Leaders are NOT managers – they influence, inspire, enthuse and drive the strategy of your organisation – here are 10 ways that you – as a key leader – can enhance your role:

1) Prepare prepare prepare – every speech, every informal meeting, every key interaction – spend the time preparing your words and content. It will make you polished, confident and above-all – it will impress your people and your key stakeholders

2) Act and follow through – the speech you made last week – always follow though. When you say you will do something – do it! Employees lose respect very quickly if they think you are all talk and no action!

3) Honour and recognise your team

4) Honour and recognise your employees

5) Celebrate the successes – however small. Even in the bad times there are opportunities for celebration..

6) Smile and laugh a lot – not only is it good for you, but it will put people around you at ease. It will also form people’s opinions of you

7) Customers are more important than internal meetings – focus on customers as THE priority and don’t compromise or ALLOW compromise on customer service

8) Dont encourage failure but dont knock those who are genuinely trying

9) Embrace diversity – diversity can bring great innovation and variety to any organisation

10) Be proud of your own achievements and understand your strengths – make sure you have strong people around you to support areas where you are not as strong

This content is loosely taken from Roy’s Blog Be Different or be Dead