Being likeable will help you in your job, business, relationships, and life. I study some successful business acquaintances and friends and try to determine what made them so successful. I found out that some of the concepts are quite simple, though we often lose sight of the simple things - things that not only make us human, but can actually help us become more successful. Below are some of the concepts:
Listening is the foundation of any good relationship. Great leaders listen to what their customers and prospects want and need, they listen to the challenges those customers face. They listen to colleagues and are open to new ideas. They listen to shareholders, investors, and competitors.
Storytelling is what captivates people and drives them to take action. Whether telling a story to one prospect over lunch, a boardroom full of people or thousands of people through an online video. After listening, leaders need to tell great stories in order to sell their products, but more important, in order to sell their ideas.
Authenticity. Great leaders are who they say they are, and they have integrity beyond compare. Vulnerability and humility are hallmarks of the authentic leader and create a positive, attractive energy. Customers, employees, and media all want to help an authentic person to succeed. Tomorrow's leaders are transparent about who they are online, merging their personal and professional lives together.
Transparency makes it a lot easier to sleep at night - unworried about what you said to whom, a happier leader is a more productive one. There is nowhere to hide anymore, and business people who attempt to keep secrets will eventually be exposed. Openness and honesty lead to happier staff and customers and colleagues.
Team Playing. No matter how small your organization, you interact with others every day. Letting others shine, encouraging innovative ideas, practicing humility, and following other rules for working in teams will help you become a better leader. You’ll need a culture of success within your organization, one that includes out-of-the-box thinking.
Responsiveness. The best leaders are responsive to their customers, staff, investors, and prospects. Every stakeholder today is a potential viral spark plug, for better or for worse, and the winning leader is one who recognizes this and insists upon a culture of responsiveness. Whether the communication is email, voice mail, a note or a a tweet, responding shows you care and gives your customers and colleagues a say, allowing them to make a positive impact on the organization.
Adaptability. There has never been a faster-changing marketplace than the one we live in today. Leaders must be flexible in managing changing opportunities and challenges and nimble enough to pivot at the right moment. Stubbornness is no longer desirable to most organizations. Instead, humility and the willingness to adapt mark a great leader.
Passion is contagious to customers and colleagues alike. Those who love what they do don’t have to work a day in their lives. People who are able to bring passion to their business have a remarkable advantage. Finding and increasing your passion will absolutely affect your bottom line.
Surprise and Delight create incredible word-of-mouth marketing opportunities. Most people like surprises in their day-to-day lives. Better leaders under promise and over deliver, assuring that customers and staff are surprised in a positive way. There is a plethora of ways to surprise without spending extra money - a smile; We all like to be delighted.
Simplicity. The world is more complex than ever before and yet what customers often respond to best is simplicity — in design, form, and function. Taking complex projects, challenges, and ideas and distilling them to their simplest components allows customers, staff, and other stakeholders to better understand and buy into your vision. We humans all crave simplicity.
Gratefulness. Better leaders are ever grateful for the people who contribute to their opportunities and success. Being appreciative and saying thank you to mentors, customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders keeps leaders humble, appreciated, and well received. It also makes you feel great.
