Good leadership – what does it look like? Part One

More than ever before businesses need good leadership to navigate them successfully through the current challenges and be ready for the ‘post-pandemic’ era. But what is good leadership really, both for your business and your people? And how do we do it?

When I say the words “great leader” who do you think of? What traits does that person have that inspires you to think that way about them?

Whoever you thought of, I’m going to guess that the traits they have might include being inspirational; being decisive, bold and articulate; being confident in their mission and their ability to reach it; and that old classic, being ‘charismatic’.

Now, think about a good leader you’ve worked with personally. What made them so excellent to work with?

Are these the same traits you described in the first person? If your answer is no, that’s OK. What we actually want in a leader is often different to what we consider to be ‘good’ leadership in the abstract.

In reality, you want a leader who listens to you, values you and who treats you as an individual. You want a leader who is more “engaging enabler”, than “charismatic hero leader”. Of course, the danger here, is that without good communication, clear direction and the ability to inspire confidence, you could end with a happy team, but one that is unsure of what they are aiming for.

So, what are the leadership traits that will effectively allow you to blend the best of both worlds and have a happy, motivated and productive team?

First, you need to know the importance of bridging the gap between now and the future. In other words, thinking strategically. This is a key element of effective leadership and allows you to define the actions of yourself and your team so that they are able to take your business from where it is now to where you want to be, as smoothly as possible.

Second, sharing your vision, and why that vision is important with your team is also crucial. If they can’t see why your vision needs to happen, how will they be motivated to achieve it?

Communicating your vision in an efficient and compelling way will enable you to harness the skills, experience and commitment of your team to best develop an effective approach.

If you can outline a clear, decisive plan that gives confidence to your team and makes use of their best skills, at the same time as making sure they feel their role and contribution is valued, you’re on your way to becoming a great leader.

If you want to learn more about becoming a great leader, contact me on the link on the left.

 

 

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