Leadership is a crucial component in the workplace that can motivate, inspire and improve employees’ outlook and productivity. That being said, it starts with you, your habits, your behaviour, how you interact with others, and your expectations. Below we outline resolutions you can practice as a leader in the new year.

Build Trust

Open discussions between managers and employees build trust in the workplace, setting the stage for deeper and more productive conversations about team performance. They also create stronger bonds between leaders and employees.

Delegate with Trust

Delegating activity is easy: just tell someone what to do and how to do it. But delegating activity and responsibility – relinquishing your control – is another matter. Micromanagement is, in essence, retention of trust, and if you are employing people you can’t trust, you have some questions to answer.

Live the Culture You Want

Aspiring to a positive, healthy organisational culture is a good thing. However, expecting it to happen through instruction and initiative is asinine. If you want your company culture to change, you must change your behaviour first. Then, and only then, will others follow suit.

Focus on Sowing Not Reaping

Too many of us fixate on outcomes and results which, ironically, are things we have very little control over. Furthermore, we neglect things we can control – the causes. Commercially, this means you should focus obsessively on delivering your value and the rewards will look after themselves.

Take Responsibility for Developing Your Employees

Your employees need to own their learning and their career path. However, your ability to cultivate talent can have a great impact on them, and on your own reputation and effectiveness as a leader.

Respect Your Limits

This is all about knowing the boundaries of your control and responsibility. When you control something that you are not responsible for, the result is interference and micromanagement. When you take responsibility for something you have no control over, the result is failure.

Cut Out the Small Talk

Perhaps one of the most damaging and wasteful activities that many take part in is idle chatter, which frequently involves criticism of another. If the criticism is valid, involve the other person. If not, refuse to take part and walk away. Your example as a leader is critical.

Get Balanced

We need to establish a balance for more than just work and rest. We need our fair share of art, music, nature, exercise, friends, family and fun to name a few. If you believe you don’t have time to get the balance right, then you are a victim of your work and not a leader.

Getting the most out of your talent, day in and day out, is not easy. It requires time, commitment, and a plan. Developing and inspiring others is one of the most difficult leadership challenges faced by middle- and executive-level managers around the world. If you are ready to see a change in your people this year, start by making one or more of these leadership resolutions. Keep reading our blog for more advice and information.