Inspiration

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10 Ways To Become A Better Leader

During your career development, there comes a point when your leadership skills will be put to the test. Technical skills are obviously important because they will get you to a position where you may have to start utilizing your soft skills. This is the exact reason why leadership skills are considered a very important attribute that can help you climb the career ladder.

With a combination of technical know-how and valuable leadership qualities, you can get promotions easily and be regarded as an important asset to the company. Here are a few tips that can help you become a better leader.

1. Focus On Your Goals

Happy executive focusing on his goals to become a better leader

It is a leader's job to keep a very clear vision of the goal and make sure the team members are happy and thoroughly motivated to follow. This means the leader also should know how to put forward a certain task in front of the team to get maximum output from them with ease.

The leader also should bring out the importance of the goal and the reason why the team should put the ultimate effort into it. This ability can really bring all of the team members together and unify them to give their best for the ultimate goal.

2. Develop Good Communication Skills

Leader developing her communication skills at work during a team meeting

Communication plays a very important role in all relationships, especially between a team leader and their team members. Team members rely on their leader for ideas and motivation, which can be generated only with good communication skills.

As a leader, you should also create a very friendly environment where the employees are engaged in sharing their ideas and concerns. It has been said that a team leader who can communicate well wins the trust of team members.

3. Be A Good Listener

A leader demonstrates his good listening skills while talking to a coworker

If you wish to be a better leader, then you will have to be a better listener too. Listening skills help in generating feedback from the team members regarding the project, and the right feedback can be a good way to solve issues and achieve goals with ease.

Listen without any distractions, keep steady eye contact, and respond thoughtfully. Apart from being good at verbal skills, you should be aware of your body language while talking to your team.

4. Learn To Tackle Conflicts

Female leader tackles conflicts at work during a meeting

It is a part of leadership skills to understand people and resolve conflicts positively. In situations where an employee does not give their best and brings negativity to the team, the leader has to be able to talk to the member in private.

You should keep courage and never shy away from honestly speaking your mind. This approach is better than firing people without knowing their side of the story.

5. Maintain A Higher Level Of Professionalism

A senior executive/leader maintains a higher level of professionalism at the office

It is important that you keep high standards of professionalism, integrity, and work transparency to earn respect from your team members and your clients.

It is the leader's job to set a high standard of credibility and strong character to motivate the team to perform to their level best.

6. Share Your Passion

A good leader shares her passion with her employees during a team meeting

Passion is quite contagious, and if the leader shows a lot of passion, it may rub off on the team members too. This helps in easing pressure from difficult projects. It also drives the employees into encountering hurdles with ease.

The positive energy and enthusiasm should flow within the team through the leader first.

7. Motivate Others

A good leader motivates others at work during a team meeting

A genuine leader is one who has the capacity to influence members and drive them to perform at optimum levels. The leader's positive motivation is important, especially when members lose focus or get disappointed in the wake of difficulties that may arise during a job.

A leader should be upfront in talking to team members and tell personal stories that would encourage the members to help them get back in the game.

8. Inspire And Nurture Innovative Ideas

An executive/leader inspires and nurtures innovative ideas during a team meeting/presentation

Innovation is coined to be the most important aspect of growth and is largely related to out-of-the-box and unorthodox thinking. Great leaders are the ones who can instill a culture of innovation among the team members and help them find solutions that can involve some trial and error.

Such an outlook will help in achieving long-term success with the team and earn their respect furthermore.

9. Respect Everyone

A good leader respects everyone during a team meeting

The truest and most genuine leaders are the ones who are humble, honest, and respectful toward all the members of the team. A leader also has to constantly learn from all of the members and encourage others to do the same.

Such leadership qualities can help in motivating and inspiring the members to achieve greater success and produce fruitful results.

10. Recognize And Reward The Deserving

A manager/leader rewards an employee for his good work

A team member feels more positive and motivated if their work is being appreciated. As a team leader, it's your job to recognize such hard work with rewards and recognition. This will also drive and encourage the other members to be more productive.

A good leader understands the value of taking a backseat sometimes and gives the due credit to the rightful individual to promote team building. A great leader ensures that the work rate of the team is increased without increasing the stress levels.

Leadership is a learning process. Each of the tips above can help you achieve greater success as a leader, and also help you understand that when you are a leader, the most important goal is always to keep the team together and performing at the highest level.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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10 Ways To Become A Better Leader

Making a career change can be a long process filled with small victories and setbacks. If you're currently going through a career change, chances are you'll need a pick-me-up or two along the way.

Here are seven quotes to keep you going and inspire you in your career change journey...

For Those Contemplating A Career Change

1. "The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward."

âAmelia Earhart

This quote from the famous American aviation pioneer will really hit home if you're early in the career change process. Perhaps you have been on the fence about making a career change for a long time and just making the decision to go through with the change was a stressful process in itself. Sometimes people know in their hearts that it's time for a career change but they're scared for various reasons.

Overcoming those fears and committing to change is a victory! If you're strong enough to make that tough decision, you're also strong enough to go through the career change process and be victorious.

2. "Our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers."

âM. Scott Peck

This quote from the psychiatrist and best-selling author is all about getting out of your comfort zone, and that's what leaving behind one career and trying another is all about. You'll have moments of self-doubt and you'll be challenged. Embrace those moments because you'll learn about yourself and push yourself to new limits. It's the best way to grow!

Inspiration For Those In The Middle Of The Career Change Process

3. "The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle."

âSteve Jobs

The job search process can be long and frustrating but it's important to remember that good things take time. You don't want to settle for any job, you want the RIGHT jobâthe job that will be professionally and personally rewarding. Don't stop until you find that job! Jobs, the founder of Apple, never settled and he did pretty well.

4. "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take."

âWayne Gretzky

This a very simple quote from one of the greatest hockey players of all time but it carries so much weight. There may be times where you're hesitant to apply for a job because of a lack of experience or you don't feel that you're good enough. If you don't try, you've already failed.

Do the research, prepare accordingly, and apply for the job. Even if you don't get it, you may learn something from the process that will make you a better candidate moving forward.

5. "The future rewards those who press on. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I'm going to press on."

âBarack Obama

You will undoubtedly face some setbacks along the way in your efforts to change careers. Don't dwell too long on those setbacks. Learn from them and move forward. As the 44th president of the United States alludes to, feeling sorry for yourself will only slow you down.

As You Near Your Career Change Goal

6. "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."

âColin Powell

If you were successful in your career change transition, chances are you can relate to the former U.S. secretary of state's quote. It took hard work, preparation, and a little failure to accomplish your goal. You'll find that this is the recipe for the most successful ventures in life.

7. "How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?"

âSeth Godin

The sky's the limit! Never stop trying to improve and grow in your career. If you don't, you're only selling yourself short. If you ever stop growing in your career, it may be time to make another change. As the American author says in his quote, you have every opportunity to be remarkableâyou just need to take it.

Stay motivated during the career change process and avoid these mistakes.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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7 Motivational Career Change Quotes

7 Things To Keep In Mind While You Pursue Your Dreams

You want to pursue your dreams. You have lots of dreams and things you want to do. But for some reason, you're hesitatingâeven though no one is holding you back.

You are the only one that is responsible for what you can and cannot do. So, how do you pursue your dreams? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Create Impact.

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You are a gift to the world. There are things the world would like to see, hear, and feel from you. You are an artist regardless of what you do because the world wants your craft. Do not deny the world this craft.

In this day and age, you do not have the excuse of no money, no time, and barriers. Everything you dream of, you can start with the device in your pocket. Start now.

2. Don't Just Think, Do.

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To create impact, the union of thinking and doing is a necessity. To pursue your dreams, don't just think. You need to DO. That means to act upon what you have been thinking.

Doing is easy. Thinking makes it hard. The more you think, the more resistance rears its head.

3. Realize There Are No Formulas.

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People think those who achieve their dreams are special people who have a certain formula. The truth is, when you pursue your dreams, sometimes formulas work. Sometimes they don't. That's how new formulas are created. That's how you improve.

Create your own formula to achieve your dreams.

4. Know That Execution Is Priceless.

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People tell you that ideas are important. But you already have an idea of what your dreams are. You want to pursue your dreams. Your dreams are your ideas. Ideas are worthless. An idea brought to life is priceless.

If that is so, execute those ideas. Go and really pursue your dreamsâto breathe life into an idea, act, execute, and, as Seth Godin says, "ship."

5. Stop Asking Questions.

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There are no whys or maybes. There is a time to ask questions. There is a time to stop. Now is the time to feel the fear and do it anyway. The more you do, the better you get.

This website is an example of how I am pursuing one of my dreams. Sure, it isn't something bigâa lot of people own websites and successful blogs. However, it's a step in the right direction. I did not sit, think, and dream. I pursued my dream. It's a step in the right directionâsharing my experience. I did not ask if I will make a fool of myself. If I did, then so be it.

6. Practice Your Way To Perfection.

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Execution breeds excellence. Practice is the growth to perfection. The more you do, the better you become. Everything takes practice including pursuing your dreams.

If you want to achieve your dreams, start. Then learn from the experience and adjust.

7. Understand That Anxiety Is Not Risk.

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People often tell you your dreams are too risky. But having a dream and not pursuing it is even riskier. What you feel is not risk. What you feel is anxiety. Anxiety is not risk. Risk can be calculated. Anxiety cannot.

You delay because you fear. You are afraid to pursue your dreams because you don't know. You fear the unknown. You will only know when you do. It's time, don't you think? Do. Don't talk. Go!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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7 Things To Keep In Mind While …

3 Questions That Will Help You Find Your Dream Job

Why is figuring out what we want to do with our lives so painfully difficult? Seriously! It's like we've all been given this massive amount of energy that we're aching to use in a productive and enjoyable way. Yet discovering what to use it on eludes us. And the longer it takes to discover what we really want to do, the more uncomfortable we feel. That restless energy builds, and we long to be utilized for a worthy purpose.

The hard part for most of us is figuring out what that purpose is. And if you're in a similar position, then this article is going to help you focus that energy. These three powerful questions will help you figure out what you're meant to be doing:

What Are Your "Super Human" Strengths?

According to a Gallup study, people who use their strengths and like what they're doing are 127% more productive than the average employee! It makes sense. When you're doing what you're naturally good at, you're more likely to be in flow, that magical state when you're in the zone and feel like you can achieve anything.

So, how do you figure out your work strengths? You can take Work It Daily's FREE Workplace Personas Quiz to see what your professional strengths are, and how to use them to your advantage!

What Are Your Core Values?

Do you value freedom, adventure, and risk-taking? You might not want to get a desk job. Or what if you value family, relationships, and security? Perhaps you'll find your best fit working from home, or at an office nearby with flexible work hours.

Figuring out what's most important to you helps narrow down the field of possible career choices, not only in terms of lifestyle but also in terms of what kind of company and people you want to work with. Strong values of corporate responsibility and environmental consciousness will mean that a certain group of organizations won't appeal to you, while others will.

So, do some deep reflection and list out everything that's important to you, keeping in mind the eight key areas of life. Narrow that list down to 10 items. Then, try to get it down to your top three or five, and make sure that any opportunity you accept fits with those values. This is an incredibly powerful exercise for me each time I do it, and I think it will be for you as well.

What Inspires You Like Nothing Else?

Doing something that inspires you is at the core of reaching high states of happiness, and the most inspiring thing you can do is contribute to something you feel has a higher purpose. Something bigger than yourself. Like Batman, except without all the violence...hopefully.

Yet similar to Batman, one excellent way of figuring out what inspires you is to think about what makes you really, really angry in the world. What can't you stand? Bruce Wayne, or Batman, couldn't stand the fact that criminals were taking over his city, so he took a stand against crime. In doing so, he inspired others.

So, what bugs you the most in the entire world? And who's doing the best job of solving that problem? When you tap into your strengths, figure out your core values, and contribute those to a purpose that inspires you, then you've found your dream job.

Bonus Tip: Find A Mentor!

Once you answer these three questions, there's a way to speed up your progress even more and get your dream job as quickly as possible: find a mentor. More specifically, by following in the footsteps of people who have already done what you want to do.

Answering these questions and taking these steps will help you get closer to figuring out what your dream job is. If you need more help finding and landing your dream job, especially if you're feeling lost, trapped, or burned out in your career, we're here for you.

We'd love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades.

It's time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Acquiring Job Advance Your Career Career Changing Careers and Employment Education Internship