Effective leaders build relationships. Broker-owners and managers who develop bonds with their agents, staff, and consumers build trust and longevity while retaining great people.
“The leader’s world is about creating a direction and context for action, and leaders need to develop special relationships that include high levels of trust and commitment.” says Sallie Sherman, co-author of
Five Keys to Powerful Business Relationships and CEO of
S4 Consulting.
A study of more than 400,000 people from 7,500 companies by the Center for Creative Leadership found that nearly 70 percent of those surveyed deemed relationship skills critical to a leader’s success and an inability to build and maintain relationships one of the biggest obstacles to business growth.
If you’re looking to grow your skills as a leader, here are three tips from Sherman:
Stay true to yourself. If you’ve recently opened your own brokerage or you're a new designated broker or manager, your new leadership role can be a challenge to navigate. “Many new leaders admit it’s challenging to stay true to themselves, especially with things coming at them so fast,” Sherman says. “Those who are able to stay true to themselves and manage their initial anxiety listen more and seek feedback. That allows them to increase trust and develop powerful relationships.”
Learn to juggle many relationships. As your business grows and expands, more people need your attention. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Sherman recommends prioritizing and keeping a list of your most important work relationships into which you invest time and energy. It doesn’t mean you should cast other relationships aside, she says. Understand when it’s time to hire more staff and delegate responsibilities, which include supporting your agents.
Build a culture where relationships thrive. “An enlightened leader creates a culture where powerful business relationships can flourish,” Sherman says. “By aligning the culture around a mission supported by values and goals that promote high trust and collaboration, workers are able to take risks, learn from mistakes and adapt quickly, resulting in a successful, ever-growing enterprise.”
—Sallie J. Sherman, Ph.D.
