Podcast Center
Video Center
Webcasts
Resource Center
Events
December 04, 2014 at 08:40 AM
Most financial advisors didn’t get into this profession to manage people or to run a business. They got into it because of their love for finance and investing, and a desire to help people on their own journeys to fulfillment. But one day (and many can say they’ve already experienced this) they find themselves running their own practice, managing a team of people and tackling various other quandaries unrelated to the core of what they envisioned.
There is no one particular skillset developed from formal education or past experience to best manage all of these challenges. However, there are some common traits that good leaders tend to embody.
1. Leaders Are Trustworthy
Do you keep your word even in emergencies, when there is incredible stress? Reach out to your team and top clients to find out what they say about you and get a clear picture of how you show up to others. Will your team, clients, and other connections say you have impeccable integrity and a great attitude?
Research year after year shows integrity is universally the number one thing employees want from their leader. Be honest, candid and treat everyone in the same way you yourself would want to be treated. They don’t call it the Golden Rule for nothing!
2. Leaders Are Inspirational
I’m sure you’ve painted a vision of your future, but have you painted that picture for others to see and feel? We work with a lot of advisors on doing just that through our blueprinting process: creating your mission, vision, values, message and how to answer the questions of what you do and why you do it. In fact, it’s often the first thing we do when coaching advisors because everything else you do stems from what you find and develop during this exercise.
The best advisors inspire action. They do so by clearing away the roadblocks that constrain their team’s creativity and drive. They also find ways to share their detailed vision with their team so each member of the team understands how his or her role contributes to the big picture. How do you educate and communicate your mission, vision and values to your team? To your new hires?
Create a checklist as visual reminder to communicate these concepts to each client and team member. It may sound like the least inspiring thing to do, but trust me, in order to be an inspiration to others you must first educate them on what drives you. The more passionate you are with this message, the stronger your following will be.
3. Leaders Build Relationships
