A great leader does not spend their time telling people what to do and where to go, a great leader has followers that want to do great things and be like them. So how do you get your leadership skills to model the way for the people in your business so you can create a path to success and not failure?

These are my top 3 favourite leadership characteristics I like to model and love to see modeled for me.

1. Accept Autonomy

Recognizing that everyone that supports your business, whether they are employees, contractors, suppliers, vendors, or clients all have a different expectation from life. They have different beliefs, goals, visions, experiences, likes, frustrations, and needs, etc.

Knowing that people that work for and with you have different needs and honouring these needs helps them see you as someone that understands their needs. It builds a trust and respect for you as a person that truly cares about what is important to them.

With this you can give the options on how working for you works for them. I have a contractor that loves to work nights and weekends so she can spend the days with her kids. This works for both of us and we are both happy.

By giving people room to do and be themselves you will get more then you ever could by telling them what you want done.

2. Model What They Want

Usually you hear, model what you want from others, but I say, we are more likely to copy the actions of a person we see doing what we want to do than someone that wants us to do what they are doing.

I work long days, but sometimes I don’t. My family is a priority in my life so I work hard to keep my family time as work free as possible.

For my contractor that works nights and weekends, I hold her personal time as precious to her. Even though she has often offers to work times when it was not convenient I only accept this if there is appropriate compensation for her inconvenienced time. She has been with me for several years and is always keen to help on different projects.

If you are working 60-80 hours a week then you need to find people that really want to work 60-80 hours a week, because eventually they will tire of the work and move on. They won’t stay just because they see you as a role model on how to work 60-80 hours a week.

3. Be Approachable

The people I see as incredible leaders in my life are all approachable people willing to share their secrets. This doesn’t mean you have to be best friends with every person in your business life but it does mean you have to like people well enough to want to  spent time with those that need your help.

Who was your favourite leader from your past and what was their key trait that made them stand out? Share with us below in the comments.