You can learn to improve yourself as an individual in any number of ways for either personal or professional reasons. However, when you’re in a managerial or executive position, perhaps even running a small business yourself, it’s crucial to focus on becoming a better leader for the sake of your employee relationships and the company’s reputation.
With this in mind, it is vital to gain a better understanding of business etiquette and learn how you can use this knowledge to improve your standing among your peers. To get started, here are three key etiquette principles you should consider to change your approach to handling business. With a little practice, they can help mold you into the leader you’ve always wanted to become.
1. Remain Humble and Modest
While basic etiquette rules often apply to things such as holding doors open for others, business etiquette concepts relate to how you behave and interact with other people. Living with a sense of humility lays a foundation for better relationships both at home and at the office. Presenting yourself as an authority figure without bringing arrogance or pompousness into the equation can better align you with your employees, other managers, and fellow business leaders for long-term, successful relationships.
2. Act With Dignity in Every Situation
Living a life of dignity is another vital trait of becoming a reputable leader. How you come across to others is essential to both your personal reputation and your business. The way you react in unfortunate or unpredictable situations also says a lot about your character. Remaining dignified and respectful, even if you’ve lost a contract or had a fallout with a client, is necessary to maintain an air of civility. You will also set an example of appropriate office etiquette for your team of employees.
3. Make Integrity the Cornerstone of Your Life
Understanding how to show and embrace integrity in your everyday life binds all your other traits together. It is one thing to present yourself as a hard-working executive who gets the job done without fail. Acknowledging your past failures and individual flaws, however, ultimately shows your humanity. This often gains the trust and support of others who see you as a true, authentic person simply trying your best. Demonstrating success while remaining honest and genuine in your behavior offers a surefire approach to becoming a trustworthy leader.
Continue to engage with others in a manner that shows respect and presents you in a positive, strong, and upright light. These three business etiquette traits can help define you as a successful leader — not just in the business world, but in all your individual relationships as well.
