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"Respect, trust and credibility are the intangible elements that can make or break a career. So earning respect and developing credibility and trust are critical to your success in business," said Edward T. Reilly, President and CEO of American Management Association. "An effective leader does not have to command respect, but your actions will help you earn it." Reilly offers the following suggestions:
Create a vision. And provide the key resources to make it happen.
Communicate that vision. Talk about it confidently and consistently at every opportunity.
Be passionate. Your enthusiasm will encourage people to accept your ideas and pursue your goals. You can't light a fire under someone if you are a wet match.
Walk the talk. Be visible. Stay involved. Team members want a leader who is in the trenches with them. And, if you say that you'll do something, they want to know they can count on your word. If you want others to be accountable, you must be accountable.
Create a congenial, supportive atmosphere. Be a good listener. Be patient. Be open. Your team wants to feel it can express itself freely. Trust builds trust.
Show that you value the work of every team member. You will have people with different levels of skills and different responsibilities. Acknowledge that each contributes to the team's success.
Be open to disagreement. Team members should feel they can express their ideas and beliefs freely without any negative consequences.
Know your strengths and weaknesses. Understand how you appear to others-in particular, recognize your own unhelpful "hot buttons" and work on eliminating them. Be able to speak about your shortcomings with honesty and directness.
Accept responsibility for your actions and those of your team. Demonstrate courage. Admit shortcomings. Team members want a leader with the courage to admit if they let the team down. Put aside your own well-being and self-interest.
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