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6 Things Exceptional Leaders Do Better
6 Things Exceptional Leaders Do Better
Original article by Peter Gasca (Inc.com)
tim_d/Flickr
Exceptional leaders differentiate themselves by doing a few things better. Here are six things you can learn from them.
What makes an exceptional leader exceptional?
This was the topic I had the fortunate opportunity to discuss recently with a class of graduating university seniors. Many of the students believed that future business leaders needed a new set of leadership skills that recognized the new global economy that continues to be molded and shaped by rapidly changing technology and globalization.
They aren’t wrong.
They were overlooking, however, the fact that fundamental leadership skills are characteristic of all great leaders, past and future. What differentiated exceptional leaders from great leaders, however, was not necessarily how to amend these characteristics but rather how to execute them better.
Here are six things exceptional leaders do better:
1. Great leaders are exceptional communicators and orators. Exceptional leaders are better at knowing when to shut it and listen.
Being able to motivate and influence others is an incredibly important skill for a leader. The most exceptional leaders, however, are often those who ask more questions than they answer. Not coincidentally, they also know the right questions to ask. Typically, the reason exceptional leaders are great communicators is not because they orate well but rather that they are better at understanding with whom they are speaking.
2. Great leaders are exceptionally idealistic vision setters. Exceptional leaders are better at admitting when they are wrong.
Great leaders operate innovative companies that often challenge a business or cultural paradigm. Exceptional leaders are no different, except that their companies endure. Think about it.
3. Great leaders are exceptionally organized and analytical. Exceptional leaders are better at delegating.
I do believe that great leaders need to possess a high degree of organizational skill and be able to apply analytical thinking to understand complex business situations. Indeed,the age of Big Data is making these skills even more necessary. Exceptional leaders, however, understand the importance of and how to surround themselves with exceptional talent and delegate tasks and responsibility to them.
4. Great leaders are exceptional problem identifiers. Exceptional leaders are better problem solvers.
One trait that separates great leaders from the field is the ability to delve into a problem, ask the right questions, and understand the root cause of an issue. This is not as easy as many believe. Exceptional leaders, however, not only intuitively understand how to do this but also how to construct and assess the problem in terms of a solution. It’s a fine line that exceptional leaders understand.
5. Great leaders are exceptionally confident decision makers. Exceptional leaders are better at dishing credit.
A great leader is really adept at running a great company. An exceptional leader, however, does not necessarily run an exceptional company. The rest of the company does. Think about it.
6. Great leaders are exceptionally smart. Exceptional leaders are better at not being stupid.
Not being stupid is one of the most undervalued skills today. This goes beyond bad business miscalculations to include remarkably stupid personal decisions leaders make that inevitably seep into and tarnish a business. Exceptional leaders instinctively know how to keep their noses clean and avoid precarious situations.
The debate will assuredly continue about what exactly differentiates an exceptional leader from the rest. For certain, the graduating seniors are convinced that technical skills, such as being fluent in a programming language like HTML, are key factors to becoming a great leader in the future. Again, they aren’t necessarily wrong, but I am hopeful that they will find their youthful exuberance as a much more valuable asset!
So which other skills are exceptional leaders better at? Share your thoughts below.
7 Things You’re Doing Wrong on Pinterest
7 Things You’re Doing Wrong on Pinterest
original article by Minda Zetlin - Inc.com
Have you made any of these mistakes? If so, you’re not benefitting from Pinterest as much you could be.
“If your brand isn’t on Pinterest, you’re getting left behind!” “Pinterest drives more sales than Facebook!” Advice like this, from consultants, social media experts, and–yes–websites like this one have a lot of truth to them. But they’ve pushed some small companies into jumping into Pinterest without taking the time to think things through. And that’s led to a lot of mistakes, according to Debba Haupert, creator of the blog Girlfriendology, and channel director at Collective Bias, a company that connects brands and retailers with social media influencers.
Here are the seven biggest mistakes she sees companies making when they use Pinterest:
1. Starting out without a strategy.
“We have to be on Pinterest because everyone else is!” isn’t a strategy. And if you don’t have a strategy, you may be wasting time, Haupert warns. “Know your keywords and use them in profiles, pins, and boards,” she says. “Know the categories where your customers will find you. You have to put some thought into it before you jump in.”
2. Using lackluster graphics.
Pinterest is image-driven and your pins are competing against professional photography from landscapes to kittens doing cute things. “You can’t be cheap about your photography,” Haupert says. “If you’re going to make the effort and dedicate the budget and hours it takes to be on Pinterest, you have to have engaging, amazing images that will get you noticed and re-pinned.” For instance, she explains, if your product is a vacuum cleaner, don’t just post shots of your product. Post a before-and-after image of a carpet after it removed a stain. Pinterest users with stains on their own carpets will take notice. Another option is to skip the photography and create interesting graphics with text or charts, she adds.
3. Being boring.
Brands become boring if they appear overly corporate, Haupert explains. “Legal worries have scared some companies away from pinning stuff. That’s too bad because nobody will follow them if all they’re pinning is their catalogue or images from their website. I’ll just go to the catalogue or the website if I want to see that stuff.” If this is you, she suggests adding a line to your bio explaining that your pins are merely intended to share what you find interesting, not necessarily endorse it.
4. Leaving boards unchanged for too long.
“That shows a lack of engagement and a missed opportunity,” Haupert says. “If you start it and then forget it, there’s no reason for anyone to follow you.”
At least move boards around from time to time, she says. And pay attention to seasonal issues–don’t have summer fashions on your board in January.
5. Using representatives who don’t understand the brand.
Companies often hire recent college graduates or other young folks to pin on their behalf only because they know Pinterest better than their older colleagues do (and they’re often available cheap). “A lot of small business owners tell me their friend’s son will handle social media because they ‘get’ it,” Haupert says. “But they may not know your brand or the tone you want to convey.”
6. Forgetting your audience.
It’s too easy to get lost in pinning what you find interesting or what represents your brand without paying attention to what your target customers care about. So pay attention to what people like, Haupert says. “Notice what they re-pin, then just do more of that,” she says. “You need to interact, respond to questions, and make sure you have boards aimed at your specific audience.”
7. Ignoring the competition.
Notice what other companies in your field are doing, and mine their pins for good ideas. For instance, Haupert noted that both a local coffee shop and Starbucks had Pinterest boards. The Starbucks’ board featured appealing shots of coffee drinks that were getting re-pinned frequently. The local coffee shop had merely posted its logo and left it at that. “Make sure you know what companies going after the same customers are doing,” she advises.