Last week we talked about what makes up some great qualities of a forensic leader. Although we know there are natural-born leaders what about those of us that were thrown into a forensic supervisor position, ready or not? Those of you who are looking to BECOME better leaders – here are our 7 tips for becoming a better forensic leader…
1. Be Responsible:
Pretty simple. If you expect your team to show up on time – you better show up on time. Meet your deadlines, expectations, and any other basic requirements your team needs.
2. Be a good listener:
You can’t hear a problem if you aren’t listening, and sometimes what is being said leads to another problem that your team isn’t even aware of. Listen.
3. Develop your team:
You’re only as strong as your weakest link. It’s good to put time, money, and effort into developing your team. Even if you know it’s not long-term. Those lessons down the road can make a big impact.
4. Be able to handle failure:
Listen up all you type A’s. When you delegate there’s going to be failure. When you are learning there’s going to be failure. When you are teaching there’s going to be failure. That failure may come in many ways on many levels, but it’s how you handle it that makes you a better leader.
5. Open Communication:
No more she said he said. Develop your team to have an open line of communication with you. Sometimes that means adjusting your approach and the reception of each member of your team. We talk about this a lot in our in-person trainings. Everyone gives information differently and everyone receives information differently. YOU as the leader have to care enough to figure out the puzzle.
6. Connect with your team:
Connecting could be as simple as standing behind your team. Build that relationship.
However, if you verbally abuse them and then expect a pizza part to fix everything… you might want to work on taking some communication classes (yes we’ve heard of someone doing this).
7. Show Confidence:
No one wants to work under a nervous nelly or a timid Timmy. You’re in your position for a reason show it through calm respectful confidence. A great way to show confidence is by owning up to mistakes. That shows that you are self-aware enough to know when something went wrong and confident enough to acknowledge you aren’t perfect even in power.
Wrapping up on becoming a better forensic leader:
These tips are going to mean something different for everyone. We hope that you’re able to get some ideas on where to start to improve your leadership. If you’re still struggling, check out our free e-book – “How to Crush you first 30 Days as a Forensic Supervisor”
Hope these help!
