You must possess several qualities to be an excellent leader. One of them is being open-minded. While you have great ideas, you’re not always right. Listening to your employees will help you improve as a leader. Here are some tips to help boost this quality.
Accept that you’re not always the best
You might be great in some things, but it doesn’t mean you will do well in everything. There are times when someone else has a better idea than you. Accept this reality and listen to other people’s ideas. Besides, you have a chance to look into the information and determine whether it’s worth pursuing. The key is to learn how to listen.
Delegate tasks
Once you already delegated the tasks to your employees, let them determine how to get things done. Don’t micromanage. Remember that you hired the best people to join your team. It doesn’t help if you can’t trust them at all. Once you already delegated the tasks, you can still supervise the process, but let your employees make tough calls.
Try something new
Just because you already proved something to be successful doesn’t mean you will always stick with it. You can give something new a shot. For instance, you can try hosting a different activity to reward your employees. Check out https://www.wearetricycle.co.uk/ for a funfair which can be a great way to celebrate a milestone. If you did a gala dinner or a fundraiser before, you could try something new. If it works, it shows that being open-minded is a good quality to have.
Don’t dismiss seemingly crazy ideas
When you discuss issues with your colleagues during a brainstorming session, you might hear ideas you don’t expect. It doesn’t mean you have to dismiss them right away. Worse, you shouldn’t laugh at them. They might sound like a joke to you, but your employees worked hard to think about the idea. Give them time to explain the information before you determine if it’s worth keeping. You don’t even have to decide on the spot. Sometimes, these crazy ideas are game-changers.
Don’t take things personally
If you hear your employees trying to provide counter-arguments, it doesn’t mean they’re attacking you personally. It’s also not a way of questioning your authority or intelligence. Make sure you accept the ideas and process the information received. If you feel hurt because someone else said something better, you won’t grow as a leader.
Know when to stop
At some point, you should pass the baton to another person. You can’t be on top all the time. Learn when to stop and be humble enough to let a new generation of leaders take over. You will also be proud that you did your best to train them to lead the company. Being open-minded takes time. Not all leaders get there and accept other people’s opinions. It takes courage and humility. Once you realise that there are bigger interests than you, it will make you a more admirable leader.
