1. Keep promises, period
Never make promises you're not sure you can keep. Nothing kills your credibility quicker than a breached promise or unfulfilled expectation.
2. Dress to influence.
Don't dress to impress, dress to influence. That means making sure your appearance is consistent with your personal and professional brand. Begin by asking yourself how a leader with your aspirations should appear to others.
3. Treat your team as you expect them to treat customers.
Asking your team to be courteous to customers and being a jerk to them is incongruent and hypocritical. Being the leader doesn't give you a free pass to indulge your base instincts. The way you treat people is a barometer to everyone on your team.
4. Show your commitment to personal growth.
There are ultimately only two ways to grow your business: grow yourself and grow your team. As you and your team improve, so do service levels, operational efficiency and everything else.
5. Ask rather than wait for feedback.
Some leaders react to unsolicited feedback as criticism and miss an opportunity to learn. But waiting for your employees to become brave enough to offer you feedback is a risky proposition. Don't ask employees what they like or dislike about you. You'll get better information by asking: "In your opinion, what might I do to become a more effective leader?"
