Young Leadership     How To Overcome Common Challenges 

How to Get People to Respect You

Respect is one thing that is a critical component of humanity. So when you start as a young leader you want people to respect you but the honest trurth is you cannot force them. Respect comes when you are a good listener where you take time to hear what other people say without arguing. Never start by telling people what to do but alawys first, ask them questions. You can ask questions such as  "What do you think?", "What problems do you see?" When people see you care, they start to respecting you.

The bible says tells chiristians and everyone alike to homble themselves. In the same vain also, be humble. When you don't know something, just say so rather than pretending that you know. People always like it when you are honest. The opposite is true as well as they don't like it when you pretend to know everything. 

Lastly, do your work well this is important. When you do good work, people will notice and see it. They will be convinced that you are capable. In Zimbabwe, we say, "Good work speaks for itself." This is true.

What to Do When Someone Talks About Your Age

In any society people may say a lot of things about your age. For older generations they may say, "You are too young to understand."  and this will hurt your feelings or inner ego. how you answer or respond is important. Do not get angry or freak out. In such instances emotional intelligence plays the game changer. Just stay calm. You can say, "I respect your experience. I want to learn from you. I also have new ideas that can help us grow." This shows you are respectful and shows you know your value. Generation gaps is visible and real. So see your youth as a good thing because you know new things and you understand phones, computers, and new ways of working. In countries like South Africa, many young leaders use social media to grow their businesses. This is your power so go ahead and use it.

How to Talk to People

Life is all about conversations such that talking to people is very important. If you do not talk well, your team will be lost. When you talk well good positive results will be achieved Sometimes it is hard to talk to older people as you may feel shy. But you must speak clearly with respect and diginity. Tell people exactly what you need. Say, "I need this report by Friday at 2pm." Do not say, "Send it when you can."

Also, allow people to ask questions freely without fear. Make them feel safe to talk to you at any given time and on any topic. If they are afraid, they will not tell you when something is wrong. The fact that you hold a degree from Oxford University does not matter but learn to use simple words. Do not try to use big jargon or too technical language to sound smart. Simple words are better and will still convey the same message. Everyone will understand you irrespective of their educational background. 

How to Make Choices

Choosing between either this or that presents challenges to many people. When you are new, you may be scared to make decisions which is common and normal. You may wait and wait for the perfect time but this is not good because realtime decisions produce the best results. The fact that you do not decide means nothing moves. Your team stays still waiting for you but in the mean time you lose chances.

In Zimbabwe, we have a saying: "Kukanganisa hakuna mhosva, asi kusadzidza kune mhosva."  which means, "Making a mistake is not a crime, but not learning from it is." This is good advice for a leader.

Decision making entails that you will not always be right as sometimes you will make a bad choice. That is normal and acceptible. When you make a mistake, say, "I made a mistake. Let me fix it." Then learn from it for the sake of the future. This is how you grow.

How to Handle People Who Are Jealous

Sometimes people will be jealous beacuse you are young and you are the leader. They may talk about you behind your back. This is meant to make you look bad. When this happens stay professional you should never talk badly about anyone neither should you engage in gossiping. That will only make things worse.

Find good people to work with who have positive minds. Also find mentors who have gone through the mill. Find people who support you and your cause in other words who sees things from 5the same perspective . Many older business people are half the time willing to help young leaders. You neec to find someone like that.

Keep focused on your goals. Do your work very well aligned to your goals. When you do good work, people will see it and acknowledge it.

Keep Learning

Continouse improvement is a value that makes humanity great. Never stop learning no matter what the situation is like. The world is ever changeing  and does so very fast. If you stop learning, you will be left behind. It is imporatnt to read books such as "Habits of an Effective Leadder". You can also look at news online or on Television. Learn about your work and keep asking your team, "What can I do better?" This is a brave question. It shows you want to grow. When you learn, you become a better leader like notable figures in business such as Bill Gates and so on.

Final Words

Leading when you are young is a journey. Some days are hard and some days are good. At times you will feel in doubt or lost or even wanting to give up. You will always face problems and life is just like that. When you keep focused you will also see your team win and achievements will surely make you feel proud. Learn from older people who have seen it all. They have wisdom and a lot of experience. 

At Lains.co.zw, we help young leaders in Zimbabwe and globally become good leaders and achieve their dreams. 

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