I have always been fascinated with leadership and fortunate enough to have studied it more closely in both my undergraduate career as well as through my Nonprofit Management master’s program. On top of that, I had the amazing opportunity to work under a fantastic manager at Kendra Scott, Katelin, who is such an inspiration for what an effective leader looks and acts like. Having the opportunity to step into a role with greater leadership responsibilities has meant that I have been thinking about these topics even more than normal and doing a lot more reading on how to continually improve my leadership skills and navigate difficult conversations and situations.

I think it’s really important to share what you learn as you grow to help others. No one should have to reinvent the wheel. So, this “Every Girl’s Guide” post is all about my top five tips for great leadership in the hopes that other women like me that are continuing to grow in their roles can benefit from them or, at the very least, have a little food for thought. I don’t profess to be something that I am not, so take these tips for what they are: a reflection of my experiences and an attempt to be helpful by being open and honest.

1. ALWAYS make a meeting agenda. This might seem insignificant, but it actually has far-reaching and positive effects. I once worked with a consultant on a project. That consultant explained to our group that if you are setting a meeting, you need to have an agenda. If you don’t feel like taking the time to put together a meeting agenda, then you shouldn’t be having a meeting. Particularly during these days of nonstop Zoom meetings, having respect for others enough to put together and agenda and maintain an organized meeting is such a great kindness.
2. Always get the bird’s eye view. Even when you have your own pieces of the puzzle to focus on, a good leader steps back and tries to get a grasp of the entire situation. Being able to support others on your team and enable their success means understanding how all of the pieces fit. Once you have the full picture, you’ll also be able to make recommendations that provide mutual benefit throughout your team and workplace. As a leader, your job is to eliminate obstacles for your team so that they can excel in their roles. This is way easier to do when you have a full understanding of the situation at hand.
3. Inspire and unite. This should be the foundation for all that you do. Your actions should always be rooted in an effort to unite your team behind a common goal and inspire them by bring them opportunities to find joy in their work and the good in their accomplishments. The best leaders are the ones that use positivity and empowerment to bring their teams up with them, not the ones that use fear or punishment. Again, this may seem fundamental, but if you’re actually weaving this into all that you do, it does require a certain amount of concentration and deliberation.
4. Clear is kind. The best way to be a good leader is to be clear – clear in the way that you speak to others, clear in the way that present team goals, and clear in your expectations. It can be totally tempting to quickly fill people in on a plan or speak your mind in a meeting the second you come up with an idea – I have to practice self control in this area all the time! The best thing that you can do as a leader is weigh your words and speak with as much clarity as possible. If you’re familiar with the saying, “It’s lonely at the top,” then you’ll recognize that this is the reason why. As a leader, even when you have a ton of thoughts and you’re running through many different ideas, you still have the sole responsibility to bring the conversation back to one final direction to ensure your team has direction and confidence.
5. Be comfortable being alone. There is a reason why they say it is lonely at the top, because it can be! A critical piece of being a leader is being able to make the big decisions that only you can make. There are times when it might be appropriate to open the decision up to a wider group, but most of the time you will be making choices that are difficult, and it would be inappropriate to burden other roles and positions with the information. Being comfortable in your role, confident in yourself, and prepared to work alone when necessary will make you an effective leader.

It is always a good time to pursue more leadership opportunities in the areas that most excite you. I hope that these tips are helpful as a growing leader, or a good kickstart if you’re about to step into a greater leadership role. If you have any leadership tips that you want to share, be sure to drop them in the comments below! Women supporting women is something we should always get behind!