2021: A Look Back at the Top Articles From Last Year
It is always fun to look back and see the statistics from the previous year on which articles have been read the most, visitors to the website, and how each of you click into different articles. I am thrilled to see the website continue to grow not only with additional readers, but how many people interact by clicking into other articles once you arrive.
2021 was another year full of change. I know many people have, or are considering, changing careers. We hear and read about it many times each week: the great resignation of 2021. Retail is always on the list of industries that are impacted by that. The skills and ideas I share here for effective retail leaders can and do apply to leaders in any role or industry. Some of the articles I write have more of a retail slant, but the general principles will help support you wherever your leadership journey takes you. I think the top articles from last year are a great place to start if you’re searching for new ideas or just a refresher on many skills for any leader.
Influence
I am excited, but not surprised, to see two articles about influence at the top of the most read list for last year. I have always been asked about this subject when surveying leaders for topics that are of interest to them. We’ll dive back into influence as a topic in 2022 for sure. This is one I have high on my radar for new, more in-depth research to hone and improve my influencing skills as well.
4 Types of Influence Leaders Use to Make a Difference
This is the top article for 2021. Influence continues to be a topic I hear numerous leaders ask about. Influencing others is a critical part of a leader's role and one that evolves regularly, especially as your audience changes.
Why is Influence Important as a Leader?
The second influence article in the top for 2021. Every leader wants to make a difference and influence others positively. This is the way. (For you Mandalorian fans.)
Empathy and Experience
The Risks and Downside of Empathy as a Leader
There are enormous benefits to understanding how being an empathic leader will help you, especially in our current environment. I would call it a requirement at this point, not that it wasn’t before, but it is elevated so much more now. However, there are some downsides to be aware of as you employ your empathetic approach.
As a follow-up, you can also check out, Connect Deeper With Your Team Through Empathy. I have several articles on empathy, so a search on the subject at EffectiveRetailLeader.com will bring up several articles.
How Chick-fil-A Creates an Outstanding Customer Experience
I think Chick-fil-a is the hook here that gets people interested in what they do. As they continue to expand and be the source of success story after success story, interest grows in how they do it. This is probably a topic and area to revisit. This has been a popular article for the last few years, but gained momentum in 2021, driven likely by the continued push for creating a better experience in every business.
A continuing favorite
Tech Tip — Notability — A Great Application for Taking Notes on the Go
This look at the iPad application Notability has been a top article since 2019. Notability remains an excellent tool for capturing notes, plus so much more. Good Notes is a similar app; I provided a look into that application earlier this year as well. Good Notes is the one I use more often now, but both are excellent options. Look for some updates on both of these reviews and looks at Notability and GoodNotes in 2022.
Check these out and if you’ve read them before, maybe you will pick up something you missed the first time. Or perhaps they’ll serve as a fresh reminder on things you’ve been doing or have done in your past. Either way, I am excited to see what 2022 brings and look forward to sharing more leadership ideas that anyone can use to be a more effective retail (or any) leader.
Are there topics and areas you would like to see more of in 2022?
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Photo by Jan Kopřiva on Unsplash