Five Key Career Lessons That You Can Learn from Business Leaders

For someone starting off on his/her professional journey, it pays to observe business leaders at work. Observing business leaders will help one pick up on good and bad managerial behaviour. Careful observation and internalizing of the good and bad aspects of managing people helps avoid common managerial pitfalls.

The five key career lessons that one can pick up from business leaders are:

Learn The Art Of Motivating People

Keeping people motivated to deliver at their best is extremely difficult. Every individual is different. What motivates one might not motivate the other. It is a good practice to get to know the people in your team well. This will help you determine what motivates each individual. A motivated team works without supervision and helps the organization meets all its business goals. Getting to lead a motivated team is half the work done.

Develop Your Own Managerial Style

Identify your own managerial style. There are as many managerial styles as there are managers. Managers who are starting off on their careers are tempted to copy successful managers. But a borrowed management philosophy and style might not be suitable for your individual temperament and aptitude. It is best to develop your own managerial style. Remember, there is no management technique that can guarantee success. Work on and adopt the style that works best for your and your team.

Handling Difficult Conversations

Managing and leading people will inevitably involve having difficult conversations. Difficult conversations might be required with team members, customers, or vendors. It is important to be tough when necessary and tactful and diplomatic at other times. A good leader knows when to be tough and when tactful. The nature of conversations also has a large impact on motivation.

Manage Change Efficiently

Many managers and business leaders find change off-putting. As a leader, you will often be required to either initiate change or manage change. It is important to accept change as an integral part of the managerial journey. Foresee the impact of change and take steps to mitigate any downsides of the change. Also, help the other individuals in the team handle their anxieties around dealing with the change.

Handling Criticism

Criticism is difficult to hear. But not all criticism is bad-intentioned. Criticism can be constructive too. Encourage people to give constructive criticism. It helps improve organizational performance. Criticism of managerial style and business decisions, as long as it is constructive, should be encouraged. Leaders can learn from varied perspectives and improve their managerial ability and decision-making skills.