Jonah Engler shares his insights on leadership and team management. On this presentation, Engler educates his readers about the importance of strong leadership within your company.

1. How Weak Leaders Project Strength
All leaders falter, and nobody is perfect. Cliché enough for ya? Well, the reality is, these things
are true. So, what can you do when your team needs a strong leader and you – for whatever
reason – don’t feel up to the task? In those cases, projecting strength is not enough. You have to
embody the strength you want to project, be the person you hope to be and take steps to protect
yourself – and your team – from that weakness. Here’s how to make that work.

2. First, get out of your own head. When you feel yourself flagging, or you are unsure of what you
need to do next, if you have the opportunity, find some wise counsel. That’s not to say you need
to defer the decision or punt and hope someone else makes the call. No, instead of giving up and
throwing up your hands, seek out wisdom from someone you trust who has been in your
position. When you are feeling at your limit and in danger of exceeding it, the very worst place
you can be is isolated in your own head.
Prepare in advance. Prepare for something you don’t know is coming? Yes, absolutely.
Preparation is not about having all the answers, it’s about being able to deal with any potential
situation you can imagine. Either having the skills or possessing the gravitas to acquire or borrow
the skills you need to deal with the situation. It’s about maturity and capacity – not necessarily
capability. No one can know everything, but you do have the option of being an exceptional
version of yourself. When you strive to be that exceptional person, you will be better able to
manage when things get close to the breaking point.
Define your weakness. Nebulous concepts such as how you feel and what you think won’t help
you here. You need to fully understand where and how you are weak. Don’t be afraid to get
specific, to put real names and solid definitions on the “stuff” that is pushing against you or
holding you back.

3. Depend on your team. Once you know where your lack begins and your ability ends, you know
exactly how to staff for circumstances that would challenge your weakness. Ignoring that
weakness or hiring mini me employees who think, feel and act just like you is narcissistic and
foolish. You need to cover your gaps with the people best qualified for that job. But, again,
unless you know your weaknesses, you can’t know what strengths to recruit. A little honesty and
personal insight here can save you a lot of pain and failure in the long run.
Jonah Engler is a finance expert and an entrepreneur from New York City.