Your habits can speak to who you are as a person.

Now, the reality is that you probably have a mix of great habits and some not so great ones. It’s important to remember that these habits run over into your professional life and leading style. Creating and improving your habits in the workplace is vital for growth. As a leader in the workplace (no matter your title), it is important to incorporate these habits in the workplace. It is also beneficial to seek and develop these habits in potential leaders.

Be A Listener

One of the top habits to have as a leader is being able to actively listen. Listening in general is a great skill to have. However, active listening steps it up one level. As a leader, you will want to gain insight from your employees. In any conversation, it is important to actively listen to their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions. But one step further, take their opinions into account.

If the final direction goes differently than what they shared, communicate effectively to provide insight on why other choices were made. This keeps their trust in you open and ensures they will continue to come to you. It also continues to show you value them and their insight regardless of the final outcome.

When actively listening, you may also gain more insight on the workplace culture as a whole. The camaraderie within the group, the concerns and fears, and the goals that the group is striving to achieve. When a person in leadership shows that he or she values their employees, employees become more in-tune with the mission, the story, the objectives, the goals, and the company as a whole.

Be Decisive

As a leader, a great habit you can put into practice is to be decisive – but intentional in choices made. Make decisions that are driven by data, input, goals, and the well-being of your organization and team.

As with every leadership habit, be sure to consider your employee’s input. Gather useful information and input and then create an action plan involving all – giving your staff the drive and involvement in next steps.

Be A Team Player

Another important habit to create as a leader is to give recognition and praise to your employees. It is important to have your employees feel valued and appreciated for the work that they are contributing.

It is a common human desire to be appreciated. When you see an employee contributing significantly, tell them that their work matters and you appreciate their efforts. When praise isn’t given, employees will often start to drift away from high performing work and shift their priorities. Employees will give the effort where it is not wasted. Engage, ask questions, follow-up, continue to be present in their work and growth.

Be Adaptable

Being able to adapt is also a great habit to establish as a leader in the workplace. When things don’t go as planned, how do you react? In crisis situations, employees will look to someone who is stable and calming. As a leader it can be important to be able to adapt when things don’t go as planned and stay calm. As a leader, your leadership style will most likely change and adapt depending on your team. Being able to do this based on the personnel you are interacting with is a great habit to be in when leading different groups of individuals. Remain open-minded and flexible.

Building positive leadership habits and skills can be a great way to expand your leadership and your professional development. At Converge we strive to maximize your workforce. We specialize in professional development, leadership, and different types of coaching. We truly believe we can help your business expand their strengths and work in ways that accentuate the strengths already present. Reach out to us today to see how we can help you!