FFN #29: Am I a Good Leader?

🤷🏼‍♀️ Why is it Important?

Leadership means so much more than just leading a team, it gives you a clear vision of what you want and how to get there. Leadership can help you deal with challenges and find prospects in the freelancing world. We typically think leaders are the people who advance with the help of other people, but real leaders are the people who can achieve a targeted goal alone due to their resourcefulness. Leaders don’t follow the crowd; they follow their own choices and are ready to accept the consequences of a misled choice.

Let’s dive into a few ways we can be great leaders in the freelancing world:

🤔 Embrace Your Flaws

We live in a world that celebrates self-belief, but it is far more important to have self-awareness. Although women are not as insecure as we are portrayed to be in the self-help literature (and popular media), studies do show that we are generally less overconfident than men. This is good news as it allows us to understand how people see us and gives us the capacity to spot gaps between where we want to be and where we actually are. The lack of confidence often means we overprepare or are constantly looking for new ways to improve. So let’s meet our flaws face on, as it’s a solid way to increase our competence and performance for business!

🎙 Communication is Key

A good leader can effectively communicate with other people. With most of us working remotely this skill is vital. Being an effective communicator means being able to actively listen to other people and clearly express yourself.

A few ways we have been improving our communication skills:

• Be straightforward and stay on the message: Simple language is better for getting your point across.

• Engage your listeners and practice active listening: Actively engage with the person you’re talking to. Asking follow-up questions and giving affirmative replies shows that you’re paying attention and understand what they’re saying.

• Better understanding of nonverbal communication: Pay attention to body language and facial expressions when communicating, a lot of what someone is feeling goes unsaid.

🤝 Be Socially Aware!

A good leader sees the bigger picture and preempts problems before they come up. This is an invaluable skill for freelancers who handle multiple projects and tight deadlines. Developing social awareness can also help you seize opportunities that other people overlook. This can be challenging to develop when working remotely, but you can become more attuned to over time.

👭 Advice from Female Leaders

"Know your 'true north' — the values and goals that motivate you to your position — and advocate for them consistently and relentlessly. Nurture your allies — those who share your true north and who want you to succeed. Let them help and support you. Before you can change something, you must first understand it. Listen to learn, not to reply. You won't learn much while you're talking.” -Moya Dodd, FIFA

“Take a deep breath, trust your instincts, and don’t overthink it. When you trust your instincts, your true self bubbles up in the most authentic way.” -Suzy Monford, Group Vice President Merchandising, Kroger

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