the brand girls: four easy ways to be a leader without being bossy

Moving up in the ranks is a big motivator for a lot of employees, especially Millennials. But many struggle with how to be a great leader without coming off too harsh. Female leaders especially are often labeled as ‘bossy’ or ‘aggressive.’

Being a leader can be challenging, but with these 4 easy tips employees will be begging to join your team. 

Lead from the heart: This recommendation on leadership for the modern millennial woman comes from Forbes.
Leading your team using open communication, compassion, empathy and poise are great ways to make sure you’re respected and loved as a boss.

DYK: In 2016 there were 11.6 million women-owned businesses? Wowza.

Respect people’s differences: A big part of being a great leader is respecting that everyone is different. We all have different backgrounds, experiences and learning styles; that diversity is part of what makes our world go ‘round. 

As a leader, you have to take these differences into consideration and that often means taking a different approach with different people. Jell stresses the importance of being in tune to different employees’ personalities for this exact reason. 

“Once upon a time, there was a young engineer. He spent his work hours in an enclosed cubicle at an office where personal computers and scientific calculators were designed. He liked to work alone, preferring solitude over committees and team meetings.
His name was Steve Wozniak. He was an introvert. And he invented the first Apple computer.”

Think from someone else’s perspective: Half of people who quit their jobs cite their boss as one of the main reasons. That’s why Office Vibe says encouraging work-life balance is so important. A simple way to do this is to think about each situation from the employee’s perspective.

For example, your team is on a crucial deadline for your company’s CEO when an employee comes in late. What do you do as their manager?

It’s easy to think of the project for your CEO as the bigger priority, but taking a minute to think about it from your employee’s perspective may change your reaction, making them more responsive to your approach.

Look at the big picture: A significant part of being a leader is looking at the big picture and delegating specific parts of your plan to others on your team.

When your team gets stuck, looking back at the big picture may help you make the right decision. What is your ultimate goal? What is your company’s mission? Does this align with our values?

Our biggest tip?  An elementary school throwback:
Treat others the way you want to be treated and you’re already halfway to being a great leader.

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