4 Leadership Tips to Take Your Association’s Team to New Heights

Every person in a management position wants that security of knowing their leading the team to victory, but how can you be sure this is the case at your association? Being a leader at your association can mean a lot of things. It can mean you’re in charge of a large part of staff, that you oversee operations, and that you need to generate an overall sense of moral within your organization. Being a leader means wearing many hats, performing many tasks, and exerting a lot of energy.+

‍And in order to take leadership to the next level and generate more success for your association, you’ll need some practice. Learning about new tips and tricks about being a leader and managing your association’s team is always beneficial, not just for the new association executive, but even for those well into their career.

‍So, if you want to truly be the leader that your association needs in order to achieve success, you may want to try something new. We’re providing you with 4 tips that can help you become a leader that is both trusted and respected by association team members.

1. Take initiative

The first thing any effective leader needs to know is how to get the ball rolling on any projects or goals that need to be accomplished. But taking initiative can be more nerve wracking than expected. Taking action on projects starts with a few different steps. First, you’ll want to be sure to gather your entire team when it’s time to start projects. Having all of your staff in one place will allow you to properly communicate and delegate tasks, as a leader should.

‍You’ll also want to show your staff that you really hold true to what you want achieved. Creating task schedules and having regular check-ins on projects you’re running will not only show you care, but it will demand a level of respect and attentiveness from employees that will in turn ramp up productivity. Taking initiative in order to see positive changes for your association is a leadership must.

2. Learn from others

While you may be managing a large team and be seen as an expert in all fields, chances are you don’t have every single piece of information on all that you manage. Learning from others isn’t a sign of a bad leader, in fact quite the opposite. You should always be learning and growing to set a great example for your association’s team.

‍Consider attending workshops, joining webinars, and completing online certifications on the topics and skills you’d like to know more about. With so many helpful resources available online and in person, there’s no reason you can’t tighten up your grasp on subjects that could make you a better manager. Additionally, reaching out to staff within your association can allow you to learn from those you manage. If you’re trying to run an IT project with little knowledge on IT, it may be beneficial to sit in on their process and learn more about how they complete tasks. This can also give you a better idea of how your team manages their time.

3. Honor ownership of responsibility

As a leader for your association, a lot of the position comes down to taking ownership that no matter where tasks are delegated, responsibility is always on your shoulders. That being said, you don’t bear the brunt of every problem. It’s important to make sure you know who on your team is taking care of what task, and what the result of their work is bringing your association. This will allow you to know who to turn to in case of a misstep- or even to congratulate a huge success.

Honoring responsibility and following through on what you delegate shows your team that although you want everyone to work as a cohesive unit, you care about them as individuals and want to push them to the best of their ability. It can also allow for less frustration amongst staff- no more playing the “blame game” when you know exactly who’s doing what. Honor task ownership and extend responsibility through your staff for maximum project management.

4. Embrace challenge

And finally, if you truly want to be someone that leads your team to victory, you want to embrace every challenge, hardship, and piece of criticism that comes your way. Embracing tough challenges makes you a better leader because it shows a brave face in the midst of adversity. It allows your staff to see that challenges are nothing more than that- things to tackle in order to achieve the result you want. Embracing criticism is another form of bravery too. If you can take constructive feedback from those outside and within your team and turn it into better change, you’ll be on your way to a stronger leadership style.

‍Taking any challenge that comes your way and turning it into an opportunity to grow will show your staff you have what it takes to be a top notch leader. With just four simple steps, you could be on your way to truly enhancing your leadership skills.