Leaders are getting younger and younger, especially now that more senior workers are starting to dwindle in number. Younger leaders are seen as innovators—those who will take risks in producing fresher ideas and perspectives that will benefit the company.
However, young men and women in leadership positions often face a certain kind of obstacle when dealing with older coworkers: trust and respect are hard to come by.
If you’re a young leader and you want to prove your worth to your employees, here are some ways you can gain their respect:
1. Show Them That You Care
Show compassion and empathy whenever you can. It’s easier to earn the respect of other people when they know that you care about their well-being.
One way to do this is to show that you’re looking after the success of the team in all aspects–individually and collectively.
Furthermore, let your co-workers know that your doors are open should they need help with anything, and when they do decide to open up to you, listen well. Take some time to get to know who the members of your team are.
2. Do Not Micromanage
Be confident in the skills and abilities of your employees. Provide them with a reasonable level of autonomy and trust that they’ll make the correct decisions. Evaluate and decide if certain employees can work autonomously. If they can’t, it might be time to put them on a performance improvement plan.
Micromanagement is not a leadership style you would ever want to associate yourself with. You should empower your employees, not control them.
3. Speak Up
Don’t be afraid to provide feedback to your team as this is the only way they’ll grow professionally. Likewise, ask for honest feedback so that you can adjust accordingly.
One of the quickest ways to gain credibility is to share what you know, and if there’s something you don’t know, be honest and speak up about this as well. You won’t have all the answers all the time, and that’s fine. You can ask for advice from former bosses or the company’s senior staff. Ask your team members as well as they might have valuable insights.
4. Practice Patience
Be patient with your team and with yourself. Understand that it might take some time for everyone to adjust to a younger leader like you.
You’ll also need time to learn the ropes of managing a team, so don’t be so hard on yourself. Just as you’re showing compassion and empathy to your team, you should do the same for yourself.
If you’re a young leader looking for guidance in practicing spiritual and compassionate leadership, The OM Factor: A Woman’s Spiritual Guide to Leadership might just be for you. It contains information about how to succeed in the modern business world, how you can practice conscious leadership, and how meditation can improve the way you lead.
The OM Factor is also available as an audiobook, so you can practice mindful meditation anytime and anywhere, whether you’re driving, running, or even cooking a meal!
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