10 Tips for Emerging Business Leaders

Every great leader is constantly looking for ways to improve their performance. Everyone has the basics of leadership – the true differentiators are the unconventional ideas like getting involved in the arts. Here are 10 great tips that all emerging leaders should pay heed to.

Today’s post is by Ritch Eich, Ph.D., author of Truth, Trust + Tenacity: How Ordinary People Become Extraordinary Leaders (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

As a future leader, it’s essential that you develop your own unique style while mastering some essential principles of leadership—most of these principles involve common sense, and all revolve around the tenets of truth, trust and tenacity. These principles are based on my thirty-plus years of working with or for chief executive officers in hospitals, agriculture, insurance, and higher education—as well as my time as a naval officer:

1. Never Stop Learning. Knowledge is power. Earn an advanced degree, work on a new certificate program, or join a professional association to learn more and become an engaged member of the organization. Many colleges and universities have online programs tailored specifically for those who work full-time. Take advantage of any tuition assistance offered by your company, or programs that reimburse employees for attaining a degree online from a specific university.

 2. Take Care of Your Team. Have conviction in your team and let them shine but also be prepared to accept responsibility when things don’t go as planned. Never blame others but instead help resolve problems and move on. Delegating isn’t a license to pass the buck—your team wants to know they can take risks but that you’ll have their backs if they fall. Take care of your employees by helping them advance their careers. Respect them as individuals, and always remember that you have to continuously earn it from those around you.

3. Never be afraid to Compromise, and Always Be Civil. Lots of people think that if you compromise, you are weak. In fact, the ability to compromise is a sign of strength and confidence. Leaders who compromise come across as caring, mature leaders who are able to put others before themselves and who go out of their way to spend time understanding a differing point of view, even if they don’t act on it. Adopt a “no tolerance” rule for rudeness, bullying, backbiting, and discrimination—and enforce it by terminating those who violate the rule. Few actions impede productivity and profits faster than incivility.

4. Seek a Mentorship Program. Senior and more experienced professionals are often happy to mentor employees who show promise. They like to encourage less-experienced team members who show enthusiasm, initiative and interest in the organization. Take advantage of any mentoring opportunities offered at your workplace, even if that means seeking out someone on your own. Chances are your mentor will also learn something from the experience.

5. Embrace the Arts. One constant in business is the need for leaders who can inspire and bring creativity to the challenge of global competition. Increasingly, business leaders are recognizing the power of the arts: theater, dance, music, the visual arts and film. People with artistic ability or training bring essential skills to the workplace, including: tenacity, discipline, mental acuity, the ability to look at a problem from a different perspective, and the ability to work as part of a team. Don’t be afraid to integrate arts into what you do, and don’t overlook the value of someone with a background in the arts.

6. Take Advantage of the Skills Veterans Can Bring to Your Organization. Veterans have a unique set of skills, regardless of whether they served in combat or not. Veterans have strong ethics, integrity and commitment to whatever they are doing. They have demonstrated remarkable flexibility in life-and-death situations, have overcome practically every form of adversity, have gained knowledge leading and motivating others, excel with major responsibilities, and have often been immersed in cultures very different from their own. In other words, they’ve been through more than most of us will ever experience. Don’t be intimidated if the veteran is older than you—chances are you’ll both learn from each other.

7. Embrace Diversity. It may sound cliché but it’s important to create a positive organizational climate that does not tolerate biases, discrimination, bullying and other forms of hostility that demean and discourage anyone including women and minorities. Real leaders guide their workplaces to create systems that enable everyone to feel highly valued—and equally compensated. Appreciate that the differences between us enable diverse points of view, and important new ideas to surface.

8. Avoid Self-Promotion and Publicity Stunts. They are obvious and obnoxious and can damage your reputation. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to stand out and be noticed—but be sure it’s sincere. Get ahead by being tenacious, trustful, and truthful—not by being disingenuous, deceitful, or dishonest.

9. Subjugate Your Career to the Success of Your Team. If your team understands that you are putting their success before your own, they’ll respect your integrity. By taking this risk, your team will perform at an even higher level.

10. Be a champion for your people. I was fortunate earlier in my career to be around people like Frank Merlotti, Sr. of Steelcase; Charles Walgreen, Jr. of Walgreen Drug Stores; Howard Holmes of “JIFFY”Mix; Carol Tomlinson-Keasey of the University of California and others who always placed their employees first. Find the best role models in your organization and observe them in action. Don’t try to imitate them, but incorporate what you learn into your own unique style.

By merging these principles into your own unique style, you’ll move from ordinary to extraordinary, and enjoy a long and successful career.

– Ritch K. Eich, Ph.D. is the author of three books including his most recent Truth, Trust + Tenacity: How Ordinary People Become Extraordinary Leaders (CLICK HERE to get your copy). He is a leadership practitioner with more than 30 years of front line experience in hospitals, agriculture, higher education, insurance and government. Dr. Eich is a graduate of Sacramento State College, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan.

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Photo: a perfect 10 by Heather