I’ve worked in the corporate world for almost ten years. Mostly in the IT environment.
Naturally, I’ve done my fair share of observing as an introvert.
Most of my observations should be common sense, but I missed A LOT of these behaviors from leaders I’ve worked with.
During my time as a team lead, project lead, and throughout other roles, I tried to incorporate my learnings and create a better environment for the people around me.
- Build trust & respect through good work and reliability over self-promoting or talking (and not doing).
- Never force your opinion on someone – people will ultimately undermine your decision. Instead, ask about their views and include them.
- Be personal but respectful of people’s privacy. Everyone is different, so test it out.
- You can’t say thank you and praise people often enough. People are driven by appreciation. Not by criticism or doubt in their abilities.
- Always explain WHY you’re doing things!! Understanding is the first step for people to buy-in to your ideas.
- If you have an issue with someone, talk to them directly. Complaining behind people’s backs or making snarky comments doesn’t solve any problems.
- Being calm but assured makes you appear more credible than being loud and hectic. Most people roll their eyes at the overly loud & pushy types.
- Never pretend to be better than others or put yourself above people – you’re not. Listen to your team members. They’re the experts in their field and likely know better.
- Leadership isn’t about the position. It’s about having social influence & having people follow you because they like & trust you – not because you’re the “boss”!