Darlene Andert

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Leaders’ accomplishments are born of the efforts of others. Co-creating with others is leadership and elevating the role of followers is the recipe.

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Give your employees the flexibility they need to thrive with these unique offerings and strategies. Numerous studies have found that employees not only value flexibility in the workplace, but they also thrive when they actually receive it. While hybrid and remote work arrangements have become increasingly commonplace, organizations continue to explore unique and uncommon ways to provide even more flexibility. Companies that do this are more likely to attract and retain a workforce that's both productive and highly satisfied. To help businesses support their teams, 20 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share out-of-the-box offerings and strategies to give employees the flexibility they crave.

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Leaning on the perspectives and expertise of the entire team can help ensure decisions are made with care. Leaders are often faced with critical decisions that can significantly impact a company's success. However, the process of decision making can often be clouded by preconceived notions and assumptions. To make the best possible choices, leaders must step back and evaluate their own biases—but they may not always be sure how to do so. Below, 18 members of Newsweek Expert Forum share top strategies to help leaders set aside their assumptions and approach critical business decisions with an objective eye.

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While business can sometimes seem like an extrovert’s playground, introverted leaders can network effectively with other professionals to build lasting relationships. As a leader, being able to make solid connections with professionals in and outside of one’s industry is key to running a successful business. Though introverted leaders may dread networking, the long-term benefits of cultivating both personal and professional business relationships can significantly boost a business and give a leader access to new opportunities.  From scouting potential contacts online to joining community organizations with a focus on their hobbies, there are numerous ways for reserved leaders to put themselves out there without it being too much of an obstacle. Below, 18 Newsweek Expert Forum members offer advice on how introverted leaders can overcome the challenge of networking while making it more natural and fun.

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Making the effort to take full advantage of personal and professional growth opportunities can help leaders achieve significant goals. Many business leaders will attest that running and maintaining a successful business happens only with a continued investment of countless hours. While this time investment is crucial for ensuring that the business is performing well and on track with goals, it can limit the amount of time leaders have to spend on other pursuits, such as acquiring new knowledge and the development of a leader’s skills.  Despite this, there are steps a leader can take to reprioritize and dedicate more time to investing in themselves and their own personal and professional growth. Below, 10 Newsweek Expert Forum members share specific ways a business leader can pursue further education and ongoing growth opportunities when they have limited spare time.

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Being in constant communication with customers can help businesses ensure they are following the right trends. Customer trends are constantly changing in response to societal, environmental and technological advancements. To continually meet and even surpass customer expectations, it’s critical that businesses keep up with and adapt to these emerging customer trends. However, with so many trends appearing regularly, it’s difficult for business leaders to know which trends are short-lived and which ones have the potential to disrupt the industry for good. This distinction is key, as the wrong investment in a particular trend can mean wasting limited time, effort and resources. To help, 12 Newsweek Expert Forum members offer advice on how a business can stay on top of emerging customer trends and leverage them wisely.