Stephanie Linus Daily

Category: Career

  • How To Become A Leader At Work

    Hi SL Fabz,

    It’s the start of another work week. I sure hope that you are all set to make it a fulfilling one.

    Do you know that with the right attitude and a desire to learn, anyone can become a leader at work?

    Being a leader does not necessarily mean you must be the head of the company or the Managing Director. You can still be a leader in your own team. Here are some tips to help you:

    1. Communicate Effectively
    This means listening is more important than talking. Maintain a strong physical and social presence with your team, as they’ll feel more managed than led if you do not actively spend time with them. This could be by making sure your desk is with them, or just dropping by every now and again to track their progress, but make sure you are consistent. Also, make sure that you are always available to offer your team help.

    2. Build Relationships
    Engage with people above and beneath you in the occupation hierarchy. As you build relationships with executives, you’ll increase your confidence. Don’t be intimidated by their title or influence. Also relate with people beneath you. They help you understand the company even better.  It’s important to see them as equal and to recognize the value and benefit of having them as advocates supporting your career.

    3. Take Responsibility
    If you want to be a leader at work, learn to take responsibility for anything that has your fingerprint on it. That means, as long as you participate in the project, you have a hand at the failure of the project. Learn to take responsibility for not just the good things, but even bad ones. Admit to your mistakes, it’s okay to be wrong. You cannot learn if you have not made any mistakes.

    4. Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone
    Sometimes, its good to try out things that make you feel uncomfortable. Take a few risks, do things that you believe in. Don’t be afraid to fail since failure can be one of the best teachers you’ll ever have. Take on a project that no one wants, assume responsibility and prove to your co-workers that you are a great leader.

    5. Establish Rules & Follow Them Through
    It is essential you establish some form of boundaries with regard to your professional relationships, as well as what you expect from your team, whether it be office courtesy, productivity, or out-of-office conduct. A leader who has a clear directive as to what they expect and what they wish for their team to achieve is much easier to follow and to respect than someone who is unsure as to what they intend to do.

    6. Stay Positive
    Finally, be positive and offer solutions. You’ll build your own self-confidence and earn the confidence of your superiors if you offer positive solutions to problems.

    I hope you have a great week and achieve your dreams!

    xoxo

    SL

  • Who Should Resign?

    Imagine this scenario. Guy and lady meet while working at the same company (let’s say a bank). They fall in love and decide to get married. However, the company’s policy does not allow for a married couple to work in the same bank. One person has to resign.

    They are both aware of this and have agreed the lady would resign to look for another job. But the problem is the lady recently got a promotion just before the wedding where she would be earning more than twice the man’s salary and now she doesn’t want to resign. The man is adamant that she must saying he can’t be jobless. The lady is arguing that she shouldn’t because she has gotten a promotion and may not get this kind of offer elsewhere.

    SL Fabz, if you were in this situation, what would you do?

  • Career Talk: When You “Hate” Your Boss…

    Employer- Employee relationships aren’t always so rosy.

    For different reasons, some people are not on good terms with their bosses at work. This could be the head of the company or just the immediate person you report to at work.

    Here are some common reasons for friction between employees and their bosses

    • Salaries not paid on time
    • Sending employees on other personal duties aside from their official duties
    • Bosses asking employees for affairs and threatening their jobs if they refuse
    • Use of bad language and abusive words in addressing each other…. and much more

    Conflict at the work place is often a serious issue and has caused some people to resign their jobs even when they weren’t really ready to. I’ve heard people say too many times… “I’m going to leave that job” and when you ask why, they say “I don’t like my boss.”

    Are you currently in such a situation or have you ever been in one where you don’t like your boss or as some would say, you “hate” your boss? What is/was the cause of the conflict between you both? Did this cause you to resign or are you planning to? How are you coping with the situation?

    What would be your advice on dealing such a situation?

    Let’s discuss!