Originally published on slicemiami.com.
Any business owner or manager needs to have leadership skills if they want to be successful. Hunter Patterson of The Property Advocates explains that you don’t need to be a natural-born leader, as these skills can be worked on and developed over time.
Below are some tips that will not only help you improve your leadership skills but also help you inspire your people.
Set Clear Goals
Effective leaders not only understand what needs to be done, but they know how to communicate that to others. Part of that delegation is setting clear goals.
When leaders set clear goals, team members perform better and are more productive. Your goals should be easy to understand, measurable, and have a defined deadline.
“When you are honest with them about what you want, about what’s required of them and what they’re supposed to deliver to the client, it’s easy to inspire your team to do better when you give them achievable metrics and goals to follow,” says Hunter Patterson, the president and CEO of The Property Advocates.
Treat People with Respect
Effective leaders don’t dictate what must be done; they’re able to motivate their team to accomplish goals and try their hardest on their own.
One of the best ways to do this is to treat people with respect. Employees today want to feel valued, included, and appreciated. Leaders can show this by giving great feedback, getting to know their team members, and celebrating even small achievements.
Leaders also need to keep in mind that employees will always be watching and listening. So, how you treat clients in meetings, when talking on the phone, or when chatting about them in the office greatly engenders this respect among your team members.
“Candor is huge. There is so much potential for you to lose a team based on how you treat them, how they see you treat others, and how they see you handling yourself,” Hunter Patterson of The Property Advocates says. “Outside of what you’re telling them, there needs to be some consistency between the two.”
Be Human
Too often, business owners and managers act as if they’re separate entities, operating completely separately from their employees. This creates a sense of hierarchy within the company, but in a negative way. Of course, there is a hierarchy in the org chart, but employees shouldn’t feel as if they’re less important or valued than those above them.
You can become a great leader by simply being a decent human to your team members. Get to know your employees on a personal level. Understand what makes them “tick,” as this will often help you identify what inspires and motivates them.
“People tend to view their leaders like this — a fixture of everything. I think the more you can show your team you’re a human, the more you can show them a track they can follow, and they don’t think something’s unachievable for them,” Hunter Patterson says. “You’ve been there. You’ve done it. And you’ve worked your way up. Being relatable is important if you want to be a great leader.”
About Hunter Patterson
As President and Chief Executive Officer of The Property Advocates, Hunter Patterson offers distinctive leadership and top results to clients and stakeholders. Hunter aims to level the playing field between insurance companies and policyholders through consistent education, empowerment, and professional excellence. Hunter has earned the prestigious CPCU insurance designation and graduated Magna Cum Laude as well as Valedictorian of his class at the Barry University School of Law.