Leadership

Introduction

An executive can direct, guide, and influence others' behavior and work in order to achieve specified goals in a given scenario through the process of leadership. The ability of a manager to inspire zeal and confidence in their employees is known as leadership.

"Leadership is the capacity to affect how others behave. It can also mean having the power to persuade a group of people to achieve a particular objective. Future visions must be developed, and leaders must inspire the organization's members to want to realize the visions" (Juneja, 2022).

Characteristics of Leadership (Lupinacci, 2019)

• 
  Effective Communication
• Trustworthy
• Decisive
• Independent Thinker
• Positive
• Humility
• Conflict Resolution
• Visionary
• Team Builder
• Personable
• Appreciative
• Adaptable
• Encouraging the Heart

Effective Communication

Connecting with people on different levels is the foundation of effective communication and leadership. Being able to relate to and identify with others is connecting. By

 (i) identifying points of commonality,

 (ii) simplifying our messages,

 (iii) capturing people's attention,

 (iv) motivating them, and

 (v) being genuine, we improve our ability to connect. When appropriate, a successful communicator uses transparency and collaborative decision-making, gives direct feedback, and frequently recognizes the accomplishments of others. We must be present in the interaction to communicate more effectively.

Trustworthy

James Kouzes and Barry Posner write in their seminal book The Leadership Challenge that "honesty is selected more than any other leadership trait in every study we've performed." Any group of people, no matter how big or small must first be convinced that the leader is deserving of their trust before they will follow them. Team members must have complete faith in their leader for them to do so. The leader must be someone they can trust and who exhibits genuine character. Values and ethics are closely related to reliability. Leaders that stand up for essential values attract followers. According to Kouzes and Posner, in the view of the people they hope to lead, leaders are "only as good as their word."

Decisive

A strong leader exercises good judgment, appreciates informed input, and welcomes differing opinions. The best leaders, however, have to remain decisive. Former Porsche CEO Peter Schutz used to say, "make decisions like a democracy, execute like a dictatorship." Deliberate decision-making involves (i) building an accurate, full-spectrum map of all possible outcomes;

 (ii) predicting where all these paths made lead; and 

(iii) reaching a decision by weighing various solutions.

 Leaders often tie themselves up in knots wanting each decision to be perfect, however, the best leaders make decisions they know could be wrong. The real differentiator is deciding with speed and conviction. Above all else, great leaders learn conscientiously from every decision, whether good or bad, in order to better inform subsequent decisions.

Independent thinker

The capacity to think clearly is one of a leader's most crucial qualities. Instead of being devoted to outmoded strategy or cutting-edge management theories, leaders must recognize and implement common-sense alternatives. Problem-solvers and creative thinkers never run out of ideas for improving their group or company. Spend time reading books, listening to podcasts, and conversing with creative minds to spark new and original ideas. Every hour of effort may only provide one or two ideas that are suitable to your scenario, but that fresh idea, when tweaked for your team, could be the key to long-term success.

positive

The most successful leaders continue to be upbeat and motivating. People anticipate a leader who is enthusiastic and committed to the future. They must exude passion and a firm belief in the direction the company is taking in order to motivate the workforce. The occurrence of challenges and setbacks, which result in tension and negativity building up, is a given. When faced with challenging or stressful circumstances, the positive leader must learn to control their response and stress. Leaders need to inspire their followers and provide them with hope.

Humility

Exemplary leaders are aware that no significant accomplishment can be made without the assistance of others. The concept of servant leadership is essential for leaders to embrace. This includes being willing to hear criticism, act correctly in response, and, when necessary, accept mistakes. Leaders who are humble lack arrogance and pretension and are open to different points of view. They engage with others in a straightforward manner, are self-effacing in their humor, and give others the credit they deserve. Leader needs to be willing to acknowledge their errors and inaccuracies frequently. A modest leader will take the initiative and offer an apology as needed. Everyone has flaws and makes mistakes, but the most effective leaders are humble and unpretentious, always eager to learn and develop for the good of the group and its members.

Conflict Resolution

There will be friction in every workplace and every group. Disagreement can be exhausting and frustrating, but the main issue is not the conflict itself. The actual problem is how we resolve the quarrel. An effective leader controls tensions and finds solutions that lead to successful outcomes. The leader is aware of the value of diplomacy in the workplace and uses it well. In many situations, conflict is beneficial. It can encourage creatively generated positive outcomes, foster stronger relationships between coworkers, and enable a variety of viewpoints that are advantageous to the entire group and the decision. Often, a boss shouldn't intervene in a dispute amongst employees so that they can resolve it themselves.

Visionary

The capacity to look ahead with a sense of direction and care for the future of the business is another top leadership quality. Strong leaders have a long-term perspective and make strategic plans. They encourage and inspire their team by engaging them in a forward-looking way to sell the vision. Leaders must concentrate on how things might be made better in the future rather than being satisfied with the current situation. Effective leadership is demonstrated by the ability to articulate to the team why continuing in the current direction is undesirable and to paint a picture of the "there" they must arrive at in order to achieve long-term success.

Team Builder

In order for a team to perform to its maximum potential, a leader must empower and invest in them. The mere fact that you put a talented set of people together does not guarantee that they will make a great team. This has been demonstrated in both commercial and sporting activities, as we have all witnessed. Instead, strong team development starts with fostering togetherness, which is something the leader should do first. The team needs to be constantly kept focused on the leader's vision in order to unite the team behind a shared goal or vision. Teams that are united by a shared objective outperform rivals that are just a collection of excellent individuals.A team becomes more accountable and motivated when members are passionate about the task at hand. Effective team building involves sharing in victories or motivating members when efforts are unsuccessful. Adopting the value and significance of creating strong, cohesive teams is essential if you want to succeed as a leader.

Personable

Being a great leader requires establishing sincere connections with the people you manage. A leader must continue to be personable, accessible, aware of the requirements of their team members, and dedicated to forging close bonds with them. Being around those you lead is one of the best ways to do this. Spend time with the people you serve, walk the halls, and learn about their tasks and challenges. Winston Churchill is renowned for using "dinner-table diplomacy," where he spent time cultivating relationships in order to accomplish great things. Leaders should "move carefully through the crowd, recall people's names, smile at everyone, and be quick to give help," according to leadership guru John C. Maxwell. The most successful leaders continue to be approachable, available, and responsible.

Appreciative

The use of two very strong words, "thank you," is one of the most useful weapons a leader has at their disposal. Long-term success is based on expressing gratitude to your team and personnel. Team members feel valued when they are recognized. 81 percent of respondents claim they would be willing to put in more effort if their leader showed them appreciation. It's important to notice, acknowledge, and value the contributions of your team members. It is always worthwhile to thank members of your group with a brief conversation, letter, or phone contact. Regularly expressing gratitude as a leader also helps develop the other essential leadership qualities of humility, optimism, and personability. Make it a habit of saying thank you to a team member every day starting today.

Adaptable

A leader who is open to growth and change demonstrates adaptability. The finest leaders must be willing to attempt new ideas and be willing to fail in order to thrive in the fast-changing business environment of today. Our capacity for adaptation increases as we increase our desire to attempt new things. A successful leader transforms the constant and unrelenting uncertainty that his or her followers experience into an opportunity for progress. To meet the demands of a corporate environment that is changing quickly, we need to demonstrate to our followers that we are willing to attempt new strategies and tactics. This inspires confidence and aids in fostering the cultural transformation required in the current legal climate.

Encouraging the Heart

The last quality to be mentioned is encouragement. It's challenging to get outstanding success in business. Regularly inspiring and involving your team's hearts and minds is essential to ensuring that everyone is rowing in the same direction. Embrace your triumphs with pride. Make it a point to frequently express your gratitude for their efforts and successes. Observe significant victories. By sharing tales that honor individual accomplishments, you can foster a sense of belonging and togetherness. Reiterate the key principles and standards of your team. This will all have a huge impact on achieving amazing results.

Conclusion

Leadership is the capacity to persuade people to desire to work toward the group's goals, which emphasizes the value of leadership. It serves as a conduit between employees and the organization's perceptions and future ambitions. It is making an effort to coordinate worker activities in order to meet the established goals. exercise command over the task and create the required plans to address issues. the instruction, care, and motivation of persons as well as their personal growth. The capacity to promote personal growth, humanitarianism, and practical

You Tube Video on developing leadership skills

 

References

• Lupinacci, T. M. (2019). Key Characteristics of Effective Leadership. Baker Donelson. [Online] Available at:  
https://www.bakerdonelson.com/key-characteristics-of-effective-leadership [Accessed on: 13/07/2022]


Juneja, P. (2022). Leadership basics. Management Study Guide [Online]  Available at: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/leadership_basics.htm [Accessed on: 13/07/2022]