Why do you do it?

And the most important aspect of all of this is the last part – the why. As a business, the most important question you can ask yourself is why you do what you do.

What may surprise you is that many people are unable to answer this question. They will tell you that they are in business to make money. Aside from that, what is the ‘why'?

This is where your company's "mission statement" comes in, and great mission statements are something that all of the world's most successful businesses have in common. It is a company with a mission statement that truly believes in something, has a strong brand, and can rally others behind it.

Ikea

At IKEA, our vision is to make everyday life better for as many people as possible. This vision is ed by our business concept, which offers a diverse range of well-designed, functional home furnishings at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.

Amazon

Amazon's goal is to be the most customer-centric company on the planet, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola's mission is to refresh the world's mind, body, and spirit. Through our brands and actions, we hope to inspire moments of optimism and happiness. To add value and to make a difference.

Facebook

Facebook's mission is to empower people to share in order to make the world a more open and connected place.

Google

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it accessible and useful for everyone.

Intel

Delights our customers, employees, and shareholders by relentlessly delivering platform and technology advancements that have become indispensable to how we work and live.

McDonald

McDonald's brand mission is to be our customers' favorite place to eat and drink.

Microsoft

Microsoft's mission is to help people and businesses around the world reach their full potential.

This is significant because it is what makes the brand something in which the audience, employees, and leaders can believe – and it is what determines the long-term course of the journey.

And, as Simon Sinek says, "people don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it."

The goal isn't to sell to people who need what you're selling; it's to sell to people who believe in what you believe. These are the people who will be loyal to your brand.

Employees are no exception. Employees who believe in your mission statement will work late into the night because they believe in what they do – they are excited about it and want to see it come true.

People will even pay to see your mission statement become a reality on Kickstarter even if there is nothing in it for them. The mission statement of Oculus is to provide incredible, affordable, and ubiquitous consumer virtual reality to the world. People believed so strongly in this mission that they essentially funded the organization and allowed it to become a real-life company.

A good business begins with a vision and then expands from there – everything from the branding to the marketing to the products themselves should all be aligned with the ultimate end goal.

And if you're enthusiastic about your goals, it will rub off on others. When you're enthusiastic about the direction of your company, it shows in the way you gesticulate, talk, and lead. And it is for this reason that people will follow you to

the ends of the Earth.

Finding Your Vision

Start-ups are frequently described as being in a "flow state." What exactly does this mean?

According to Steven Kotler's book The Rise of Superman, a "flow state" is a state in which we are extremely focused, creative, and resourceful. Our prefrontal cortices shut down at this point, resulting in a condition known as ‘temporo-hypofrontality.' This is because we are so engrossed in what we are doing that we completely lose track of everything else – it's like walking out of a movie theater and feeling as if you've been in a dream.

Startups are said to be in a constant state of flow because they are so ionate and driven that they lose touch with their subjective reality and are completely focused on their mission and goal.

If you want to start a business, you should start from the ground up. Think not only about the bottom line, but also about how you intend to achieve it and why you were drawn to this industry in the first place. Do you enjoy eating green foods and want to contribute to making the world a greener place? Do you simply enjoy business and want to help other organizations achieve more? Do you believe that being well-dressed and confident in your own skin leads to happiness? Do you live and breathe fitness and want others to share your enthusiasm?

Find your ion and then build your business from the ground up around it.

But what if you inherit a company or an industry and have no say in the matter? If you were recently promoted to ‘area manager,' you may not have been involved in determining the organization's vision.

And what if you've already established your company and it's too late to 'start' with your vision?

In the latter case, you should take a step back and re-evaluate your organization. Even if you can't see it yet, there is probably a strong "why" behind what you do. You were most likely drawn to your current niche and business model for a reason – what is that reason? What distinguishes you from the competition? What would you do if you had unlimited resources?

Another strategy is to ask yourself the "five whys." This is a technique we can use to figure out why we do what we do. And it's easy: you simply ask yourself "why" five times.

• Why did you create a fitness website?

• Because I enjoy working out.

• Why?

• Because exercising makes me feel healthy and capable.

• Why is this important?

• Because then I can do anything.

• Why is this important?

• Because it gives me a sense of freedom.

• Why is this important?

• Because it is freedom that makes me happy.

So, essentially, you can shape your business in retrospect around this core value: freedom and happiness. Perhaps your logo is a person running through the grass, and you create an Instagram full of people using their bodies to express their freedom.

How about the second scenario? What happens if you 'inherit' the company? So, how do you discover the "why"?

One approach is to ask the business owner – or your leader – what motivates them. If you can embrace their vision and make it your own, you have a good chance of inspiring your team and customers. If you can't, and you don't believe in what the company is doing, chances are you won't be the best leader you could be, and this organization isn't for you.

The best thing you can do to maximize your abilities and ensure that you are contributing everything you can... is to leave that organization and look elsewhere.

This may seem extreme, but think of the least effective leaders you've known. What is it about them that attracts people to them? You've probably noticed that they always have a look of disinterest and lack of enthusiasm. And this is what is undoing them.

Chapter 3: Incentivising For Optimum Results

So you're enthusiastic about what you're doing now, and it shows in the way you speak and make decisions. The next challenge is determining how you will communicate this to your employees and team so that they feel the same way.

And you can't expect them to be as enthusiastic about everything as you are. Sure, it would be nice if they were and had that "implicit" motivation. But, in reality, many of your employees are only there to make money so that they can return home to their partners and children. They each have their own set of goals.

So, how do you motivate them and persuade them to you?

Why Do Incentives Fail?

One approach is to try to use incentives, which entails offering money or other rewards. Unfortunately, this simply does not tend to work – it promotes poor teamwork and can actually prevent your team from performing at its best.

It can even make a team less motivated!

The 'candle experiment,' which is an experiment designed to test creativity, best illustrates this. It is specifically designed to assess the ability to overcome a 'cognitive bias' known as' functional fixedness. '

Functional fixedness, in essence, causes us to become stuck in one way of thinking, usually about a tool or a task. Here, we have a tendency to become fixated on one method of doing something to the point where we can no longer think of any other solutions or contexts.

For example, if you were given a hammer and asked to open a window, you might smash the glass rather than use the hammer as a lever to pry the window open. Why? Because you can only think of the hammer in of its primary application: hitting things. Thinking outside the box and viewing a hammer as an implement that can be used in a variety of ways necessitates a higher level of creativity.

The candle experiment puts this ability to the test by giving participants a box of tacks and a candle, then asking them to attach the candle to the wall so that it can burn. Most people will try to tack the candle to the wall and find that it keeps

falling off.

However, the solution is to tack the box to the wall and then place the candle inside it. This requires participants to think outside the box and to think of the box as a part of the experiment and a resource. One method is to conduct a psychological experiment in which you break down all of the items you own into their constituent parts and materials: instead of a candle, you have a candle, wax, and string, for example. A box of tacks is tacks, a box, cardboard and metal.

What is interesting and relevant about this study is that when an incentive is introduced (a reward for the first person to come up with a solution), performance actually decreases. From a neuroscience standpoint, this makes sense because motivation gives us focus, and focus makes it difficult to see all the possibilities.

Flow states, on the other hand, stimulate the production of anandamide, a neurotransmitter associated with creativity and lateral thinking. As a result, you must shift your team's mindset away from working toward a reward and toward viewing work as rewarding in and of itself.

Furthermore, we all know that when we start doing something for money or for grades, it becomes less enjoyable. This is why, even if they choose the subject, no one enjoys their college courses!

Incentives And Teamwork

The other issue with incentives is that they make us less likely to work in groups. One way to think about this is to consider the military.

In the military, one member is frequently willing to give their life for the sake of the rest of the team. And they are rewarded for having this mindset – they are rewarded for sacrificing their own needs for the benefit of others.

In business, however, we are frequently encouraged to sacrifice others in order to advance. We are rewarded for having the highest number of sales in our team, which encourages us to steal sales from other salespeople.

Individuals have a good reason to tread on each other to get ahead when they are rewarded.

Ownership, Autonomy, And Understanding

So, if you can't simply pay your employees to work harder, what can you do?

The solution is to give them ownership, autonomy, and understanding.

To put it another way, you:

• Allow them to take credit for their work and put their name on it.

• You allow them to do things their own way.

• You also provide them with understanding so they understand why they are doing it.

This is an important first step because it instils pride in your employees. If your team believes they are working on their own projects and will be rewarded for their efforts, they will be motivated to work even harder. Once again, work becomes its own reward in this case.

Give someone a 'project' and let them put their own spin on it, so they can use it to demonstrate their abilities, something to add to their CVs, and a challenge. Allow someone to create their own sections on your website with their name on

it, and it will become something they are proud of and will want to show their friends and family – they will work harder on it!

Finally, ensure that your team understands the "why." This is important because it allows you to stop micromanaging and give your team autonomy over how they create their products. We've already seen how motivating a simple 'why' can be.

So, instead of telling someone to "move those boxes from A to B using the forklift in no less than 2 hours," tell them that "the pickup truck is coming tomorrow to collect the inventory, make sure it's ready." This not only allows them to work their way, be smart about it, potentially get time off, and feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from solving problems; it also allows them to make critical decisions without having to come to you for assistance every time they hit a stumbling block.

Consider giving the first set of instructions and then having the forklift fail. In this situation, your team may be at a loss of what to do! They were told to use the forklift, so all they can do now is come to you and ask what your plan B is.

However, they were never explicitly told to use the forklift in the second set of instructions, so they may instead decide to enlist the help of the team to lift the palettes. Alternatively, they could find a way to get the pickup truck deeper into the warehouse. It's up to them – and this is when people do their best work and you can stay out of the way.

But keep in mind that you must still accept responsibility for their decisions. This is the mark of a good leader, and it is what gives your team the confidence to make such decisions.

Chapter 4: Enhance Your Charisma And Authority

This is all well and good, but simply being able to deliver a moving speech or communicate what people need to do will benefit you greatly.

Communication is especially important because it is what prevents avoidable errors. If you are unable to communicate what needs to be done or why, people will begin working on the incorrect task, and even with the best intentions, mistakes will occur.

Similarly, charisma and charm will immediately aid in conveying your ion and gaining people's . Your goal is to improve your oratory skills and to better communicate the vision you have for your team and why it is important.

So, how exactly do you go about doing this?

How To Give An Outstanding Speech

The first step is to go back and read Chapters 1 through 3. Once again, vision and ion are at the top of the list because they will help you come across as someone who truly believes in what you're saying.

When you truly believe in what you're saying, it will show in the way you conduct yourself. It will be visible in your expression, the content of what you are saying, and the way you move around in front of the camera.

Those gestures are also important. This is how you move your hands and body while speaking, and when done correctly, it can make a huge difference in how charming and convincing you appear. All of the world's most charismatic people get this right. When you can move your hands around and use body language, you take up more space, which increases people's interest and engagement in what you're saying. But you also show more conviction and consistency. This is the polar opposite of appearing as a shrinking wallflower who is perhaps embarrassed or shy about what they are saying.

What is the next thing you can do to show more confidence in what you're saying? Take it easy! Confidence is essential because, as previously stated, you are a barometer for the mood of your team. If you panic, everyone else will as well. If you appear confident, people will believe what you're saying because you believe it.

Slowing down will instantly make you appear more confident because we naturally speak faster when we are nervous. Furthermore, slowing down will make what you're saying easier to understand, give you time to think about your

next statement, and make you appear objectively more intelligent. It also makes your voice sound deeper and more projectible.

There's something else subtle going on here as well: speaking too quickly can give the impression that you're trying to get everything out quickly because you're not sure people will want to listen for long. If you speak quickly, it may appear that you are trying to get everything out before being cut off. This is especially noticeable when it comes to telling stories: a confident storyteller will begin by gradually setting the scene and creating a context for their story. They will pause for dramatic effect before moving on to the big reveals and punch lines. Think of the people who have presided over you at parties; they have all used this effect.

Alternatively, you could watch the videos of YouTuber Elliot Hulse. He will frequently begin with a question or statement, followed by a deliberate pause – with a gaze that appears to look through the camera – before continuing with that statement. This is powerful stuff, and you'll find that slowing down and introducing silences is a little unnerving at first. That is why it requires confidence and how it will make you appear more confident if you start using it as a technique.

Effective Communication

The following step is communication. Many people get this wrong, but it is unquestionably one of the most important keys to success in almost every aspect of life.

So, what exactly is good communication?

The answer is that effective communication is the ability to convey precise meaning in an efficient manner. Take note of how that work is done: efficiently.

Your goal is to convey the exact meaning you want to convey in the shortest amount of time possible. This reduces your ‘communication overhead,' allowing you to communicate less time in meetings and communicate what you need to communicate more efficiently with less margin for error.

This is why using too many big words or jargon is a big mistake. People frequently do this to appear clever, but it actually makes them sound insecure – as if they have something to prove. Furthermore, it makes it more difficult for some people to understand and wastes people's time reading.

So why not use as few words as possible and avoid those dramatic pauses entirely? Why don't we all talk like robots if the only goal is efficiency?

This is where the term "precision" enters the picture. Precision is the ability to

convey the exact meaning you want, which often means choosing the appropriate word for the job. Saying ‘it's cold today' differs slightly from saying ‘it's freezing today.' Furthermore, the latter conveys more emotion at the same time – and it is emotion that helps you motivate and persuade people to take action (like putting on a coat!). Given that the word ‘freezing' conveys more information in fewer words, we can safely conclude that this word is more ‘efficient,' and thus the slightly more decorative language was the better choice in this case.

Efficiency and accuracy are even more important when it comes to the written word. Make sure you learn your grammar and punctuation because a comma in the wrong place can cost you thousands of dollars!

The Law Of Attraction

Another important tip for coming across as more capable and effective is to make sure you look the part. This may appear superficial, but the fact is that people are more likely to follow others who appear to be leaders.

That means you should pay attention to your presentation, including how you dress, how your hair looks, and even your physical fitness. This makes you appear more capable overall, and it also makes you appear to care more. And we've already discussed why caring is essential when it comes to motivating a team.

All of this boils down to what is known as the "law of attraction." If you look and act a certain way, you will eventually become the person you are already acting like. This is because you will alter your feelings about yourself and the way others perceive you, thereby altering how others treat and respond to you.

Dress for the job you want, as the saying goes!

Quick Exercise: How To Become Social Fearless

Some people reading this will be thinking that these instructions do not sound at all like them. Speak slowly and at the center of the stage. Increase your gesticulation and make your motions larger. Be ionate and determined...

But what if you're a naturally shy person? What if you freeze up every time you have to give a speech or even meet someone you don't know well? How can you overcome your natural shyness and become the leader you need to be?

One solution is to simply begin practicing social confidence – which, as it happens, is something you can learn. If you continue to put yourself in social situations that you find intimidating, you will eventually become desensitized to the stress and stop seeing your heart rate rise and your skin sweat. You can also combine this with CBT, telling yourself that it doesn't matter what other people think as long as you're helping to achieve the goal you're so ionate about (just one more reason why it matters to have ion and vision).

One of the most effective ways to confront and desensitize to this fear? Begin taking stand-up comedy classes! You'll quickly notice that you're no longer nervous when you have to speak with your staff.

After you've done all of this and practiced increasing your level of intimidation, you'll notice that you're no longer nervous, which will change the way you appear in public. Now that you appear calm and collected, people will assume you know what you're talking about and will be much more willing to follow you!

Chapter 5: Managing The Crisis

This is all well and good – and being able to motivate and inspire your team will take you far. But what happens if something goes wrong? What happens if you discover that you don't have enough clients and must make cutbacks? When things get tough, even your most ardent detractors will turn to you for answers and direction.

How do you deal with a crisis as a good leader, and what is the key to ensuring that you emerge relatively unscathed from any situation?

Seeing The Unseen

What is the best way to deal with a crisis? That would be to completely avoid it. Because the hope is that if you are a truly exceptional leader, you will be able to anticipate problems that others do not see and then avoid them. This is your job as a leader: to keep one eye on the direction of your company while also keeping an eye out for potential roadblocks.

This is also why you must be able to delegate and set the work that your team requires. This way, they can work in the business while you work on it. They will be able to keep the machine running while you pilot it.

This can be accomplished by examining potential futures for your company and thus determining what lies ahead. Here are a few methods you can use to accomplish this...

The Planning Fallacy

The planning fallacy refers to the fact that we almost always underestimate the length of time and cost of tasks. When you ask your team, "How quickly can this be done?" they will almost always say "2 weeks," even if the reality is "3 weeks." That's because we can't for "unknown unknowns." They may be unaware that their internet will be down for three days, or that one of the suppliers of a critical material or tool may take longer than expected to deliver.

So your strategy should be to keep this in mind when planning ahead and to include a buffer to ensure that you can survive even if things take longer than

expected.

Scenario Planning

Scenario planning is a type of 'mental simulation.' Essentially, you'll be imagining what you'd do in a variety of different situations, which is a great way to develop contingency plans when you're not under pressure. Think about how you would handle all of the things that could go wrong – and even imagine your 'doomsday scenario,' in which everything that could go wrong does go wrong.

It is also critical to keep track of the current risks on the horizon. Continue to research the competition, markets, trends, and so on in order to uncover those hidden risks.

Resilience

The ability of a business to withstand adversity is referred to as resilience. A company's resilience can be increased by ensuring that it has:

• Low amount of outstanding debt

• Low fixed costs and overheads

• Several independent products, even multiple brands

• Adaptable workers and employees

• There are no 'weak points.'

• Backups, fail safes, and reserves

When things are going well, you can work on improving your team's resilience by improving system efficiency to reduce overheads, paying off debts, setting up a "rainy day fund," accumulating assets, or establishing new revenue streams.

When something goes wrong, you should be able to survive for at least a short period of time before things become critical. And when that happens, your team will see the value in all of your hard work during the times of plenty!

Financial Modelling

Financial modelling is the process of making predictions about your finances based on your current situation. This entails examining your growth curve and how your profits have increased or decreased over time. It also entails calculating the point at which you will break even on any initial costs, as well as considering overheads and other factors.

Effectively, this allows you to make financial projections, but you can also use these models (which are essentially just graphs and charts) to create ‘what if scenarios.' What if your rent increased by half? What if a new competitor entered

the market and stole 30% of your sales?

This also entails having a firm grasp of your finances. This may be work for your ing team, but make certain that they have completed it!

Weathering the Storm

However, even with the best intentions, things will go wrong and there will be no obvious solution.

So, what are you going to do now?

First and foremost, avoid pointing the finger and asg blame. This is a quick way to make your team resent you, and it can also lead to infighting.

, as a leader, you must be responsible, which means that this is your fault. If it is Jeff's fault, it is your fault that you allowed it to be Jeff's fault. Jeff should never have been in that situation in the first place. Jeff is clearly incompetent.

So you must accept responsibility, which includes accepting responsibility in front of your superiors. This will immediately reassure your team and give them confidence in what you will say in the future. It means your team will know they can do whatever you ask of them and will not be held able if something goes wrong.

The next step is to remain calm. When you panic, the rest of the team panics. So be assured and calm, and reassure your team that everything will be fine. That does not mean lying – if there is a chance that people will lose their jobs, you must inform them of this possibility.

Furthermore, in order to get things back on track, you should ensure that everyone is working together and on the same page. Set a clear course of action and explain how everyone has a role to play and how everyone should collaborate. Create a light at the end of the tunnel and a clear plan to alleviate your team's fears by resolving the issue.

Chapter 6: Should A Leader Be Feared Or Liked

If you stopped reading here and just worked with the information we've covered thus far, you'd be a leader who was inspiring, courageous, and well-equipped to motivate his team. You can even assist in weathering a storm and keep your team motivated and calm when things get tough. That's a good start, but there's a lot more to it.

For example, there's the minor matter of determining how you'll manage your team. Because so far, we've dealt with an ideal scenario in which everyone believes in your vision and you're all working toward the same goal. As in the Queen song...

But what happens when some people really don’t want to be there?

What happens when two people think it’s all just a joke?

What happens when someone has a bad attitude and is just trying to create problems for everyone?

This is the point at which leaders can be divided into two groups.

You have one group that will grovel to their employees in order to be 'liked.' They may turn it into a joke, try to be on the "same page" as the system, or simply chummy up.

Then there's the other type of leader who instills fear in employees by threatening them with dismissal or transfer to another department if they don't stop behaving badly.

Machiavelli pondered whether it is preferable to be "feared or loved." So, which one is it?

Machiavelli himself stated that it is better to be feared. But that was in a different era and place.

It is not a good idea to want to be best friends with your coworkers. This is exemplified by the character of David Brent from The Office, who is more concerned with trying to be funny than with being in charge. Unfortunately, there must be some distance between a leader and their team, and it is critical to maintain some respect. Your team's ability to instruct them on what to do will suffer if they see you drunk and curled up in a toilet at the office Christmas party.

Taking a completely ‘fear-based' approach, on the other hand, is a mistake. This eventually turns you into an adversary and creates a stressful work environment for your team. It also prevents your team from being fully creative or expressing themselves because they are afraid of the consequences.

As a result, we must reframe the question. Is it preferable to be feared or liked? Neither – it is preferable to be respected. You must be calm and in command in such a way that people want to like you. That is because a) they respect you and b) they recognize that you can assist them and that you want what is best for the team. Your team should respect you if they see what you do for them, know you

believe in what you're doing, and respect your ability and capabilities. If you present yourself as capable, calm, and cool, they should respect you as well.

And guess what else? One of the most effective ways to gain respect is to show respect to others. Being nice to others – being likeable – is the best way to be liked. The best way to be respected is to be respectful so that there is mutual understanding.

A good leader must be able to work with people from all walks of life and value what they each bring to the team equally. Indeed, more diverse voices will result in a more diverse set of opinions and viewpoints, as well as a more diverse skill set!

And so, making jokes at your own expense, ing in on the fun, and even allowing others to poke fun at you demonstrates confidence and strength. The key is to ensure that this does not cross a line and that you do not tolerate employees who try to push their luck by taking a joke too far, seeing how far you will go, or being disrespectful. Similarly, you must not allow them to push the boundaries of what they can get away with, as this could be unfair to their team and set a bad precedent. When one person realizes they can clock out early or extend their cigarette break to 20 minutes, everyone else will follow suit.

Of course, you can't simply punch someone who is causing problems in your team. So, what are your options? How can you eventually establish your authority and persuade someone to sit down and get to work? What can you do to deal with dissidents if your efforts to motivate and demonstrate the reasons for your requests are failing? This leads us to the next chapter...

Chapter 7: Dealing With Disagreements

Of course, there are multiple types of disruptions in any team, as well as multiple types of problematic . So how you handle insubordination will vary depending on the scenario.

In this chapter, we'll look at some alternatives. These will begin with the first and most desirable options available to you and progress to the final and most regrettable options.

Trasformismo

The first option is to accept the challenge. If someone is dissatisfied with your leadership or the team's direction, you may consider this a valid concern. They clearly have a reason for not liking the way things are going, which is useful information for you. They have a different point of view, so instead of focusing on your confirmation balance, listen to what they have to say and invite them to propose an alternative option. Often, this will catch someone off guard and earn you instant success.

Better yet, put someone in a position of power and responsibility who is attempting to persuade more people to oppose you. This is a technique known as 'transformismo,' which was promoted by Mussolini, the Italian dictator. It's the ideal solution because it a) demonstrates to that person the difficulty of being in your position and shows them that leadership isn't as simple as they might think, and b) keeps them busy enough that they can't become problematic.

Or as Sun Tsu put it: keep your enemies close...

Explain And Use Social Influence

Another thing to do is to explain to the person who is behaving inappropriately the harm that they are causing not only to the organization but also to themselves and the team. This is where the power of ‘why' comes into play once more.

If someone goes out for longer cigarette breaks, for example, you should simply explain that they are forcing their colleagues to pick up the slack. If they value their friendship with those colleagues, they will be offended and may reconsider their actions. Similarly, you can explain that it has been noted and that when it comes time for a review, it may prevent them from being considered for a promotion.

Invite them to make another suggestion. Inquire as to why they feel the need to spend time outside. Ask them what they want to get out of this interaction and see if you can come up with a different solution. If they can't stand being in the office, perhaps you should change the layout of the office? Again, this is a highly effective method because if they believe they are being heard, they may feel obligated to contribute a small amount as well. Better yet, you might be able to completely eliminate the problem.

Of course, the temptation is to make an example of that person and tell the rest of the team how they aren't doing their part. This is a bad idea because it will a) make that person feel victimized and b) cause disharmony in your ranks, which will be bad for business in the long run. What you can do is commend those who put in extra hours and let them know that you notice the difference between their efforts and those of their slacker colleagues.

Carrying Out Punishment

Punishment should never be carried out by shouting, becoming angry, or becoming upset. If you rant and rave at your subordinate, you will appear despotic, and the person you are yelling at will feel victimized. This can lead to people feeling the need to ‘stand up to you,' which could lead to a full-fledged mutiny.

Furthermore, you are completely misinterpreting the of the agreement between you and your team (this is a little different for parents).

Finally, being in charge of someone in the workplace simply means that they agreed to work for your organization. It doesn't mean you have supreme authority over them, and you certainly don't have the right to reprimand them as a child. In of work hierarchy, you may be their "superior," but in reality, you are equal. So what is really happening here is an agreement – the agreement is that they will do whatever you ask (within reason) in exchange for payment and workplace satisfaction.

If that agreement does not work out, either of you has the right to cancel it at any time. You, on the other hand, have no right to make them feel small.

This is why it's critical not to make this permanent and to avoid giving the impression that you've lost your cool. Instead, keep things polite and civil while doing what needs to be done. And what's the simplest way to accomplish this? That would be to have a clear set of rules and consequences for breaking those rules. People who are caught not working their full shift, for example, will be required to make up those hours in the evenings and on weekends.

With a clearly defined set of actions and outcomes, you can carry out what needs to be done in a cool and collected manner, without making it personal or appearing ‘unfair.' It's the same rule for everyone; they were warned beforehand, and you're simply following a set of instructions.

This is another reason not to become too close to your team – it can make it difficult to take this kind of action when you need to, and it can lead to accusations of favoritism or personal feelings getting in the way.

Chapter 8: Make Teams And Promote Teamwork

One of the best ways to avoid these types of scenarios and promote harmony, productivity, creativity, and workplace satisfaction is to simply put together the best teams possible and then get them to work well.

And one way you'll accomplish this is by hiring the right people...

How To Hire The Right People

Hiring the right person for the job entails more than simply selecting the person with the best qualifications or experience. Rather, choose the person who will best fit into your workplace culture and who clearly has goals that are aligned with the team's and the organization's. Once again, it comes down to why and finding people who want to work there for the right reasons, not just for the money.

If you can do this well, the people in your office will be naturally friendly because their goals will be aligned. Furthermore, they will be more likely to get along and fit in with the office "vibe."

How To Promote Teamwork

Encourage Trust

Encourage trust as one of the most important ways to build teamwork. how we said a long time ago that people in the military were willing to give their lives for the sake of their team? They all give the same reason for this: 'they would have done it for me.'

You don't have to be best friends with someone on your team or have anything in common. However, if you can rely on them to have your back, you will be motivated to them as well. You can encourage this by putting your team in situations where they must rely on each other to succeed, rather than through 'trust exercises,' which are a waste of time. You should also encourage open communication and openness in general – and you should try to give the team the opportunity to become personally acquainted with one another so that they know more about one another.

Common Goals

how we said earlier that you shouldn't offer individual incentives to avoid negative competition within your teams? That is still true, and you should avoid creating an environment in which it is advantageous to step on the toes of your colleagues.

However, you can do the opposite by asg goals to your entire team. Having sales figures or, better yet, a customer satisfaction score on display can

help remind your team of why they're there and encourage them to work together toward a common goal. Similarly, giving individual team credit and autonomy to work on their own aspects will help them to be intrinsically motivated and to help their teammates along the way.

Mix Things Up

Allowing smaller cliques to form within your organization is something to avoid. You don't want a single group of "smokers," the older generation, or "ing." While your team will naturally be made up of smaller subsets, cliques can be destructive due to the principles of 'convergence and divergence,' which cause those subsets to see themselves as outsiders rather than of your organization.

Break up destructive relationships by rearranging seating and forcing more interaction between departments.

Understanding

Teamwork between departments is just as important – if not more so – than teamwork within departments. This is another reason to change things up and encourage people to spend time in different groups. If a salesperson spends a few days with the marketing team, they will not only become less of a member of their "sales team boy's club," but they will also be more likely to understand and respect the role of marketing.

Chapter 9: Understanding Characters And Choosing The Right Person For The Job

Perhaps the most important aspect of forming a working team is comprehending the significance of various characters and what they can each bring to your organization.

This entails, first and foremost, respecting and understanding all of the various skills that your various employees (or your family!) can offer. Delegating is a big part of leadership, which means you need to know each member of your team well enough to know who is best suited for which job. Simply by asg the right jobs to the right people, you can complete a workload twice as efficiently!

This also entails respecting and acknowledging the fact that your team will have more experience and equipment than you in some areas. This is significant because it is yet another way for you to demonstrate respect and give them more autonomy. BUT, you should be familiar enough with each of their roles to understand what they're doing and offer understanding. A good leader in an IT firm should know a little bit about SEO, coding, and marketing so that they can help each member work together.

What is also important is to understand the differences in personalities, which can help you better understand each team member's strengths and weaknesses and help you better relate to any problems they may be experiencing.

Some psychometric tests categorize people in a company as belonging to one of four major "types":

• Dominant

• Expressive

• Introverted

• Relational

The dominant personality type is, of course, the ‘type A' personality, which is loud, driven, and a high achiever. They might make a good leader someday, but they will almost certainly irritate people until they gain some experience.

The expressive person type is a great communicator and natural salesperson, and should be assigned tasks that require this skill set.

Introverts are self-motivated and work well on their own, but they can be shy (though not always) and are probably not the best people to assign presentations or sales tasks to. In those situations, on the other hand, they might be quite creative and useful.

Finally, there is the relational type, who is motivated by their outward relationships and is an excellent peacemaker and communicator. These people can act as the glue in a team and help to prevent squabbles.

What personality type is best suited to your team?

Every single one of them! And, if you're going to make a small splinter cell to send to a tradeshow or to work on a specific project, you should try to include one of each type of person to get the most out of them all. That way, you'll have a lot of different influences, which will ultimately result in the best final result.

Of course, tests like the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Test can go much deeper than that – but this is a very lengthy and in-depth measure that takes a long time to complete. Finally, no psychometric test can provide a perfect or complete picture of a person's personality, but the key is to get to know your team as well as you can, understand how they interact with other of the team, and where you can put them to get the most out of them.

Chapter 10: Powerful Tips For Leaders

So, with all of that said and done, there is a lot to take in here. Hopefully, you now have a much better understanding of what it takes to be a great leader and how to gain the respect of your team and steer them to victory almost effortlessly.

Putting all of this into action, however, can be difficult, which is why it's useful to break this down further and to recap some of the most powerful tips we covered throughout the book. So there you have it...

1. Have a Vision You Believe In

This is by far the most important point to consider if you want to ensure that your team respects you and that you make the best decisions for your organization.

2. Concentrate on Your Mission Statement

As a leader, you must look at the big picture, which means focusing on how to deliver results and grow the business.

3. Increase Resilience and Prepare for Contengencies

Ascertain that your company is capable of dealing with crises and that you have a plan in place for any worst-case scenario.

4. Hire the Right Team

Your team's skills and abilities should be diverse, but they should be united by the common goal and vision that you all share.

5. Give Autonomy and Credit to Your Team

This is the most effective method for making work intrinsically motivating for your team and ensuring they work hard and ionately.

6. Maintain Your Calm and Be Respected

This will calm your team and make you appear more confident. This is especially important when you are confronted by dissidents and are going through difficult times.

You can strive to be respected by demonstrating your ion, doing what is best for the team, and remaining friendly but distant. This is preferable to being liked or feared.

7. Always Think One Step Ahead

To stay one step ahead, use financial modelling and other techniques.

8. Accept Responsibility

If something goes wrong, you must always accept responsibility. This not only gives your team confidence and assurance, but it also earns them respect.

9. Be Knowledgeable

You will not be the best at everything, and you must learn to delegate. BUT, you should also make it a point to understand each team member's role so that you can chart the course of your ship.

10. Take Risks

As a leader, you must be willing to take risks and be courageous. This, once again, is what will allow you to grow and propel your team above the competition.

Conclusion

That's all there is to it. This is everything you need to know to start becoming a better leader and letting your authority, ion, and wisdom shine through.

And hopefully, now that you've read it all, it all makes sense. Perhaps you've even been able to connect it all to people you know from your own life. We've all seen bad leaders: they're the ones who don't seem to care and don't want to be there. And they are the ones who want to ‘act like leaders' by doing what they think ‘leaders do,' which includes micromanaging, making arbitrary rules, and shouting at people.

None of these are characteristics of a leader. Leadership emerges when one person has a ion, a vision, and the ability to keep a level head while executing their plan to make that vision a reality. People will be inspired to follow you and see what you are ionate about if you truly love what you do. People will be curious to see where you lead if you carve a new path through the wilderness. People will turn to you for advice and guidance if you have the most knowledge and demonstrate confidence in using it. Don't be a leader; simply enjoy what you do and be willing to stake your reputation on your vision.

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