Emotions and success are both strongly correlated when it comes to leadership. In order to be a successful leader, it is essential for the person to have a high level of self esteem and for their employees to as well. Letting emotions get in the way of making decisions is something that can greatly hamper the actions of a leader. Consider some tried and tested ways by which a leader can keep his/her emotions in check and hence make the best decisions for success.

In order to be a successful leader, at first a person must get over their emotional fears and then gradually work towards becoming the best that they can be. Otherwise, the consequences of holding on to those fears are grave and will definitely have a huge effect on the leader’s personal and professional life. There are quite a few ways that a leader going through such ordeals can get out of this situation.

The first step to improving one’s self esteem and getting over an emotional fear, is finding the courage to admit that something is wrong. The leader must realize that his decisions are being colored or controlled by his fear of something, or a strong emotion towards a person or event. Since it is difficult to pinpoint these decisions by oneself, leader can find it easier to take guidance and advice from maybe older more experienced personnel who can unashamedly point out his mistakes to him. The words of a superior hold great meaning and a person is much more likely to listen to them.

Next, making the right decisions also stems a lot from practice and experience. It is not logical to expect a person to make the right decisions right away. After making a mistake when taking a decision and letting it be controlled by their feeling, the leader will realize what went wrong and will not make the same mistake again. It also helps if the person has prior experience regarding these things by observing a senior or previous manager in action. Looking at the way they take decisions would definitely serve as a good way to learn.

Though many say that “follow your gut” is the best option when it comes to making a decision, studies have shown that following a gut instinct have not always shown to create the best results. For example, taking a decision when angry causes leaders to decrease the value of the associated risks that come with the decision and make reckless moves. It is a lot wiser to calm down and rethink before taking any sort of step when worked up. A good option would be to give the thought one night’s sleep – if you are still thinking that it is the right decision in the morning, then high chances it is.

Good decision-making skills need to be hones into employees as well and not just the leader. It is up to the leader to establish the appropriate facilities in order to help his employees. One such step could be introducing employee empowerment in the office. By giving away a bit of the responsibility to staff and allowing them to take the simple decisions by themselves, the leader is gently coaxing decision-making skills into his workforce.

It could also be possible that an employee is not being able to make the right decisions due to a recent fear or drama. In that case, the leader can take the necessary steps to make counseling facilities available to the employee. He or she can also send the employee to a training facility or off – the – job skills program. Training does not need to be merely office and work related; it can also come in the form of personal skill and development. Sending troubled employees to workshops or seminars where they can meet others who are going through similar things and can access the right sort of help can greatly improve the employee’s self-esteem and state of mind. Another option could be giving the worker some paid time off to rejuvenate and distress from the troubles of daily life. If the leader truly cares about the state of mind and health of his workers, then he will not flinch or back out from helping them in every way he can. Maybe, a relaxing vacation is just what an overworked and tired employee needs to get back in form?

The treatment that an employee receives from his boss and co-workers when going through such distress is also a major factor in his decision making. Employees should be treated with kindness, respect and consideration. A leader should remember that they are people too; keeping them mentally satisfied at work will greatly increase their productivity as well. Another measure that can be taken to increase the team’s self-esteem is celebrating improvements and achievements at the office. If an employee has just managed to secure a tough deal at work, then he deserves a celebration in his name to lie back a little. Celebrating achievements boosts a person’s confidence and will help beat the emotional fears which used to prevent him from fulfilling his true potential.

In order to obtain success in an organization or venture it is essential that each and every one of its employees is at their best health and working to full capacity. A leader is only as strong as the weakest link in his or her team – which is why the health of the whole team should come first and in no way be compromised. By conditioning mindsets to put aside emotions when making decisions, it is possible to obtain a skilled and powerful workforce.

Just a few things to think about as you help others and yourself make careers that are truly fulfilling. Life is all about he quality of choices we make. I hope this helps a little.

Make good choices and have a great day! Only you get to choose how you feel about it!

Thanks so much for reading! Please share this with someone you care about and like the article if you agree with it!

Dr. Paul Gerhardt is a skilled leadership and diversity trainer who builds customized workshops online or at your workplace. He is a tenured professor of management and a diversity and leadership well-respected and trusted trainer who helps organizations get amazing returns on their training investment. Consider inviting Dr. Paul Gerhardt to do customized leadership or diversity training at your organization. Most organizations find that diversity and leadership training by the right trainer yields a significant instant return on investment.

You can get your FREE COPY of the Leadership Handbook by clicking this link: http://bit.ly/LeadershipHandbook

GET THIS NOW: Diversity, Cultural Competence, and Emotional Intelligence Training online here: http://www.leadership.do

In our current age of progress and innovation we have been hearing a term much more frequently of late – the much hyped “glass ceiling”. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the popular term is simply defined as an invisible barrier that prevents minorities from successfully rising up the hierarchy and achieving higher level positions. Today we will dive into this fascinating topic and examine the implications and origin of the popular term.

As stated in the definition, the brunt of the glass ceiling’s impact falls primarily on minorities and women. How did this matter arise you ask? Well, it all began before World War I, during the time when women were bound to stay at home and men went out seeking work. This pattern began to change during the war; since a large portion of men went out to protect their country, the women began to take charge. They looked for sources of income and employment, and when the war ended, many women were forced out of their jobs, but decided to keep them. Thus, began what we now know as second-wave feminism – women wanting equal wages at work, equal facilities and equal rights as their male counterparts.

 During that time working women were scorned and shunned in society for taking away jobs from “more deserving” males. Even though, we are no longer in the 1960’s, this concept, of women being not as able to work has been passed down through the generations. According to a survey by the Department of Labor, approximately 95%of senior managers in the Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 industrial organizations are male.

 The statistic has risen for several reasons, the foremost of which is the completely antiquated mindset of some (not all) men. According to them, women are not able to give their whole concentration and focus on jobs due to pregnancy and child rearing – apparently, a part of their minds will always think about family. This is the foundation of the glass ceiling: a general assumption made by men that women will either not want to or will not be capable of taking on work at higher level positions.

Leaders must question their own biases and make decisions with an equity perspective. Most people can learn the skills necessary for most positions no matter their gender or background. Sometimes, perspectives are passed down from one leader to the next without enough consideration of the perspective. Mental models are powerful and need to be examined with the correct lens. 

 Another reason leading to the formation of this troublesome stereotype is the fact that minorities and females are often given access to much less facilities than the rest of the workforce. Mentors are often hired a lot less for females, and as a result many are not yet skilled enough to climb the corporate ladder. It is up to the women to stand up for themselves in this matter and seize the opportunity to learn these skills in order to advance. Some companies do a better job identifying people of color and women to groom into leadership positions. 

Undoubtedly, businesses play a huge role in shattering this abhorrent glass. However, women themselves should also begin to take the matter into their own hands. Women often show more humility than men – if they don’t show their talents in the correct light, no one will notice them enough. It is up to women to take a stand and not look back when the promotion is offered. Speaking up is not a matter of humility, as much as it is about being assertive. This is a choice for each of us. 

I truly believe things are getting better as organizational leaders are recognizing that diversity is a key factor in gaining greater shares of the market, as well as increasing creativity and innovation for organizations. The literature shows that women are graduating with more graduate degrees in than men these days, but the Fortune 500 does not yet reflect the kind of diversity that that these qualified leadership-oriented and trained graduates are reflecting. I suspect that things will get balanced out in time. However, now is a great time to visit how your organizational culture supports diversity.

Make good choices and have a great day! Only you get to choose how you feel about it!

Thanks so much for reading! Please share this with someone you care about and like the article if you agree with it!

Dr. Paul Gerhardt is a skilled leadership and diversity trainer who builds customized workshops online or at your workplace. He is a tenured professor of management and a diversity and leadership well-respected and trusted trainer who helps organizations get amazing returns on their training investment. Consider inviting Dr. Paul Gerhardt to do customized leadership or diversity training at your organization. Most organizations find that diversity and leadership training by the right trainer yields a significant instant return on investment.

You can get your FREE COPY of the Leadership Handbook by clicking this link: http://bit.ly/LeadershipHandbook

GET THIS NOW: Diversity, Cultural Competence, and Emotional Intelligence Training online here: http://www.leadership.do

The people born after Generation X that is from the early 80’s till the end of the century are commonly termed as Generation Y, aka Millennials. Thought by many as the rowdiest generation till date, millennials have posed a drastically different sort of employee for the average leader, who is now scrambling to adjust their views to match the expectations of this radical new sort of consumer/employee. The percentage of Millennials has recently surpassed that of Baby Boomers in the U.S.; with such a large portion of their consumer being Millennials, businesses are right to be worried.

In order to benefit the most from what Generation Y has to offer, it is important for leaders to know how to understand them. Gen Yers come from a time where there was global financial crisis but also when technology was at its peak. Thus, their mindset is far better equipped to handle with machinery and tech than the basic rules of a work room. Increase your patience with them and take the time to explain things like office protocol and how to present oneself professionally. Simple things like business meeting etiquette may be completely unfamiliar to them; don’t take risks and at first explain the concepts before you let millennials take control of the reins.

Millennials are able to learn new processes swiftly and can pick up on patterns within seconds. However, this also makes them a little unpredictable and when it comes to switching jobs they are more likely to do so. Millennials are always searching for the “right job” something which they love doing. If your office doesn’t resonate with them, then they won’t be staying long. It’s best to give them work which they excel at and are proficient at doing.

For example, put a techie in programming and a writer in publications; both employees will be happy and more likely to stay.

Millennials are the most productive bunch of employees you can hope for – you just have to let them do it in their own style. These teenagers and young adults spent their childhood blogging, instant messaging and playing video games as recreation. They are constantly looking for new software and apps to increase efficiency and productivity. Your Millennials will end up teaching you a new way to work that may change your life forever. Let them run things for a day and you may very well be surprised.

Generation Y are also your risk takers. They are the ideal entrepreneurs because none of them are afraid of failure. A good advantage of video games is that they teach you to try again and try harder in a different way to succeed. For Millennials that is precisely why failure is not that big an issue: the learning of the skill itself matters more. Look towards your younger employees when struggling to make a decision and take their opinions into consideration. Who knows, a radical new line of thought may be just what you need.

Despite what some people may say, the employees of Gen Y can contribute a great deal at the office. It is up to the boss to seek out the best ways to make their presence the most beneficial. We are all diverse in some way. Learning to take time to understand the needs and expectations of others can help you meet your employees where they are at. In doing so, you can build mutual respect and leverage what each person has to offer. Most people will do the minimum of what is expected for a paycheck. However, learning to navigate your leadership style to meet the needs of those you lead can take your team, production, creativity, and innovation to new levels.

Listening with an open mind can be one of the best tools a leader has in today’s competitive workplaces. Being a leader means supporting employee’s needs and setting each of them up for success.

Make good choices and have a great day! Only you get to choose how you feel about it!

Thanks so much for reading! Please share this with someone you care about and like the article if you agree with it!

Dr. Paul Gerhardt is a skilled leadership and diversity trainer who builds customized workshops online or at your workplace. He is a tenured professor of management and a diversity and leadership well-respected and trusted trainer who helps organizations get amazing returns on their training investment. Consider inviting Dr. Paul Gerhardt to do customized leadership or diversity training at your organization. Most organizations find that diversity and leadership training by the right trainer yields a significant instant return on investment.

You can get your FREE COPY of the Leadership Handbook by clicking this link: http://bit.ly/LeadershipHandbook

GET THIS NOW: Diversity, Cultural Competence, and Emotional Intelligence Training online here: http://www.leadership.do

There isn’t any definitive list of positive characteristics that gives a clear idea of the behavioral traits that an effective leader must possess. Even if such a list exists, it would be an over-generalization of what should be a very specific issue in relation to the type of organization and how it is run. For examples a leader of an educational institution needs a different set attributes from one of a military division, or that the head of a business organization should not be put in charge of an administration that governs the industry in which the company operates. Just because a leader is effective in any particular organization, it does not mean the same person will be equally effective in another.

 In spite of all that, it is not impossible to compile a simple guide on how leaders should conduct themselves; think of the following list as an assortment of requirements an effective leader is expected to meet.

 1.      Provides a sense of safety and demonstrates strong ethics

 Together those two attributes build the bridge to create a work environment filled with trust and comfort. Employees or subordinates feel and realize that they can rely on each other in almost all situations without sacrificing professionalism. In other words, a leader holds a crucial role to make the workplace feel like home where everyone has the peace of mind in collaboration and cooperation. High ethical standards ensure a safe environment for social engagement that encourages everyone to honor the role of each other and respect organizational rules. Safe professional environments have the power to invoke people’s capacity to develop ideas, share opinions, take criticism, and essentially work to their full potential.

 2.      Empowers and inspires others to perform proper self-management

 As important as a leader is to an organization, there is no way a single person can do everything without help from others. What a leader can do is to lead others in the journey to become more capable of self-management. Employees of all positions need direction to perform day-to-day organizational tasks, but put in mind that this is not synonymous with providing instructions (sometime repetitive ones) on daily basis. Proper distribution of power throughout the organization is crucial to bring about smooth operation despite various challenges. While employees rely on a leader to make decisions in difficult circumstances, empowered teams have the confidence to be more proactive. Employees are the people closest to the actions, and so they need their leader’s trust to make decisions as well from time to time.

 3.      Develops connections and a sense of belonging

 Humans are a social species. Everyone wants to communicate, get along, and sometimes develop relationships. People want to have the sense of belonging somewhere with others. From the perspective of evolutionary science, social species feel safer together and living in a pack improves the odds of survival in the face of challenges. Not only does the sense of connection induce emotional well-being, but it also has positive impact on productivity. The good thing is that developing good social relationship in a workplace is not really that difficult; a leader who smiles, calls employees by first name, and remembers their family members have better chances of developing good relationships with everyone. More importantly leaders have to communicate openly and let employees speak freely. Bear in mind that emotions are contagious. Unpleasant interactions with one employee can affect the emotions (and therefore productivity) of others.

 Of course, there are plenty more positive characteristics leaders can develop for example: openness to ideas or criticisms, willingness to learn something new, intention to mentor employees to become the next leader, and so on. At the end of the day, all leaders must be able to lead by example. If they want employees to deliver, they too must demonstrate the power to deliver and live up to expectations.

 Make good choices and have a great day! Only you get to choose how you feel about it!

Thanks so much for reading! Please share this with someone you care about and like the article if you agree with it!

Dr. Paul Gerhardt is a skilled leadership and diversity trainer who builds customized workshops online or at your workplace. He is a tenured professor of management and a diversity and leadership well-respected and trusted trainer who helps organizations get amazing returns on their training investment. Visit www.SupervisionEssentials.com for more great free articles and to learn more about leadership effectiveness. Dr. Gerhardt is the author of several publications available on Amazon.com, including Diversity at Work, The Diversity King; Leadership Lucy and the Leadership Handbook. Consider inviting Dr. Paul Gerhardt to do customized leadership or diversity training at your organization. Most organizations find that diversity and leadership training by the right trainer yields a significant instant return on investment.

You can get your FREE COPY of the Leadership Handbook by clicking this link: http://bit.ly/LeadershipHandbook

GET THIS NOW: Diversity, Cultural Competence, and Emotional Intelligence Training online here: http://www.leadership.do