Do you know your leadership style or how to develop more effective skills leading teams or yourself?
Leadership development coach Carice Anderson joined us on October 24 to give our Ambassadors insight into what really goes into being a leader, and being part of effective leadership. Every leader has a strong team behind them, and Carice told us that with every strong team was a strong sense of trust. She told us that trust comes from your character and your competence. So, you have to show others that you are trustworthy in your character and you are capable. Ever heard of the saying “actions speak louder than words”? Well, think of trust in that same way. By showing your coworkers and teammates that they can trust you, you can build relationships and lead more effectively. Forbes lists accountability and responsibility as one of the top eleven traits an effective leader can have, and trust goes right along with that.
Leadership is more than just leading others. Yes, that’s an important element, but true leaders also lead themselves and their organization, no matter what that organization is. Let’s stick with the lemonade stand hypothetical that we’ve used in our Venture Capital STEM Bootcamp series. Just because other people do not work for you, does not mean that leadership is not still present and necessary. You have to lead yourself to get the supplies and market as you need to make the lemonade stand successful.
Leadership also requires a growth mindset. HSCF Founder Tina Taylor also talked about this some in her Masterclass on Entrepreneurship. A growth mindset allows for creativity and ingenuity—two key leadership traits that workforces are looking for. Forbes says that effective leaders have a vision for the future as well as foster innovation and creativity. They say that leaders should encourage their team members to spend around 15% of their working time cultivating and exploring new ideas.
Exploring new ideas is exactly what we want to foster and promote here at HSCF, and we hope our Ambassadors have felt that encouragement! Believe in yourself and your abilities. Sometimes the best ideas are the least expected! For more inspiration, be sure to connect with us on social media and tell us what innovative ideas you’re thinking of! Let’s learn together!
