NEW YORK – Entrepreneur’s writers and contributors “found that the most effective leaders have an ability to discover unexpected opportunities, share ideas in a way that gets other people excited and surround themselves with smart, passionate people.”
To cap off 2014 and reignite your leadership skills for 2015, here are the top 10 leadership stories of the year:
10. For Better Conversations, Replace 'How Are You?' With This One Phrase: “Tell Me.” Etiquette coach and entrepreneur Jacqueline Whitmore says you can start connecting better by asking more open-ended questions, such as "Tell me, what did you enjoy the most about the conference?"
9. Employers Benefit Most When Every Candidate Has a Good Experience
Maintaining office morale starts with the first interview, and keeping the lines of communication and honesty open goes a long way in making the hiring process constructive for everyone.
8. Habits of the Wealthiest
There are more than 30 million millionaires in the world, and here’s a peek at what they do regularly: exercise, eat healthy, read voraciously, “and network, network, network.
7. Nine Things Successful People Won't Do
High-performing leaders understand that staying positive – not holding grudges, dwelling on problems or focusing on negative influences – is integral to setting and accomplishing their goals.
6. Successful Entrepreneurs Do These Five Things Daily
Career consultant Meiko Patton says there are ways to learn from obstacles and failures and channel them into something even more fulfilling. Disciplined leaders who aren’t afraid to fail and take time to recharge and help others are well on their way to long-term success.
5. 50 Signs You Might Be an Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs not only think differently, they act differently. “They draw on personality traits, habits and mindsets to come up with ideas that straddle the line between insanity and genius”
4. Is Your Brain Limiting Your Entrepreneurial Success?
“Relying solely on what you already know is like working for 30 years but having just one year’s worth of experience repeated 30 times.” An innovative leader is always on the lookout for new opportunities, prospects and points of view.
3. Successful People Never Say These 15 Phrases
Remove phrases like "I don’t know what that is," "I did everything on my own" or "if our competitors don't have it, then we don't need it" out of your lexicon. Successful entrepreneurs know they can’t do it alone and are always teachable.
2. SEAL Teams Don't Accept These 10 Phrases, and Neither Should You
Take a page or two out of the SEAL Team playbook by holding yourself and your team accountable and being decisive, which means avoiding phrases like “Let’s hold off on this issue until the next meeting” or "I can't do that."
1. Chart Goals to Create a Road Map to Success
Don’t be intimidated by the scope of your ideas. “Create a personalized road map for arriving at your desired destination by setting the following types of goals: immediate, intermediate and stretch goals.”
To learn more about how NACS can help you build stronger leadership skills, register for the NACS Leadership Challenge, an exclusive opportunity to help attendees change their personal and professional lives.