Ten "Nuggets" for Great Leaders

You are a good leader, but do you want to be a great leader? Here are ten nuggets of wisdom offered by Oscar Villegas, Mayor Pro Tem, West Sacramento, which will help you raise your leadership skills to the next level:

1.    Exercise listening skills

v  Don’t rush to judgment—allow yourself to hear both sides.

2.    Hire smart people

v  Don’t be intimidated—they’ll support your ability to lead.

v  Don’t micromanage—let them give you what you need.

3.    Have resolve and conviction in what you do

v  Being passionate engages people’s trust and confidence in your leadership.

4.    Share the credit

v  Most efforts require a team effort.

5.    Establish working relationships outside of your immediate working group

v  It is important to get to know more people than who you are immediately working with. Plus, you never know when you may need their help in a crisis. If you’ve already established that working relationship, it’ll be easier to get the crisis resolved.

6.    Look for common ground with colleagues

v  Each person has a different style and background that they bring to the workplace. Focus on commonalities, not differences, to foster a productive working environment.

7.    Remember who you are as a leader—don’t try to be someone you are not

v  Acknowledge what you “bring to the table” and your weaknesses. Then, work on strengthening your weaknesses.

8.    Be aware of your present reality

v  It’s easy to get caught up in the future, balance that out with dealing with what is in the present.

9.    Look for a mentor

v  Mentors provide sage advice and help model what success looks like.

10.Continually seek self-development opportunities

Competent leadership is now ten steps closer. Challenge yourself to work on these and watch your leadership skills grow!

--Stephanie Haskett, Vice President, Membership

Communication and Leadership!