James Donaldson on Mental Health - Being a Better Leader

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TOP TIPS

Learning how to lead people will make you more effective at your work as it will make the people you are leading more productive. Doing it right will gain you respect that can last for a long time.

- Listen to Your Team

It’s not necessary for leaders to know everything. They will need to get input from the team. Teams are usually made up of people with varying skills and even intelligence. Always ask your team for input and listen to what they have to say. You may still be required to make any final decisions, but when you get the team involved, they will feel connected.

- Don’t Be Afraid to Make Tough Decisions

Your team may not like every decision you make. That can often scare leaders into not making the right decisions, or worse, no decisions at all. As long as you have reasons for making your decisions, you can use that to back them up when people challenge your decisions.

- Delegate to Team Members

Leaders make the mistake of trying to manage everything. Sometimes it’s best to find a few members of your team who you can trust to carry out some of your functions. You may have to give up some power, but you can hold those members accountable in exchange.

- Admit When You’re Wrong

Everyone makes mistakes. Leaders are no different. When you make a mistake, be up front with your team about it. They will respect this more than were you to try and cover up those mistakes. The key is to try and get everyone on the team to learn from those mistakes.

- Show Appreciation

When your team members do good work, make sure you let them know about it. Appreciation goes a long way, and they will appreciate you back for it. When you gain their respect, they will do more for you after you give them kudos.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Link for 40 Habits Signup
bit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth

www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com

- Be Willing to Jump In

Just because you are the leader does not mean you can’t lend a hand and pitch in. Sometimes the team may need some extra help, and you should be ready to offer that to them. This does not mean that you have to do their work for them. Having you as the backup can help the team succeed.

- Be a Mentor to Team Members

If you can help your members to become more successful, the whole team will benefit. Act in a mentor capacity to help them achieve the objectives of the team.

- Participate in Team Activities

When the team meets up after work for a gathering, be willing to participate, at least, some of those extra-office activities. Your team will want to get to know you outside of the office and will want you to get to know them as well. When possible, try to get the company to pick up the tab on occasion.

- Keep Meetings as Short as Possible

If you have to have meetings, make sure you keep them as short as you can. Your team is trying to get their work done, and they don’t need to be bogged down in long meetings.

https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-being-a-better-leader/