Leading through others

“Style flexing”. We are all different and behave in different ways. Some are chatty, others more taciturn. Some crave details, others are content with just the bigger picture. If you can analyse and adapt to the people you meet, you stand a much better chance of getting your message across. This, in turn, will give you advantages in your role as a leader. We call this “style flexing”.

Non-verbal communication. Words are important, of course, but you also communicate with your body language, facial expressions, eyes, pitch, and many other things. If you understand how your own and others’ non-verbal communication works, you will have access to very valuable information which you would otherwise miss.

Dealing with others. When your co-workers are happy and positive, being a manager is an easy job. But how do you deal with people who are negative, stressed, are facing challenges or are simply just complaining? It will not only have an impact on how they feel and perform, it will also mean a lot to your own well-being and performance.

Personal brand. Actually, your “personal brand” is just another way of saying “how people perceive you and what they think about you”. The one thing you can be certain of is that people around you will have an opinion of you! Everything you communicate, what you say, how you act, what you stand for, will affect what people think of you. So, perhaps it is time to take control of your personal brand?

Your insights in communication will be very useful when you then apply them on three other important leadership skills which you will also be working with during this programme: feedback, delegating and the ability to motivate (both yourself and others). Together, this will mean that your leadership becomes clearer, which makes your co-workers grow and become more independent and take more responsibility.

I chose to take part in The New Leadership continuation programme when I realised the company would grow even more if I learned more about people and how to lead through others, for example by delegating. As much as I like a challenge, not all problems need to be solved by me. When I am now faced with a task, I always check, “Who gave this to me? Have I created it myself? Is this necessary? Will this move the company forward?”, before throwing myself into it. In the field of communication, I have definitely become better at “style flexing” and no longer end up in petty conflicts with others!

Irma Björsell, Sales Manager Evertiq New Media