8 Critical Things Every Great Leader Remembers

8 Critical Things Every Great Leader Remembers

It's hard to remember everything when you're busy. But here are eight things a great leader never forgets.

If you are a leader it helps to have a great memory. You have to keep tons of concepts and data in your head so you can constantly analyze and act on strategy and operations. Executing big ideas well requires a big brain and focused recall on the fly. But don't discount the small acts of memory that every leader should use to daily.

Aside from facts, figures and policy, great leaders make a priority of remembering the soft elements that help their team grow and perform at their best. Great leaders don't save human reflection for special occasions. They keep these thoughts in mind all the time to keep their teams happy and productive.

1. Remember to offer kindness.  

Cruel comments, sarcasm and harsh criticism never make anyone's day better. And being ignored can come off as the worst sort of mean. Being mindful of others' feelings is critical for a great leader to build a productive environment. The team will build a culture that follows the leader's demeanor. Treated them with care and consideration, even when they screw up. Then they will remember to do the same.

2. Remember to offer respect.

People on the team need to feel that you value their skills and knowledge. If you treat them like children, they will act like children, or worse. Great leaders remember to let their teams know they are valued, because words, tone and gestures will show it. Everyone from the cleaning person to the top executive deserves certain basic courtesies, including a cordial greeting, a present moment of your attention and the acknowledgement of their efforts.

3. Remember to offer patience.

Great leaders maintain their own sanity and that of others by managing impatience, especially their own. This is the era of instant gratification, and most people want things done as quickly as possible. But an immediate response or solution is not always available. Recognize that many aspects of a project will take time to develop, or that an answer may take 24 hours or more to find. Set an agreed upon plan with reasonable expectations even when pressured. It's ok to stay in touch while waiting, but avoid pestering others, berating them or getting in the way.

4. Remember to offer humor.

When all else fails, we have laughter. Laughing can relieve a lot of tension and do a great deal to help people who are ready to give up. People value leaders who can make the negatives seem less daunting with a joke. Laughter is not a substitute for persistence and hard work, of course. But the judicious use of humor can do a lot to put things in perspective. Oh yeah, and lots of humor makes work more fun as well.

5. Remember to offer truth.

No one is served by quiet politeness, or outright lies. It's hard to hear the truth sometimes especially when you are emotionally invested in a project that is off track. But great leaders know how to deliver truth in a straightforward way that helps people move forward. You can be frank without being mean, petty or harsh. And the detriments of avoidable failure due to silence or candy coating far outweigh the harshness and pain of learning the truth.

6. Remember to offer encouragement.

Nothing saps energy like the feeling of being lost or out of options. When people are running out of energy or feeling down, great leaders take notice and remember how to get people back on track. You can describe what you like/admire about them. Remind them of the strengths and skills they can bring to the table. If cheerleading isn't enough, roll up your sleeves and get into problem solving with them.

7. Remember to offer gratitude.

People feed on acknowledgement. Just saying "thank you" when someone holds the door can affirm that positive behavior. And when you hold the door yourself...it tells the other person that you value them and want to meet their needs. Great leaders remember to be grateful for the efforts others make on their behalf. Be watching for opportunities to do small, thoughtful things for others that demonstrate how much you appreciate their efforts.

8. Remember to offer hope.

When times seem harsh and bleak, great leaders remember that they are great leaders and it is their responsibility to offer the path forward. During the worst times, people want to believe that life will get better, that everything will improve, and that growth/progress/success is in their grasp. Let people know that you believe in them, that your expectations are high and that they should keep trying.

 

Strategic Manager Kyle Heads to LA for Business Training!

Strategic Manager Kyle Heads to LA for Business Training!

This week Taylor Made Marketing’s Strategic Manager; Kyle Clark will be heading to Los Angeles, California for Business Building Blocks management training. Kyle will be able to learn more on what it takes to run a successful business and network with other manager’s in our organization.  It is a great opportunity for Kyle as he is getting ready to open and run Taylor Made Marketing’s expansion of their newest location.  Kyle has been working very hard and feels honored for such a great opportunity.  Kyle goes to say “never wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect.” Everyone here at Taylor Made Marketing wishes Kyle the best of luck and hopes he is able to deal with his fear of flying.  

4 Ways to Make A Great First Impression On Anyone

You only get one chance to make a great first impression.

No one will remember you, or pay you much attention if your first impression is so unmemorable. But there are many different ways to make sure you make a powerful, memorable first impression, and we’re going to look at four of the most effective methods.

1. Design your elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is how you describe what you do for a living in a short amount of time, usually about thirty seconds. It’s called an elevator pitch because 30 seconds is the amount of time you will normally have to wait for an elevator. During that time it’s important that you can sum up what you do and how you do it. This is also useful in social situations when meeting people for the first time.
If you network with other business people, then along with your business card this is the most important way of getting your message across.

When starting a new business your main marketing tool is….YOU!  By meeting people and speaking to them you are going to spread awareness of your business. When I first started working for myself, I had never heard of an elevator pitch or a 30 second story.

If someone asked me what I did I would undermine the importance of my business and be quite vague. This was because I was afraid of what other people would think and also because I hadn’t developed enough confidence in myself.

You don’t have to be starting or own your own business to benefit from having an elevator pitch. Write a thirty second script that you would say to someone when you meet them for the first time. Learning this off by heart can help you make a really good first impression. It’s very important that you deliver it with confidence as you won’t be saying it again to that particular person.

Since I developed my elevator pitch I have stopped sabotaging myself through introductions where I appeared nervous and lacking self-belief. Knowing my elevator speech well allows me to introduce myself with confidence and clarity and describe concisely what I do. You have to look as if you believe in yourself, and sound as if you believe in yourself, to enable others to believe in you too! You need to make it easy for them to connect with you.

2. Speak for Yourself

Sometimes you will be introduced to someone and the person who is making the introduction will do all the talking. If you are anxious or nervous then it is much easier to just stand there, smile and say Hi. In my own experience, I found that people don’t remember you if you don’t say anything and let the other person do all the talking. Speak for yourself.

After you have been introduced, make an effort to engage with that person with a question, for example, ‘do you come to these functions regularly?’ or give them some information about yourself. Try to ask open questions, beginning with ‘how do you….’ or ‘what do you feel about….’ When you really can’t think of anything to say, find something in common, or if you  know a little about them, then use it to your advantage, for example ’Jim tells me you were born in Hawaii, what was growing up there like?’

Remember, most people love to talk about themselves!

3. Treat Everyone Like The Gatekeeper To Your Destiny

Joel Osteen, the American preacher and speaker, says that you should treat everyone like the gatekeeper to your destiny. What he means by this is that everyone you meet has the potential to change your life immeasurably and help you get to where you want to be. This is why it is vitally important to treat everyone the same and introduce yourself to as many people as possible, as you never know who will change your life for the better.

I recently met an old family friend whom I had not seen in many years. He did not recognise me and in the past I would have let my anxiety get the better of me and not said hello. These days, I am a lot more confident than I used to be, so I introduced myself and then used my elevator pitch to tell him what I am doing now.

I would have been happy with just the process of introducing myself and using my elevator pitch but the outcome of that chance meeting has been amazing and has provided me with huge opportunities. That is what I’ve found from introducing yourself well and using your elevator pitch. People will think of ways in which they can help you.

Try it out for yourself, and you will see more and more people will want to help you. Enthusiasm is infectious and people want to be a part of your success. You will also realise that there may be ways in which you can help other people and you might even be the gatekeeper to their destiny!

4. Body Language and Attitude

These are common sense tips that you probably already know but are easy to forget about and not to put into practice. Body posture is very important when you meet someone. The human brain will pick up many signals subconsciously from a meeting in a split second to help it form an opinion of you. You want to make sure you are giving off as many positive signals as possible.

Standing up straight is the most basic but the most important. When you stand up straight with your shoulders back you are giving the signal that you are confident in yourself. You also need to speak clearly and purposefully.

Your introduction and elevator pitch will have no impact if you mumble and look at the person’s shoes or over their shoulder. Always look people in the eyes. If you find this difficult then look at people’s eyebrows as they will think you are looking into their eyes. Make sure you smile throughout your meeting. Happiness and enthusiasm are infectious and attractive.

If you are anxious or nervous then meeting people may be difficult for you. It will help you immensely to control your breathing. Take slow deep breaths, this will help you to remain calm and be confident. Say to yourself “I’m calm and relaxed; I want to share who I am and what I do with others”.

If you believe in yourself and seem confident, enthusiastic and genuinely interested in the other person, then you will make a great first impression. Some people may not like you for reasons that are beyond your control, perhaps you remind them of someone or they are just simply having a bad day. If you have negative responses, don’t let this affect you. You are only in control of your own actions and thoughts. The outcomes of your meetings are out of your control so focus on the process!
The majority of the first meetings will be great and you will begin to attract new people into your life who want to help you and be friends with you.

If you have business cards then it’s best to carry them around with you everywhere you go as you never know who you could meet. Having a case is important to keep them in good condition. I’m not suggesting you give them out like confetti to everyone, but it’s important to have some to hand to give to the people who are interested or you think could make a difference to your business.
If you find introducing yourself difficult or you want to improve your first impression then a great way to do it is to practice. Go to a place where you can introduce yourself to someone. A networking event is a great place to meet lots of new people.

If you haven’t got an event coming up soon, practice by introducing yourself to the person serving you in the supermarket, in the bookstore, your neighbour, etc. You will learn something from every interaction especially the ones that are less than perfect.

I hope these tips will enable you to be your authentic, positive, confident self when meeting people and make memorable impressions at every opportunity.

Top Performer Weekend in Phoenix, AZ

Top Performer Weekend in Phoenix, AZ

In March, President, Austin Taylor was asked to attended a top performer weekend in Phoenix, Arizona.  This top performer weekend is a new event and will be held once a year from now on.  The overall objectives are to clearly define and recognize the top performers in the industry and give recognition for all the hard work and success they’ve had.  Austin was chosen because of the phenomenal year Taylor Made Marketing had in 2012 and is continuing into 2013.  Austin prides himself on the success of the company and continually displays his motivation and drive that there is always another goal to reach. 

The weekend ranged from getting coaching from top performers in the industry to enjoying relaxing day at one of the best resorts in Phoenix. The weekend wrapped up with a formal dinner where the managers were able to come together again and talk about their experiences throughout the weekend.  This social time helped make the retreat informational yet relaxing.   By attending All-star weekend managers were able to network, gain business experience, set goals, and have fun!

To see more Pictures from the weekend check out our Flickr HERE!