As a leader, you are responsible for the overall success, well-being and development of your team. This is a very demanding role that can involve intense demands on your time and the need to juggle priorities in order to be effective. In the ever-changing world of business, every leader – even those that are experienced – must keep improving and re-assessing the methods by which they lead their team. Here are 6 points to consider when analyzing your leadership skills:
1. Organisation
In order to run a team, it is important to have excellent organisational skills. If you miss deadlines or don’t chase your team for theirs, then they will often mirror your laid back attitude and your business will suffer. The same can be said for setting targets and booking meetings – if you don’t follow through on plans, you will lose authority and respect from your workers.
2. Encourage creativity
If your employees consider their jobs mundane and uninspiring they will be less motivated to work hard. As an effective leader, you must offer challenges and targets that will stimulate your team and make them stretch their limits. These must be achievable, so they feel that success is within their reach. Arrange innovative sessions; encourage your team to be creative and explore new ideas. They will feel that their opinion is important and may have suggestions to aid how your company operates.
3. Lead by example
As an effective leader, you need to set an example of behavior that you would encourage within your team. If you behave appropriately, work hard and have a professional manner then you will gain respect. Through this, your team will emulate your behaviour and look to you for guidance on how to conduct themselves. Always keep the goals of your team in mind and focus on encouraging workers to react to challenges positively. Give examples of times that you have been successful and what you learnt from it. This will encourage others to re-create your success, particularly if you show a passion and enthusiasm for the projects they are working on.
4. Adapt to challenges
There will be times when your company ticks along at a steady pace and times when the unexpected happens. Either way, it is important to constantly evolve and adapt as a team to prevent your business from becoming stagnant. Through change you can develop, learn and experiment with new ideas.
Take inspiration from how the public sector have adapted to the pressure of overseeing existing services and the impact they are having on their communities, whilst also transforming internal practice. All these demands need to be managed on a budget that has been cut by up to 25 per cent.
Dr Su Maddock, a senior fellow within MBS’ Institute for Innovation Research, states “the private sector can learn much from those public sector leaders tackling intransigent problems and working with the private and third sectors. In the present climate these leaders possess the qualities of collaboration and agility, exactly the qualities that private business leaders are crying out for.”
The public sector are facing their challenges head-on, adapting to change and to the future rather than relying on old methods. In the same way, you can encourage your staff to adapt to situations with enthusiasm and innovation, keeping ideas fresh and business processes working as effectively as possible. Ask your staff for feedback, take note of past success and explore new ways to motivate your workforce.
5. Communication and recognition
Take the time to listen to your staff. If you are approachable and encourage them to come to you with issues in the workplace then you can help to overcome them. One-on-one communication is a great opportunity to get an insight into how your team handle the pressures of projects they are working on. Ensure that your team’s workload is achievable, so that they do not become despondent or frustrated.
Encourage your team to reach their full potential and praise them when they achieve. By rewarding achievement you encourage them to continue excelling. Rewards and recognition for performance is the ideal way to keep your workers feeling happy and appreciated in the workplace.
6. Further training and development
It is important for every member of your workforce to have the opportunity to learn and develop skills relevant to their role. Make training available to all staff and keep a record of their personal performance plan of long-term goals and success. This should be discussed and assessed regularly on a one-to-one basis in appraisals.
Even as a leader you will need to keep refreshing your skills and learning new ways to work. By completing leadership training courses you can ensure that you are up to date with the methods of best practice in leading your team. After all, a business is only as good as its best people; as a leader that should be you.
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