In the transition to new life and work structure that the pandemic has forced, leaders have emerged. Individuals had to become decision makers and guide others to solutions through the chaos of figuring out what working from home looks like for firms ranging in size and location. Leadership qualities exist in everyone – as a leader, recognizing leadership traits in your employees can potentially encourage others to do the same. A effective leader can motivate a team and build an inclusive company culture focused on integrity and trust by taking on some of the following steps:
- Develop future leaders through mentorship (i.e. schedule time with an employee on a consistent basis to go over different topics related to their job, invite them to a meeting they wouldn’t typically be involved in to get exposure to something new).
- Give employees the benefit of the doubt when possible. Ask questions and LISTEN rather than interrupting or jumping to conclusions without digging deeper into issues at hand and their thought process.
- Reward those that deliver! Remember that your most reserved employee may be your strongest/most productive employee and your most vocal may lack productivity/action. It is important to get to know your employees – build rapport and figure out what makes them tick.
- Be a pragmatic thinker. Anticipate future challenging scenarios and create ways to implement solutions effectively (i.e. implement weekly video conference calls to ensure that communication amongst the team is a priority, discuss upcoming challenges).
- Be open to change. 2020 brought an immense amount of change to firms internationally. By embracing change and understanding how to optimize a company’s best practices, an individual is illustrating their ability to lead a company to stability during a crisis.
- Lead by example – Ensure that you lead with integrity and self-awareness in order to connect with your employees.
- Focus on delegating tasks and responsibilities fairly based on workload and skillset. Your employees will feel as though their time and hard work is appreciated.
- Lastly, have some fun with your team! While working remotely, online social events and games are great ways to keep people connected. The RETS team recently held a Zoom Family Feud event which involved lots of laughter and fun!
Although executives within a firm primarily make decisions for the operations of the company, department heads and more junior employees can exhibit leadership qualities in various arrangements. Developing leaders at all levels in a company will inspire employees to reach for success.
Kristen Shryock serves as a Director at RETS Associates, a national real estate executive search firm. She can be reached at: kristen@retsusa.com
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