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There may come a time in your career where you are no longer an employee and instead you are a leader. Being a leader is something which is harder than it looks and when it comes to being a great leader, there are a lot of things you will need to learn. Today we are going to take a look into some of the ways that you can lead your team to success this year with some essential tips.

1. Be transparent

To be a successful business leader you need to always remain honest. It is incredibly important for you to be honest with your followers and always show that you are willing to share problems with them. Your team is a huge part of your working environment and it is important for you to earn their trust and don’t keep things from them. If you are having trouble with something don’t keep it to yourself, asking for advice shows that you respect your colleagues which can be a great thing.

2. Show empathy

Every person who works in your team is unique. They all have their own way of working, their own lives, and their own issues. It is important as a leader to show empathy to your workers when they are stressed, down or having trouble in life and this is something to think about.

3. Know the generation

Most of the time when you are leading a team, you will be leading a younger generation and one which is different to the older generation. Younger people have a different way of working and they want to be able to have trust and flexibility. If you are able to give the young generation a more flexible work ethic, they will work wonderfully for you and they will want to progress with you.

4. Say it like it is

Being a leader is hard because you might feel uncomfortable laying out those uncomfortable truths to your workers. However, to be a good leader you need to say things as they are because this is the only way you will have effective communication in the team. If you never communicate your team won’t know where to improve.

5. Think of ways to be unique

Every good leader has a unique style of management and it will take you some time to learn what yours will be. However take the time to try and show your unique style to your followers and it will be a good thing for all of you.

6. Be human

Back in the day there was this weird idea that a leader should be a totally inhuman entity in the office. This is not the case these days and to be a great leader you need to be human and show that you care about your employees in a real way. Show off your personality and be approachable and this will make all the difference.

7. Never forget your responsibility

It is important for you to remember that it is your job to lead your workers and be present at all times as a manager. As much as you may want to be the friend of your workers, there still needs to be a few boundaries and ultimately you need to be sure that you put across an air of authority in the office.

8. Be comfortable talking to CEOs

As a manager you will end up having a lot of instances talking to high ranking people in the company and other companies. Make sure that you get comfortable doing this and remember that although they are high up in a company they are still only people!

9. Surround yourself with inspiring people

As a leader it is your job to motivate and inspire your team and show them what they could have if they worked hard and tried their best. But who is there to motivate and inspire you? It is a good idea to surround yourself in your life and online on sites like LinkedIn with people who will inspire you and help you to be better at your own role. Inspiration breeds inspiration so be sure to surround yourself with great people.

10. Have a shadow

When leading a team it is always a good idea for you to give your employees the chance to shadow you and learn from you. As a leader, it is a privilege to be able to inspire and teach the next generation and your workers will thank you for this. Bring along a younger employee with you on jobs to help them see what it would be like for them in the future if they followed in your footsteps.

11. Share your vision

If you have a vision for your life or the company you manage, it is always a good idea for you to share this with the team so that you can gain some opinions from a different perspective. For example you could hold a brainstorm meeting for an idea you have and this will allow you to get ideas from other people in the office and see if they can come up with other ways for you to get to this goal.

12. Be a character

When people look back over their career they will always remember the people who led and shaped their career. When you are forging your career as a great leader, it is important for you to lead with your own personality and let your own quirks really show. You are the person who will set the tone for the office so you can really take a chance here to have some fun with it all.

Being a great leader is something which you will learn over time with experience. These tips should help you to grow your skills and find your place in the workplace this year. Go out there and inspire your team and be the best leader that you can be this year and the years to come!