Whether you’re managing a small team or a large office, your brokerage’s success will depend on how good you are at inspiring and motivating those whom you manage.
“If you don’t get leadership right, everything else will fall apart,” said Alicia Matheson, business coach for Matheson Global Consulting, as she led a crowded session Sunday on “Evolutionary Leadership” during the 2017 REALTOR® Conference & Expo.
The problem is that many leaders may believe they’re better leaders than they actually are, she said, citing a Gallup poll that showed 90 percent of managers rate their leadership as above average. However, a separate Gallup poll found that employees say that the best day on their job is when their boss is out of the office.
“We’re only as great as the people we lead say we are,” Matheson said. Also, “it’s important to not just be a ‘good’ leader but a ‘great’ leader. There is a huge gap between ‘good’ and ‘great.’”
Matheson highlighted several skillsets of a stellar leader: the ability to inspire, be knowledgeable, provide resources and support staff, and be creative in sharing new and innovative ways for agents to conduct their business. “Being a better leader starts with collaborative ideas and pushing the boundaries of human capital with cutting edge technology and innovation,” Matheson said.
It’s important to lead by asking your team questions, she said. For example, what support do they need from you to do their jobs better? How is their business going?
Make sure your agents and staff understands your company’s overall purpose, too. If you get a buy-in from everyone in your office, they’ll feel more motivated, inspired, and loyal to their jobs, Matheson said. The purpose may include a commitment to a charitable cause, or your core mission of helping buyers and sellers achieve their dreams in homeownership. Articulate your vision in a clear, memorable way.
“Show people you care and make people want to be a part of your brand,” Matheson said. “Connect your behaviors to your purpose. We may judge ourselves by intention, but others will judge us by our behaviors.”
Here are Matheson’s 11 key everyday habits of effective leaders:
1. Wake up early every day.
2. Make your bed.
3. Workout. If you don’t have time to exercise, strike a “power pose.” Channel your inner Superman or Wonder Woman, and strike a powerful pose and hold it for 2 minutes. Research shows that workers are 33 percent more productive when they do. Matheson said a brokerage she works with started integrating the power pose in their team meetings, and after a month their sales shot up by 30 percent.
4. Have a healthy breakfast.
5. Review your day and maintain a journal.
6. Create a plan of action for the day. (Consider: Who can I make smile today?)
7. Meditate or visualize your day (e.g. Visualize what a successful day will look like.)
8. Finish the most important or difficult task first.
9. Create an outline for the following day’s activities.
10. Learn or read something inspirational.
11. Go to bed early. (Commit to 7-8 hours of sleep each night; research has shown it can increase your productivity.)
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