It’s that time of year again, the time of well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions. Gyms will be full of those seeking to lose weight, continuing education courses will start to be booked with those that set out to learn something new, stores will sell out of organizational merchandise for those looking to organize their life, and the list goes on. Some of those optimistic resolution setters will be successful and create a habit that leads to future success. Just as creating habits can lead to personal successes, professional habits can be linked to workplace successes ( getting that promotion, leading a project successfully, etc.). Leaders can use the new year as an opportunity  to assess their leadership goals and think about resolutions that can turn into professional habits contributing to their success.

A common misconception of successful leaders is that they just had what it took, or they were “born that way.” Yes, there are some leadership traits that someone can simply possess: creativity, emotional intelligence, empathy, confidence, etc. But even those born with an innate ability need to hone their skills and intentionally seek to refine them. An olympic athlete still has to practice to reach peak performance, a natural leader needs to continue to develop their skills to stay current and reach their ultimate potential.

And what about leadership traits that don’t come naturally? Successful leaders seek feedback and self-reflect on what skills they need to work on in order to lead their teams to success. The most successful leaders work over time to hone professional habits contributing to success. In today’s ever-changing workplaces, it’s important that leaders remain agile, listen to feedback from their teams about improvement areas, and keep current with external trends ultimately impacting how work is done. As an example, leaders today are focusing quite a bit on professional habits aimed at learning new technologies to help understand what their teams are working with and to seek out ways to simplify and organize daily work.

Both new leaders and seasoned leaders alike can feel burnt out and spread too thin in today’s workplace. If you are currently a leader, you may be kept up at night wondering if you are helping your team avoid burnout, have a feeling in your gut that team members may be looking for a new job, or experiencing frustrations when you see your team not prioritizing the right tasks. These are just  a few reasons for any leader to focus on new habits in the new year.

If you’re a leader looking to build new professional habits to feel more organized and to help your organizations prioritize appropriately, the team at WCG can help.

What professional habits contribute to success in leadership positions?

Leaders have a very important responsibility to care for their organization and understand the needs of their employees; however, prioritizing themselves should not be sacrificed. Personal and professional resolutions can collide in a way that betters the entire person, not just one aspect of who you are. Successful leaders tend to:

• Take time for personal development.

• Carve out time for mindfulness and reflection.

• Rest.

Here are a few ways you can implement proven successful leadership habits into your new year.

Prioritize learning

Steve Jobs infamously said, “Learn continually. There is always ‘one more thing’ to learn.” A habit of a successful leader is making the time to continually learn. There will always be a new last-minute meeting, a colleague wanting to pick your brain about a topic, a report that simply took longer to put together than you had expected, and the list goes on. The more time a leader takes to prioritize learning and development, the more likely others in the organization are to follow. 

A Forbes article highlighted 10 habits of a successful leader and reported the following with regards to personal development: 

“A good leader is one who admits they still have a lot to learn and instills a habit of personal development. If a leader shows they are working on developing themselves and provides opportunities for their team to do the same, many will follow their example. Leaders can only lead others well if they know how to lead themselves well, so a habit of personal development is key!”

Take time for yourself

A successful leader needs time to reflect and organize their thoughts. I once supported a leader who had “thinking time” blocked on their calendars so their team knew to not disturb them. Leaders who make it a habit to consistently build time in their week that is just for them to reflect is a fantastic stepping stone to success.

Rest may sound counter-intuitive to success, but rest is often the habit that leaders need to work on the most. Almost 60% of leaders surveyed by Apollo Technical Engineered Talent Solutions, reported feeling worn out at the end of each day, which can be an indication of burnout. Allowing oneself to burnout not only inhibits smart decision making, but also sends negative messages to the broader organization. Successful leaders practice self-care and rest as a habit; their employees are watching and doing the same which, in turn, allows them to be more productive and happy employees. 

Decisively make decisions

Organizations are often paralyzed by the inability to make a decision. Leaders have to make many decisions, multiple times a day, and therefore successful leaders make efficient and decisive decision making a habit. It goes without saying, this is a skill and a professional habit that forms over time, but there are habits leaders can put into place that set them up for success.

I had the opportunity to lead a team of Human Resources professionals going through big organizational changes. A habit that I stressed with my team was a routine. We had a team meeting twice a week with objectives defined. The goal of the first meeting was to discuss quick updates and support needs and the second meeting was to focus on longer-term projects or ideas that would help move the needle on the organizational goals. This regular meeting habit formed a routine for myself as the leader and for the team, which led to a space where it was known decisions would be made.

Clearly communicate your decisions.

Successful leaders need to clearly communicate their decisions and the reasoning behind their decisions in order for their teams to fully buy into the decision. Communicating the why behind a decision is especially important when the decision is not popular or controversial. I once worked with a leader who was tasked with cutting costs by 20%. In order to meet this goal, she decided to outsource a portion of the business. The decision was unpopular and a sensitive topic among employees, but she clearly communicated the why behind the decision alongside the risks if the decision wasn’t made. The transparent explanation helped the team to move forward and understand.

Every leader has a preferred communication style. Perhaps you are a leader that loves to get up in front of your organization and are super confident with public speaking or maybe you are gifted with an ability to convey yourself in the written word. Whatever your communication style is – embrace it and make it a habit to clearly communicate your decisions.

A quick google search on the habits of successful leaders will present you with hundreds of articles and ideas. Every leader's professional habits may be different, but the four addressed above are at the top of my list.

Develop Habits Of A Successful Leader This Year

Being a leader is not for the faint of heart. Many skills such as decision making and communication have to be cultivated over time. A certified career coach for one-to-one coaching may allow you to hone these skills and choose habits for future success.  Reach out to the experts at The Wilbanks Consulting Group. You can schedule a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your individual needs and challenges. We are happy to help you create the habits to become a successful leader.