As a consultant and life coach, Talya E. Gershon of Coastal Virginia Consulting helps clients in the Virginia Beach area and beyond to find success both personally and professionally. Talya E. Gershon has worked with numerous professionals to help them develop the leadership skills essential to a thriving career.
Leadership is much more than a high-level job title on your resume and the permission to tell others what to do. A leader must be able to motivate and inspire their team to fulfill those responsibilities effectively, while conveying respect for each team member's unique contributions.
Communication is key to establishing this kind of respect within a team. Taking the time to develop personal relationships with each team member can quickly improve one's effectiveness as a leader, as connected team members tend to have more trust in and respect for their leaders. At the same time, these strong relationships help team members to feel comfortable making suggestions, challenging ideas, and driving the team forward.
Effective leaders actively encourage these kinds of contributions. They acknowledge what a team member has done to make the team and the company stronger, and they seek to learn from those team members who have expertise in a particular area. Employees then feel more respected in the supervisory relationship and are able to take direction more positively, while leaders can offer more informed and even more effective suggestions.