There are some rules and principles and even different styles of leadership, but the first thing I’d like to mention here is the difference between being a boss and a leader. Being a boss is just about showing authority, is making others know that you are in charge and not really caring about other people’s opinions. Being a boss focuses on what you do, rather than on what the team does, the results are your own, if they are good, but the team is to blame if the results are bad, after all, the boss is never wrong. A leader, on the other hand, shows the way, by crossing it first and giving the example. The boss shows the way and pushes people down the road. Having a boss sucks. The world needs more leaders, and leaders can be found anywhere, not only in the corporate world, we can find group leaders, spiritual leaders, team leaders, sales leaders, etc.
A leader shows the way to the success of its team and for that to happen there are some principles all great leaders share:
They have a shared vision
A leader must be transparent. If you are a shady person, you will hardly be a leader. A leader must be clear on their vision and the path to reach it. They need to define the direction and steps to take towards that vision and it’s also the leader’s job to communicate clearly so that all parties understand and can commit to achieving that vision.
Ensure alignment
This comes right after a shared vision. A strong leader knows the difference between having good people and having the right people, and it’ll work hard to protect the vision and choosing the right team members that will support the team. A leader must be sure that the whole team not only knows where they’re going but that also want to be along for the ride.
Be people-focused and customer-centric
A good leader knows that if the team feels supported the client will be supported as well. All things related to the customer are treated with respect, honesty and directness. They set clear targets and provide the right support for both customers and team members. A leader shows empathy as to set the example so the customer care is strong in all members of the team. He will know the strengths and weaknesses of each member as to face challenges and open a way for them to grow and strive.
Create a positive culture
This is somewhat important to the point of being critical. All companies have a culture and a great leader should foster an environment of trust, high morale, low turnover and minimal drama. A strong culture will allow for purposeful brainstorming and a high standard teamwork. When this is happening, retention is easy, it becomes a place where people want to be
Communication
Often underrated, open and positive communication is imperative to avoid issues within organizations. A strong leader must create standards for strong and clear communication, to make time to connect with their team allowing the different styles and modalities each might have.
Becoming a great leader takes time and it requires effort to create clarity and confidence within teams. It’s about creating connections and loyalty and help those around you grow regularly. A good and strong leader knows that it takes a mindset to serve other and works harder to give their best so that everybody in the organization wins.
There are also different types of leadership within companies and in each individual and to be effective as a leader you might use several different leadership styles at any given time. Some of them are:
Coach The coaching leadership is positive in nature and it promotes the development of new skills, free-thinking, empowerment, revisits company objectives and fosters a confident company culture. Leaders who coach are often seen as valuable mentors. Although it has many advantages this style can also be very time consuming as it requires one-on-one time with employees which can be difficult to obtain in a deadline-driven environment.
Visionary Although visionary leadership can help companies grow, unite teams and the overall company and improve outdated technologies or practices they can also sacrifice the resolution of present-day issues for being future-oriented. They focus so much on the big picture that they miss important details or opportunities and may even leave their team feeling unheard.
Autocratic This kind of leadership can promote productivity through delegation, provide clear and direct communication and reduce employee stress by making quick decisions. However, autocratic leaders are subject to high levels of stress because they feel responsible for everything and since they lack flexibility and often do not listen to other people’s ideas, they tend to be resented by their teams.
Democratic Employees, under this leadership style, feel empowered, valued and unified. Democratic leaders boost retention and morale and require less managerial oversight, as employees are typically part of the decision-making process and know what they have to do. Unfortunately this style has the potential to be inefficient and costly and it takes a long time to organize group discussions for solutions, possible outcomes, obtain ideas and feedback and communicate decisions.
Pace setting This kind of leader pushes employees to hit goals and accomplish business objectives. It promotes high-energy and dynamic work environments. Although it tends to lead by example, the fact that this leadership is always pushing towards the next goal or deadline employees tend to be stressed-out and miscommunication also tends to happen in a fast-paced work environment, or in a lack of clear instructions.
These are some of the most common leadership styles, among other like transformational, affiliative, laissez-faire, etc. But no matter which type of leader you are, or work under, leadership has the power to change the course of history in companies and make people happy to go to work. Today’s business environments are fraught with challenges due to changing demographics and the employee expectations of a diverse workforce. The wise leader though, knows to flex from one style to another depending on the situation. An agile leadership style may be the ultimate leadership style required for leading today’s talent. As a Chinese proverb goes – the wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher.
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