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7 Practical Advices to be a Great Leader

Sogeti Labs
March 25, 2021

Leading… so many literature is published every day on this topic. Let’s replace our management books in their cozy library and compulse 7 tips to effectively lead a team.

1. Discern

By definition, leading means getting in touch with a myriad of people: One leader – many individuals. If you want to be a Great Leader, be totally sure to adapt your communication to the person you speak to. So on, be sure to know this person, identifying accurately his/her:

  • Strengths & Weaknesses
  • Consciousness & Evolution Level
  • Tempo and Wording

Last advice: be ready to amend your path according to your followers but never loose your own vision.

The better you’ll consider these elements, the more efficient will be your communication towards this person.

2. Be clear & sharp when leading

When comes the money-time, don’t show any hesitation to your followers, even if you still have doubts. By nature, people follow leaders also because they fully trust them. While you lack determination, the followers get worried, start fussing and adopt unproductive behaviors.

3. Be led

Nobody is exclusively a leader 24/7. Nobody. We ALL need to be lead sometimes. Find some inspiring peers around you, mainly outside your comfort zone.

4. Don’t be sorry

For some unconscious reason, we all use these clumsy language elements which are “I’m sorry to say this…” or “please excuse my…” I used to use these a lot, even when asking something to one of my fellows. “Sorry to bother you but I’d like you to do…” So, except if you really for sorry by a situation, DO NOT say sorry when talking to someone you have nothing to be sorry about.

5. Inspire

Don’t be mistaken – showing off all the time is different than showing why you do things and what benefits you get from. It’s about inspiration.

I can remember leading people even when I was 5 at the kindergarten. And I am still a leader today but it’s only when I was 40 that I realized the difference between inspiring people and being bossy. people. Until that time, I never ever talked about my own experience, too scary to be bashed by “Yet another braggart manager!” Since I expose my experiences while leading, everything’s goes easier and faster.

6. Feel

Forcing down your feelings and focusing only on rational elements can make you a strong manager. It will never make you a Great Leader. What you feel draws what you deeply are. The best way to get close to you is to contact your feelings. And the more you will get it, the bigger will be the feeling palette you can discern on yourself but also on your fellows.

7. Lead yourself first 

You want to be a Great Leader for people? Good. But first, don’t miss the number one person you must be able to lead: You!
Get to know yourself, deeply and honestly. Assume the leader you are. Stand on a tree stump and explicitly declare:

I Am a LEADER!

About the author

SogetiLabs gathers distinguished technology leaders from around the Sogeti world. It is an initiative explaining not how IT works, but what IT means for business.

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