To be a true business leader, it isn’t enough to track statistics and follow trends. You have to be ready to go big and be bold, and these tips can help you do just that.
Transcend Tradition
On the one hand, there’s certainly nothing wrong with having a rich tradition of hard work or other fine attributes in your workplace. On the other hand, the rules were meant to be broken, and the best innovators within their industries know how and when to break them. Don’t be afraid to experiment or buck tradition. Try new approaches to old tasks. Not everything will stick, but if you’re slavishly devoted to tradition and the old ways of doing things, nothing will.
Work in the Trenches
Boldness isn’t easily expressed from the comfy confines of a corner office. On the contrary, the boldest leaders (and the ones that employees tend to respect the most) know the importance of working in the trenches on a day-to-day basis. Popping by to check on your employees’ work or problem-solving and actively working with them can show you’re a bold leader deeply engaged in your work.
Be a North Star
To lead, you need to give employees an example to follow. Preaching one thing and practicing another will instantly send the message to employees that you think you’re above the rules – which in turn means they’re not really “rules.” The result? A lack of accountability and a workforce that sees you as a hypocrite. Embody every workplace value and virtue you wish to see reflected in your company and strive to serve as the guiding north star by which everyone else charts their course.
Be Socially Conscious
Social media and our heightened social consciousness have made business, politics, and social trends more intertwined than ever. Knowing what’s going on and finding something kind, insightful, or even inspiring and blasting it out there via social media and public action can prove you and your company stand for something bigger.
Being bold in the workplace can help your corporate and personal profile soar.