Is 2016 the year that you become a better leader?

Whether you consider resolutions a boon or bane, you know that improving your leadership skills won’t happen by accident. It will only come from setting SMART goals and changing specific behaviors.

But what habits should you change? What goals should you set? While your objectives will depend on the areas of leadership you want to strengthen, consider these top ways to grow as a leader:

Delegate Intelligently

You’re probably great at a lot of things – but that doesn’t mean you have time to do them all! Examine and prioritize your responsibilities, and then get non-critical activities off your plate (Exact Staff can help). Use the time you regain to focus on strategic activities and develop your leadership skills.

Welcome Feedback

Great leaders don’t just give constructive feedback; they welcome it, too. Take a 360-degree assessment to find out where you’re strong and where you could improve. Then, take what you learn to heart and make the required changes.

Think for Yourself

Find yourself influenced by public opinion or trends? Make a conscious effort to form your own opinions – based on solid facts and evidence – instead. Seek out information from a variety of reputable sources to fill your gaps in knowledge and reach sound conclusions.  Rely on what others know – not just what they think – to guide your decisions.

Practice Mindfulness

Your phone. Your laptop. Your employees. Your clients. As a leader, the demands on your attention are too numerous to count. Instead of being a multi-tasker (i.e., scanning emails while listening to a staffer), try being a serial focuser – and being truly “present” in the moment. The simple act of focusing your attention on one thing at a time dramatically improves performance, which will ultimately improve your ability to lead.

Embrace Constructive Conflict

Great leaders don’t shy away from disagreement, and they’re humble enough to realize that they don’t always know it all. If you’re prone to knee-jerk or emotional reactions to others’ dissenting opinions, try welcoming disagreement. Improve your leadership abilities by truly listening to what others say, evaluating whether or not their ideas and points of view are valid. And if they are, be willing to embrace those ideas. Being an exceptional leader is about producing great results, not just being right.

Become a Better Leader by Choosing the Right Staffing Partner

With a national presence, and a full complement of staffing and placement services, Exact Staff can rapidly deliver exceptional people to build your core team. Improve productivity. And seamlessly flex your workforce to match changing demands.

What can we do for you? Contact a staffing expert at Exact Staff today.