21 Proven Leadership Tips to Level Up Your Impact
Jun 3
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Language of Leadership
Forget what you’ve been told about being a great leader. It’s not about charisma. It’s not about experience. And it’s definitely not about having all the answers.
Your job as a leader is to influence people toward a meaningful advantage. That’s it. Influence means being the cause of change—getting someone to do something they wouldn’t have done if you weren’t in the picture. If you’re not influencing, you’re not leading.
In this post, I’m walking you through 21 real leadership tips I’ve seen work in the field. These aren’t theories. They’re the patterns I’ve learned from coaching countless managers and executives through the moments that actually matter.
If you care about showing up for your team, building real accountability, and having the conversations most people avoid, this list is for you. Let’s get into it.
4 Essential Leadership Tips
1. Know your freaking job.
Your job as a leader is to influence people toward a meaningful advantage. That’s the whole gig. Influence means you’re the proximal cause of change. You get people to do something they wouldn’t do otherwise if you weren’t involved.
And here’s the part people miss: influence is disruptive. If you’re not being at least a little disruptive, you’re not leading. You’re just letting things happen.
Now, I’m not saying you should go around creating friction for fun. The disruption needs to lead somewhere. And it has to matter to the person you're leading, not just to the company. Real leadership creates movement that benefits both.
2. Your words are your tools.
You don’t lead through vibes or energy. You lead through language.
What you say, and how you say it, is the only medium you have for influence. If you want to lead more effectively, you need to get better at using your voice.
That includes your tone, your phrasing, and your timing. These elements shape how people interpret your leadership. If you're not being intentional about communication, you're leaving results to chance.
Check out our blog post on communication styles in leadership and learn how they affect your ability to influence your team.
What you say, and how you say it, is the only medium you have for influence. If you want to lead more effectively, you need to get better at using your voice.
That includes your tone, your phrasing, and your timing. These elements shape how people interpret your leadership. If you're not being intentional about communication, you're leaving results to chance.
Check out our blog post on communication styles in leadership and learn how they affect your ability to influence your team.
3. Leading by example is not leadership.
This one’s controversial, but let’s be honest: Leading by example is important, but it’s not leadership. It’s table stakes. It’s basic decency.
Here’s the problem: it’s passive. It depends on people magically interpreting the right lesson from what they observe. If that’s your whole strategy, you’re not leading. You’re hoping. And hoping is a lazy substitute for clarity.
So yes, lead by example. Show up the way you want others to show up. But don’t stop there. If you’re not communicating explicitly, you’re leaving results to chance.
Here’s the problem: it’s passive. It depends on people magically interpreting the right lesson from what they observe. If that’s your whole strategy, you’re not leading. You’re hoping. And hoping is a lazy substitute for clarity.
So yes, lead by example. Show up the way you want others to show up. But don’t stop there. If you’re not communicating explicitly, you’re leaving results to chance.
4. Set clear expectations.
If your people don’t know what’s expected of them, don’t be surprised when they miss the mark.
Clear expectations are one of the most overlooked leadership tools. They make everything easier for both you and your team.
If you’re not good at this yet, it’s worth learning and practicing. It’s one of the fastest ways to improve performance without micromanaging. Here’s a detailed guide on how to set clear expectations if you’re ready to skill up.
Clear expectations are one of the most overlooked leadership tools. They make everything easier for both you and your team.
If you’re not good at this yet, it’s worth learning and practicing. It’s one of the fastest ways to improve performance without micromanaging. Here’s a detailed guide on how to set clear expectations if you’re ready to skill up.
3 Leadership Tips for Managers
5. When expectations aren’t met, coach.
When someone misses the mark, don’t ignore it. And don’t just tell them to “do better.” Have the conversation.
That conversation should do two things. First, it should help them get better at meeting expectations in the future. Second, it should reinforce the idea that accountability is a process, not a punishment.
Most people don’t naturally know how to hold themselves accountable. That’s your job. If you need a refresher, here’s how to hold team members accountable without micromanaging.
That conversation should do two things. First, it should help them get better at meeting expectations in the future. Second, it should reinforce the idea that accountability is a process, not a punishment.
Most people don’t naturally know how to hold themselves accountable. That’s your job. If you need a refresher, here’s how to hold team members accountable without micromanaging.
6. Leverage 60-Second Coaching.
The best managers don’t carry every problem on their back. They turn their team into problem-solvers. And one of the fastest ways to do that is through 60-Second Coaching.
This method is exactly what it sounds like: a way to coach in under a minute by flipping the problem back to your employee with a thoughtful, open-ended question. You might say, “You’re closer to this than I am. What’s your opinion?” or “How would you solve it?” That short exchange shifts ownership to them without you having to solve it for them.
When your people come up with their own solutions, your life gets easier. They build confidence. You build trust. And suddenly you're no longer stuck in every decision loop. If you want a deeper look at how this works, check out our full breakdown of the 60-Second Coaching technique for employee development.
This method is exactly what it sounds like: a way to coach in under a minute by flipping the problem back to your employee with a thoughtful, open-ended question. You might say, “You’re closer to this than I am. What’s your opinion?” or “How would you solve it?” That short exchange shifts ownership to them without you having to solve it for them.
When your people come up with their own solutions, your life gets easier. They build confidence. You build trust. And suddenly you're no longer stuck in every decision loop. If you want a deeper look at how this works, check out our full breakdown of the 60-Second Coaching technique for employee development.
7. Real development isn’t in courses—it’s in conversations.
You want your team to grow? Start coaching more. Not sending them to another training. Not enrolling them in a certification.
Development happens in the moment. It happens when you hold someone accountable and help them generate their own ideas and solutions. That’s the path.
Think about it like learning to shoot free throws or play the violin. If someone’s doing it wrong, you don’t just let them struggle. You show them the right form. You help them say it out loud. You walk through what to try next. And you repeat it again.
If you do that consistently, people don’t just get better. They get confident.
And the business case for coaching is clear. A Metrix Global study found that executive coaching delivers a 788% return on investment, thanks to improved productivity, retention, and team performance.
Development happens in the moment. It happens when you hold someone accountable and help them generate their own ideas and solutions. That’s the path.
Think about it like learning to shoot free throws or play the violin. If someone’s doing it wrong, you don’t just let them struggle. You show them the right form. You help them say it out loud. You walk through what to try next. And you repeat it again.
If you do that consistently, people don’t just get better. They get confident.
And the business case for coaching is clear. A Metrix Global study found that executive coaching delivers a 788% return on investment, thanks to improved productivity, retention, and team performance.
3 Leadership Tips for New Leaders
8. Don’t justify your promotion.
If you’ve just stepped into a leadership role, let me make something clear: you don’t owe anyone an explanation for why you got the job.
You didn’t make that decision; your boss did. And if someone has a problem with it, you can tell them to go ask your boss.
Stop pretending you know why you were chosen over someone else. When you try to explain it, you usually sound defensive or arrogant. Worse, people don’t believe you. Just focus on showing up and doing the job well.
You didn’t make that decision; your boss did. And if someone has a problem with it, you can tell them to go ask your boss.
Stop pretending you know why you were chosen over someone else. When you try to explain it, you usually sound defensive or arrogant. Worse, people don’t believe you. Just focus on showing up and doing the job well.
9. Lead with humility.
The best way to earn respect in a new role is to stop acting like you already know everything. You probably got promoted because you were responsible, dependable, and accountable. That doesn’t mean you already know how to lead other people.
So don’t pretend to have all the answers. Ask questions. Learn from your team. Figure out what’s working, what needs to change, and what can stay the same. If you approach the role with humility instead of ego, you’ll build trust fast. And that trust will make everything else easier.
So don’t pretend to have all the answers. Ask questions. Learn from your team. Figure out what’s working, what needs to change, and what can stay the same. If you approach the role with humility instead of ego, you’ll build trust fast. And that trust will make everything else easier.
10. Learn where your people want to go.
Don’t just focus on where the company is headed. Find out where your people are trying to go in their own careers.
Ask every direct report questions like:
Ask every direct report questions like:
- What do you want to get better at?
- What kind of experience are you hoping to gain here?
- Where do you see yourself growing?
You’re not a genie. You can’t make every wish come true. But if you know what they’re working toward, you can help them see how their current work connects to their goals. That’s where real alignment starts.
Want more support as a new leader? Check out our blog on navigating the transition to leadership for practical strategies to help you shift from doing the work to leading the team.
3 Remote Leadership Tips
11. Require cameras on.
This is one of the few hardline policies I recommend. If you're leading remotely, make camera use the norm.
Leadership depends on cues like body language, facial expressions, tone, and gestures. These signals aren’t just “nice to have”—they’re part of how you influence people. And if you're missing them, you're missing a major part of the conversation.
You say a lot with your face and hands. So does your team. If your culture doesn’t prioritize visual communication, you're limiting your impact. Keep the cameras on.
Leadership depends on cues like body language, facial expressions, tone, and gestures. These signals aren’t just “nice to have”—they’re part of how you influence people. And if you're missing them, you're missing a major part of the conversation.
You say a lot with your face and hands. So does your team. If your culture doesn’t prioritize visual communication, you're limiting your impact. Keep the cameras on.
12. Don’t believe remote leadership is harder.
Let’s clear this up right now. Leading a remote team isn’t harder. It’s just different.
What you’ve lost are crutches:
What you’ve lost are crutches:
- The “my boss is walking by” reminder
- The watercooler prompt
- The visibility of leading by example
But none of these were good leadership tools in the first place. They just filled in the gaps when systems were weak.
Remote leadership forces you to build better systems, have clearer conversations, and stop relying on physical presence to manage performance.
13. Over-communicate in writing.
Text-based communication is always interpreted through tone, even if you didn’t intend one. So be sure to make your tone clear.
Use tools like Slack, Teams, email, or Notion intentionally. That means using formatting, emojis, and even quick clarifiers in parentheses when needed.
Write something like: “This was sarcastic,” if that’s how you meant it. Or bold a phrase you want to emphasize.
It might feel like overkill, but it’s better to overdo it than to have your message land the wrong way. In writing, your tone doesn’t carry unless you build it in.
Use tools like Slack, Teams, email, or Notion intentionally. That means using formatting, emojis, and even quick clarifiers in parentheses when needed.
Write something like: “This was sarcastic,” if that’s how you meant it. Or bold a phrase you want to emphasize.
It might feel like overkill, but it’s better to overdo it than to have your message land the wrong way. In writing, your tone doesn’t carry unless you build it in.
4 Tips to Improve Leadership Skills
14. Tools ≠ accountability
Slack, Notion, your project management tool, and email—these are shared sources of truth. But they don’t equal accountability.
Just because something is written down doesn’t mean someone will read it. And even if they read it, that doesn’t mean they’ll follow through. Email is especially bad for this. It gets ignored, flagged, or buried.
So don’t confuse tools with leadership. These systems help support clarity. They don’t replace real conversations.
Just because something is written down doesn’t mean someone will read it. And even if they read it, that doesn’t mean they’ll follow through. Email is especially bad for this. It gets ignored, flagged, or buried.
So don’t confuse tools with leadership. These systems help support clarity. They don’t replace real conversations.
15. Don’t ignore red flags. Investigate.
If you’ve got a gut feeling that someone might not be right for your team, trust that instinct. It doesn’t mean fire them tomorrow. It means gather evidence.
Run a play. Look closely. Maybe they’re just in the wrong seat. Maybe they’re your third-string quarterback. They’re not the person you want long term, but you might need them for now. That’s fine. Just stop lying to yourself.
Most leaders wait too long to admit there’s a problem. Don’t be one of them. You don’t need to fire faster. You need to get honest faster.
Run a play. Look closely. Maybe they’re just in the wrong seat. Maybe they’re your third-string quarterback. They’re not the person you want long term, but you might need them for now. That’s fine. Just stop lying to yourself.
Most leaders wait too long to admit there’s a problem. Don’t be one of them. You don’t need to fire faster. You need to get honest faster.
16. Practice and feedback are everything.
You don’t get better at leadership just by doing the job. You get better by practicing the hard conversations and getting feedback on how you show up in them.
But most of the feedback you get? It’s about outcomes. Strategy. Results. Not about how you’re leading in the room, in the moment.
If you want to improve, you have to create opportunities to practice. Ask your boss. Roleplay with a peer. Roleplay with AI. Better yet, join a program that gives you real feedback on how you lead, not just what you say, but how you say it.
As Harvard Business Publishing puts it, “Practice is the only way to become proficient in a new skill or behavior.” Some research shows that 100 hours of practice can put you in the top 5%. Author Josh Kaufman says you can go from knowing nothing to “pretty good” in just 20 hours.
The exact number doesn’t matter, because it’s more about quality than quantity. The point is this: reading this blog won’t make you a better leader. Listening to a podcast won’t either. You have to actually practice. Leadership is a skill, so treat it like one.
But most of the feedback you get? It’s about outcomes. Strategy. Results. Not about how you’re leading in the room, in the moment.
If you want to improve, you have to create opportunities to practice. Ask your boss. Roleplay with a peer. Roleplay with AI. Better yet, join a program that gives you real feedback on how you lead, not just what you say, but how you say it.
As Harvard Business Publishing puts it, “Practice is the only way to become proficient in a new skill or behavior.” Some research shows that 100 hours of practice can put you in the top 5%. Author Josh Kaufman says you can go from knowing nothing to “pretty good” in just 20 hours.
The exact number doesn’t matter, because it’s more about quality than quantity. The point is this: reading this blog won’t make you a better leader. Listening to a podcast won’t either. You have to actually practice. Leadership is a skill, so treat it like one.
17. Ask questions, not just give answers.
Your job as a leader isn’t to hand out information. It’s to help people take action, grow, and perform.
You get there by asking better questions. That means open-ended questions. Ones that start with who, what, when, where, or how. Stay away from yes-or-no setups like is, did, would, have, or could.
If you ask small questions, you’ll get small thinking. Ask questions that give people room to reflect and respond.
You get there by asking better questions. That means open-ended questions. Ones that start with who, what, when, where, or how. Stay away from yes-or-no setups like is, did, would, have, or could.
If you ask small questions, you’ll get small thinking. Ask questions that give people room to reflect and respond.
4 Advanced Leadership Tips
18. Ask for feedback early and often
Most leaders wait too long to ask for feedback. Or they only ask about their work, not their leadership. But real growth happens when you invite others to reflect on how you lead. That means asking for feedback on your influence, your presence, your thinking, and your decision-making process.
It’s not complicated—but it is advanced. Why? Because it requires a level of humility, self-awareness, and emotional resilience that many new leaders are still developing.
Start with questions like:
It’s not complicated—but it is advanced. Why? Because it requires a level of humility, self-awareness, and emotional resilience that many new leaders are still developing.
Start with questions like:
- “How would you have handled this?”
- “What’s your take on this idea?”
Great leaders don’t pretend to have it all figured out. They actively seek input, not just on outcomes but on leadership itself.
19. Build real relationships (even remotely)
Leadership is relational. People don’t follow your title. They follow you.
If they don’t know you, they won’t follow you. That doesn’t mean you need to be everyone’s best friend. It means you need to be understood.
This takes intentional effort, especially in remote environments. You have to find ways to connect, to listen, to know your team.
It’s not optional.
If they don’t know you, they won’t follow you. That doesn’t mean you need to be everyone’s best friend. It means you need to be understood.
This takes intentional effort, especially in remote environments. You have to find ways to connect, to listen, to know your team.
It’s not optional.
20. Be kind, not nice
Nice leaders are easy to like. They avoid hard feedback. They don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But that kind of leadership doesn’t protect people. It protects you from your own discomfort.
Nice leaders get people laid off, passed over, and left behind because they didn’t say what needed to be said.
Kind leaders care about your long-term success. They’ll risk frustrating you today to help you grow tomorrow.
They’ll be direct. They’ll tell you the truth. They’ll challenge you when it matters.
Kind leaders get people promoted, raises, and more vacation.
Nice leaders get people laid off, passed over, and left behind because they didn’t say what needed to be said.
Kind leaders care about your long-term success. They’ll risk frustrating you today to help you grow tomorrow.
They’ll be direct. They’ll tell you the truth. They’ll challenge you when it matters.
Kind leaders get people promoted, raises, and more vacation.
21. Revisit your real job often
It’s easy to get pulled into being the motivator, the planner, or the visionary. But none of those are your core job.
Your real job is to influence behavior. Set expectations. Hold accountability. Guide critical conversations. That’s it.
Remind yourself of this regularly so you don’t drift into roles that feel good but don’t actually drive results.
Your real job is to influence behavior. Set expectations. Hold accountability. Guide critical conversations. That’s it.
Remind yourself of this regularly so you don’t drift into roles that feel good but don’t actually drive results.
Ready to Put These Leadership Tips Into Practice?
Leadership isn’t about knowing more. It’s about doing differently. It shows up in the moments when you set a clearer expectation, ask a better question, or hold a harder line.
But leading well is hard to do alone. That’s why we created a free sneak peek into our Language of Leadership course. It offers a practical look at how we train real leaders to handle real situations.
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