We often think of leadership as a position of power or rank, but in real estate, leadership can involve mentoring and consulting. And whether you are a self-employed company of one, or you train new employees, or you run a corporation, most of us take on a leadership role at some point in our lives.
If you are a “born leader” then you may not need to read further – but for the rest of us, it helps to recognize the traits of successful leadership! After all, anyone can find themselves in a leadership position, but good leadership involves more than barking out orders. Here are 5 common traits shared by successful leaders!
1. Good leaders empower others. Don’t hoard authority – share it! By enabling your team to make certain decisions based on their skills and experience, you demonstrate trust, along with faith in their judgment. In turn, this saves you from having to be involved in front-line issues that would consume too much of your time. Create parameters for your team to follow, and turn them loose. They will be more productive, and you will have more time to attend to priorities.
2. Good leaders are team players. A good leader is willing to work alongside their team members. If the phone is ringing off the hook and your staff is overwhelmed at the moment – pick up the phone! Good leaders pitch in. They never say “that’s not my job.” They remain accessible. This isn’t to say they don’t hold their teams accountable – but they identify themselves among the team, rather than above it.
3. Good leaders provide constructive criticism. Nobody’s perfect, but work accuracy and quality matter. When it’s time for a coaching session with a team member, good leaders address the issue without belittling the person. They also seek to understand the cause of an issue, be it a lack of training, miscommunication, or some other matter. Good leaders improve the performance of their team in a constructive, empowering way.
4. Good leaders are a positive influence. Who would you rather work for – a fault-finding nitpicker, or a boss who has vision and shares encouragement? There are plenty of bosses in the world who don’t make good leaders. A good leader attracts people who want to follow where they’re going! If you want your team to have a great attitude and a can-do spirit, it needs to start with you.
5. Good leaders make good decisions. It’s fine to obtain opinions and ask for consensus, but at the end of the day, being a leader means making the best possible decisions and taking responsibility for them. A leader who appears indecisive or uncertain under pressure will cause their team to lose confidence. Don’t fear making tough decisions, and don’t put them off.
Leadership can be highly challenging, and highly rewarding. Make the most of your opportunities!
Carrie Gable
Carrie Gable and the team at RealSupport, Inc. are our “VA Quick Tip” columnists offering expertise in real estate marketing, technology and more. RealSupport’s office and team of 15 full-time staff members is located near Chicago, IL. Their successful team works virtually for many top real estate agents and brokers nationwide. Pioneers in the Real Estate Virtual Assistant industry, RealSupport offers marketing, branding, website and logo design, listing marketing, lead generation, technical support, transaction management, social networking, blogging and much more… Just ask!
