2019 Edition: Practicing the Art of Leadership

In his latest book, "The Hero Factor: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations and Create Winning Cultures," Jeffrey Hayzlett provides the blueprint of leadership in 2019. And in a time when every business in every market segment is fighting for consumer attention, Hayzlett's advice is simple, but effective.

Today’s brands must engage, connect with, listen to and include their customers and employees in the conversation surrounding the business. That takes leadership. That takes investing in people as a path to more inclusion and knowing the line between being a hero and a martyr.

Hayzlett, chairman and CEO of the C-Suite Network, knows his way around the topic. A business thought leader, he has been cited in the likes of Forbes, SUCCESS, Mashable, Marketing Week and Chief Executive, among many others. He also shares his executive insights TV networks like Bloomberg, MSNBC and C-Suite TV.

As we head into 2019, he believes it is time for leaders to raise their leadership game. Here are his insights on what you can do to push your company and team to the next level. 

What are some of the leadership traits that can make a difference?

Leadership means being practical in making decisions that cater to a majority of the group and/or the benefit of the company. In order to be a good leader, you must possess a few of the “P’s of Leadership”: Personality, Persuasiveness, Patience and Perception, Probity, Praise and People.

Why is important to constantly build upon these characteristics/strategies?

You have to show your personality—whether it’s humor or having charisma, employees need to relate to you at some level. Being persuasive doesn’t mean getting people to do what you want. It means that as a leader, you are constantly aware of the difference between your employees at every rung of the ladder—from your fellow executives, to other types of company leaders, to the admin team. 

Patience and perception are essential twins needed to get things done. We live in an age of instant gratification, where everything has to happen now. Despite that, patience is a virtue and every leader needs to have a healthy dose of patience. Plus, you need to ensure that everyone on the team is on the same page, so they don’t perceive things differently and cause miscommunication.

Honesty and trustworthiness are the pillars of any good leader. If your employees and colleagues can’t (or don’t) trust you, you have a huge problem to overcome. Not to mention, no one wants to do business with you. People will follow people they trust, and they’ll appreciate your candor and openness.

Why is important to foster an environment of change, and embrace new ideas and ways of doing things?

One of my adages is “Adapt, change or die.” If you’re not adapting to change, your business is going to die. It’s that simple. Those who didn’t adapt to the emergence of social media, probably don’t have a business anymore. The only two sure things in life are death and taxes. Everything else is always evolving, always changing. So, if you’re not changing with the times, you’re dead in the water. 

What is the key to balancing running a business and building a business?

Delegate. You hired people to help you run the business. More often than not, these people will have the same goal as you—to move the business forward. Empower them to make decisions that will help the business grow, to make decisions. Your focus should be different from the day-to-day requirements, not more important (or less), just different.