Customer Service Management Training 101 Chapter 3 Excerpt: Developing Your Leadership Qualities

In Chapter 1, you learned about the three different management styles: controlling, participative, and passive. You may think that these management styles and leadership are really one and the same but they are not. Managing is the process by which you direct and control outcomes. Leadership is the process through which you influence others to achieve your goals. In other words, it is how well you get your employees to get the outcomes you need.

When you take a controlling approach, you are not leading but rather directing. When you take a passive approach, you are not leading but rather allowing others to take the lead. Only participative management and leadership go hand in hand. When you apply a participative management approach, your employees will want to follow your lead.

As a manager, you already know that to get results you must get your employees behind you. They are the ones who get the job done for you. By developing your leadership qualities, you will learn how to get your employees behind you and that makes getting the job done that much easier. But is it even possible to develop leadership qualities?

The bottom line is yes, you can develop the qualities to effectively lead. As a frontline manager, you lead by example. When you put customers first, your employees will put customers first. When goal achievement is important to you, it will be important to your employees. When you are motivated, your employees will be motivated. When you work productively, your employees will work productively. By leading in a positive, participative manner, your employees will meet corporate and team goals and they will give great service to each customer.

You may think that all leaders are born with certain qualities that make them outstanding and different from the rest of us . While this is true for some people, most are not born with every quality necessary to be an effective leader. Rather, those who strive to be leaders have identified leadership qualities and figured out how to develop these qualities in themselves. The first step to being a leader is to become aware of the leaders around you--those people you respect, admire, and emulate--and to figure out what they do that makes others want to follow their lead.

When you analyze these leaders, you will notice that distinct and common qualities emerge. These are: drive and determination to succeed, strong motivation, self-confidence, intelligence and expertise, creativity, flexibility, honesty, and integrity. Learning about these qualities will help you conduct a self-assessment and create an action plan to develop and incorporate them into your personal management style.

As you are developing your skills, it is important that you model these behaviors. You will learn how self-talk and visualization play a huge role in turning learning into habit, thinking into behavior. In life you play many roles. How you act in each is determined by your status within any given group. Your role when parenting differs from your role when socializing with your friends. It differs yet again when you see your doctor or another person you consider having higher authority and expertise. At work, your role is to be a participative, positive leader and manager.

As a manager, you are required to make many decisions. As a leader, developing your critical thinking skills will give you the ability to make wise decisions. Developing your critical thinking skills will give you the confidence to make good decisions even in those instances when you do not have the luxury of time.

When you make yourself indispensable at work, you show that you are a strong, positive, committed leader who is willing to take risks and who will always step up to the demands of your job. Staying accountable, keeping up to date on changes, looking for ways to improve, and being grateful are all ways to make yourself indispensable.

Leading your employees to perform their best makes your job easier. When you learn the steps below, you will get your employees behind you and they will follow your lead. Becoming a strong leader is your key to success as a manager.

STEP 1: Leadership Begins with Awareness

The question as to whether people are born leaders or can develop leadership qualities has been studied by psychologists and researchers, and the case can be made for both points of view.

It is true that some people are born leaders , those few who possess charismatic personalities and an overwhelming desire to transform the world, qualities so powerful they seem to transcend the person— for instance, those people we can identify throughout history whose leadership was so outstanding, their contributions to politics, religion, and industry changed the world. These leaders all shared one common trait: they possessed the ability to influence a great many to pursue their goals, whether their intentions were for the good of mankind or they were motivated by evil desires.

While the vast majority of us do not possess this level of charisma that will propel us to transform the world, you can develop leadership qualities that will change your piece of the world. As a manager, you already possess the desire to lead. You can learn and develop the qualities you need to become the leader you want to be. It begins with awareness.

Learn leadership qualities. What sets leaders apart from the crowd? What qualities do they possess that make them leaders? What do they do to inspire others? When you analyze the leaders in your organization, family, business, and social groups, you will see that leaders possess the following qualities.

Leaders have a strong desire to achieve. Leaders have ambition and take initiative. They have high standards and challenge themselves to succeed. They are competitive. They maintain a consistently high energy level. Leaders are positive people who want those around them to share their desire to achieve.

Leaders are highly motivated. Leaders have a vision for their future and will do what needs to be done to achieve that vision. They have the ability to inspire others to believe in their goals and are able to motivate others to believe in their vision. They are risk takers who are not afraid to take chances to achieve their goals. They do not take no for an answer. “Can’t” is not part of their vocabulary. Leaders take responsibility for their mistakes, learn from them, and then move on.

Leaders display confidence. Leaders trust in their abilities. They strive to do their best, and they help those around them to do their best as well. They share success by giving credit to others but take full responsibility for failure. They dress for success because they know that when they look good they feel good. Leaders know how to showcase their best qualities and they know how to do that in a quiet, humble manner.

Leaders understand that knowledge is power. Leaders have a high level of job expertise. They look for opportunities to learn, grow, and improve. They apply their critical thinking skills before they make decisions. They are problem solvers, not problem causers. Leaders balance effectiveness and efficiency by finding the right solution as quickly as they can.

Leaders are creative. Leaders act on their instincts. They seek out new and innovative ways to do the old. They are not afraid of the unknown, but rather embrace the new. They are interested and curious about the people, events, and environment around them. Leaders not only think outside the box, they recreate it.

Leaders are flexible. Leaders are resilient. When they fall, they get back up. When something goes wrong, they make it right. When life throws them a curve, they do not complain. They draw on their inner strength to solve any problem and get them through any situation. Leaders keep looking forward, not behind them.

Leaders have a high degree of integrity. Leaders know that honesty is always the right choice. They do the right thing. They are dependable and stay true to their word. They are accountable for their actions. Leaders are trustful.

STEP 2: Develop Positive Leadership Qualities

As a frontline manager you are responsible not only for yourself, you are responsible for your employees, your customers, and your company. When you take responsibility to improve your leadership skills, you not only improve yourself, your employees will improve, the service you provide to your customers will improve, and ultimately, your company will improve.

Now that you know the common qualities that leaders share, you can work on personal improvement. You already created a development plan for your management responsibilities. By adding your leadership development goals, you will complete your personal development plan. When you work on self-development, you will strengthen the positive leadership qualities you need to succeed. You probably already possess some of these qualities. You may possess some degree of all of these qualities. Even if you feel that you already are a strong, positive, participative leader, you can always find ways to strengthen and improve your skill set.

Make a list of the common leadership qualities and rate yourself on each. List each of the qualities from STEP 1, plus any others you feel are relevant to your role as a frontline leader. Assess your leadership qualities as you see yourself today. Make a list of your strengths and areas of improvement.

Ask a mentor for help. Before you set goals, ask someone you trust to review your list. Explain that you are creating a self-development plan to strengthen your leadership abilities and would appreciate his or her input. Ask the person to be honest and open and then be receptive to the feedback you receive.

Afterwards, analyze the feedback and decide whether you agree and how you want to act on it.

Set goals for each area of improvement. Once you determine the qualities you need to develop and strengthen, set goals to add to your personal development plan. Be realistic about your leadership development. For major weaknesses, set step-by-step goals. Start small, but think big. Also, be realistic about expected outcomes. If you are thinking this is just another goal sheet that will create more work and take more time, look at it this way: Achieving goals is going to enable you to work more effectively and efficiently, and working more effectively and efficiently is ultimately going to give you more time.

Review your goals often as a reminder of the qualities you are developing. Review your personal development plan and goals frequently. Reminding yourself how you are progressing in your leadership development will encourage you to work harder to achieve these goals. If you find that you are getting sidetracked or have gotten derailed, get back on track. Personal development is a lifelong process. We all have some qualities and skills on which we can improve.

STEP 3: Look and Act like a Leader

You identified the leadership qualities you want to develop. You set goals to change your behavior. Now it is time to put what you are developing into practice. The only way you will become a leader is to look and act like a leader.

Use your self-talk to encourage yourself. Every morning, look in the mirror and affirm that you are a positive, participative leader. Affirmations are statements of belief, declarations of truth. To help you to see yourself as a leader, begin your self-talk with present tense verbs, such as I am___. Fill in the blank as appropriate--I am strongly motivated. I am creative. I am successful. I am confident. Stating your affirmations as positive statements of fact will help you plant the picture of who you want to be in your mind.

Envision yourself already possessing leadership qualities. Along with stating your affirmations, create a vision in your mind of the leader you want to be. See yourself as a positive, powerful, participative leader. Think of each leadership quality and, as you state your affirmation, picture yourself projecting the behaviors that enhance these qualities.

Dress for success. Your appearance says a lot about you. Always dress professionally and businesslike. You are a manager and a leader, so save your casual clothes for outside of work. Even if jeans and tees are the norm for your workplace, choose ones that are dressy and fit well. Make sure you are clean and groomed at all times. This includes your hair, body, fingernails, teeth, and shoes. Remind yourself that when you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you will project yourself as a confident, self-assured leader.

Walk the walk. When you are getting ready for work, get fully into your role as a powerful, participative leader. By using positive self-talk and envisioning, you are in a position to act the part. Consider that you are an actor in the play called “Work.” You are playing the role of the leader. When at work, in everything you do and say, do and say it as a leader does.

STEP 4: Critical Thinking Leads to Good Decisions

Critical thinking is reflective thought about issues and situations that sometimes have no clear-cut answers or solutions. Leaders understand that critical thinking is an important skill to develop. Critical thinkers consider problems carefully before making decisions; when you learn to think critically you stay solution oriented.

Consider the problem carefully. Think about the problem before you. Ask questions to clarify the situation or issue. Consider how reliable or credible your source of information is. If you need more information to make your determination , research to find out all you need to know to make an educated decision. Gather as much information from as many sources as you feel necessary before you evaluate possible solutions.

Analyze all arguments or proposed solutions. Make value judgments about all possible solutions. Do not jump to conclusions before hearing all sides and gathering all information. Keep an open mind and think objectively. Do not allow your emotions to slant your thinking. Consider all possibilities and alternatives before finalizing your decision. Also, consider the impact of each proposed solution.

Decide on the best action. After considering all information, angles, and research you will be able to make the right decision. Communicate your decision to all involved. If it is an unpopular decision or one that may not be well received, be sensitive to other people’s feelings and explain why you decided as you did.

Be proactive, not reactive. Being proactive helps you stay on top of issues before they become full-blown problems, and that makes solving them easier. Be on the lookout for problems when they are brewing. You may not always have time on your side, so mentally practice making snap decisions to sharpen your critical thinking skills. Think about possible problems that could occur and how you would solve them. When you are proactive in using your critical thinking skills, when crises arise, or when you do not have time to carefully think out your plan of action, you will be in a better position to make quick decisions.

STEP 5: Make Yourself Indispensable

By making yourself a vital part of your organization, you make yourself indispensable. When you step up and become a positive, proactive leader, others are going to notice. When you continually strive to do your best, others are going to respect your.

Leaders stay on top of their game. Stay motivated and keep your drive and desire to be your best. Do not get stuck in a rut. Stay focused on goal achievement. Do what it takes to meet your goals. Knowledge is power, so set a goal to learn something new every day. Keep updating your development action plan to improve your skills.

Leaders look for opportunities to lead the way. Look for ways to motivate your team. When you see something done right, offer positive feedback. Look for teaching opportunities. Share your job expertise. Always try to help others succeed. When you see an opportunity to help, take responsibility and do so. Most importantly, at all times lead the way with honesty and integrity.

Leaders view every situation as an opportunity. Approach every day as an adventure, every situation as an opportunity. When you do so, you will view your world from a positive perspective. Be the person others rely on and look up to. Step up and volunteer for unpopular projects. Find ways to say “yes” and “I can do that.”

Leaders are grateful for the people and circumstances in their lives. Be thankful every day for every person and every event in your life. When you are thankful, you send out positive and uplifting messages. When you are thankful, you will feel happy. Find ways to share your gratitude and appreciation. Say “thank you.” Stay flexible and resilient. View all problems as opportunities to grow.

Checklist

STEP 1: Leadership Begins with Awareness

? Learn leadership qualities

? Leaders have a strong desire to achieve

? Leaders are highly motivated

? Leaders display confidence

? Leaders have a high level of job expertise

? Leaders are creative

? Leaders are flexible

? Leaders have a high degree of integrity

STEP 2: Develop Positive Leadership Qualities

? Make a list of the common leadership qualities and rate yourself on each

? Ask a mentor for help

? Set goals for each area of improvement

? Review your goals often as a reminder of the qualities you are developing

STEP 3: Look and Act like a Leader

? Use your self-talk to encourage yourself

? Envision yourself already possessing leadership qualities

? Dress for success

? Walk the walk

STEP 4: Critical Thinking Leads to Good Decisions

? Consider the problem carefully

? Analyze all arguments or proposed solutions

? Decide on the best action

? Be proactive, not reactive

STEP 5: Make Yourself Indispensible

? Leaders stay on top of their game

? Leaders look for opportunities to lead the way

? Leaders view every situation as an opportunity

? Leaders are grateful for the work that they do

excerpt from Customer Service Management Training 101 available on amazon.com