Over twenty-five years in the contact center industry, including leading many call center programs and being the owner and operator of my own call center, has taught me many valuable business and life lessons. Applying them consistently has led me to become one of the most sought-after business growth and strategy experts in the field today. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to never underestimate the power of effective leadership. It can be the best way to set yourself apart as a team member of considerable value and can be the cornerstone to creating the kind of traction that’s necessary to make a business successful.
While there are many qualities that distinguish an effective leader, here are the 4 qualities that I rate the most highly:
Quality #1: Lead by Example
Leadership by example can be a very powerful way to establish yourself as an effective leader. Your subordinates and peers will watch what you say very closely for many reasons, but mostly to see if your words and actions are congruent. In other words, are you reliable, trustworthy, and responsible?
It’s hard to respect someone who doesn’t appear authentic. You want your key aids to support you because they want to and not because they have to. Here are some ways to lead by example:
- Take responsibility for your decisions and your actions. Blame-shifting creates an environment that stifles teamwork and trust within the team.
- Be honest in your conversations with others. The more people trust you, the more they will want to work with you and stand by you.
- Be willing to roll up your sleeves and get down in the trenches when needed.
- Create an atmosphere that encourages open sharing and mutual respect, but is driven by tangible results.
Quality #2: Effective Communication
The second most important quality I associate with effective leadership is communication. Communication, from the perspective of a leader, is more than just being able to listen, understand, and respond appropriately.
- Effective leadership communication anticipates needs and provides guidance. This can come in the form of directing, coaching, advising, or teaching.
- Effective communication also encompasses the ability to take
big-picture vision statements and break them down into smaller actionable goals for team members to accomplish. It involves the ability to talk to people at all levels, listen actively, and be responsive to employees’ needs and feedback. - The ability to influence and negotiate successfully also comes under the umbrella of effective communication. There is an art to positively influencing and winning others over.
Quality #3: Motivate and Inspire
I also consider the ability to motivate and inspire others to be one of the most important leadership traits. Empowering employees is a key component of success. In fact, Universum, which is a global research and advisory firm, found that empowering employees was the most important leadership quality according to executives. 41% of the executives believed that future leaders need to have this trait.
Motivating others goes over and beyond the occasional pep talk and motivational speech. Ask yourself these important questions:
- Are you passionate about what you do, and do you bring this passion into your work? Passion can be infectious and highly inspirational to others.
- Are you open to new ideas and methods of doing things? Are you willing to listen to your team members when they come forward with innovative ideas and feedback?
- Are you able to think outside the box? How quickly and inventively can you create win-win solutions?
- Do you provide mentorship when needed to steer team members in the right direction?
Quality #4: Transparency Around Vision and Goals
The ultimate success of a business lies in how well the leader is able to communicate the overall vision and create strategic results through the accomplishment of individual team goals. Consider these questions:
- Does your team understand the short-term and long-term objectives of the business?
- Do your team members understand how their contributions fit in with the overall plan of business performance?
- Does your team understand that they have your support to step outside established frameworks to come up with innovative and cost-effective ideas that get results?
The CH Consulting Group leverages the extensive contact center expertise of founder Christa Heibel and a core team of industry veterans to create innovative, sustainable, and custom designed solutions. Contact us here to find out how we can help you amplify your business and boost your bottom-line profitability.
