Leadership includes much more than what meets the eye. It isn’t about titles or management at its core. Leadership is about having people following you, looking up to you, and acting according to how they perceive you.
First, What is Leadership?
Leadership refers to the ability to influence other people. Making wise — and occasionally challenging — decisions, defining and communicating a clear vision, setting realistic goals, and empowering people with the information and resources they need to reach those goals are all aspects of leadership.
Most sectors of society, including business, politics, local communities, and nonprofit groups, demand leaders. An effective leader has the following qualities: self-assurance, excellent communication and management abilities, creative and inventive thinking, perseverance in the face of setbacks, willingness to take chances, openness to change, composure, and quick thinking in emergencies.
So, what makes a leader successful?
Being Generous
Instead of sitting alone in the spotlight, strong leaders understand the importance of praising their team members. They know the necessity to trust others and delegate power so that decision-makers have some freedom. They are willing to share lessons learned and best practices that have been polished over the years to pay it forward and are happy to accept credit for a job well done.
Seeking Knowledge
Effective leaders are never satisfied with what they already know and always take the time to prepare for the decisions and tasks they must undertake thoroughly. They are curious about discovering new skills and are open to new concepts and approaches, including finding ways to improve their performance.
Being kind
Employees feel heard, understood, valued, and respected by leaders when they engage in active listening on both a personal and professional level. Additionally, effective leaders understand when difficult situations occur and don't object when team members require time to digest significant life events.
Being a role model
Employees who observe effective leaders in action tend to imitate their cultural cues in a variety of ways, such as: embracing casual attire and their dedication to corporate social responsibility; speaking the truth without worrying about possible retaliation. By being a role model, a leader can make their team feel supported, heard and motivated to work daily.
Staying Humble
Great leaders, regardless of their position, don't let ego divide them from their team. When the times get tough, they'll promptly roll up their sleeves and work with anyone to finish the job because they believe no assignment is beneath them.
They also continue to be approachable and accessible, regardless of their position of leadership in the company, as they see themselves as equals to their employees.
6 Reasons Why Leadership is Important
Now that you understand the meaning of leadership more deeply, and have the knowledge of what makes a great leader succeed, let’s analyse why good leadership is important.
1. Strong leadership turns identity into reality
Every company has a clear mission and values that represent the company’s identity. The important information about the company is usually disclaimed on the website, describing specifically what the organisation stands for, its key values and goals to attain. Strong leadership is necessary to translate identity into reality. Leaders keep the team moving in the right direction. With distractions like routine tasks, evolving trends, and problem-solving, it might be easy to lose focus, but effective leadership ensures that a business doesn't lose its identity.
2. Leadership keeps the company’s moral values strong
It is easy to recognise when leadership isn’t effective and lacks moral values. Employees become very aware of it when they don’t feel respected or valued. Moral values are extremely important, as without them employees tend to feel less motivated, which decreases production in the company, increases churn, and causes a general loss of trust. On the other hand, effective leadership values and respects employees as valuable workers and, most importantly, as people.
3. Great leadership knows how to inspire
The ability to inspire others is crucial for a leader to be successful, regardless of the area of performance. Being able to speak to people in an engaging, uplifting way is a skill not many have. As such, being a leader reveals to be more than simply being able to speak of great matters. It is, foremost, about the ability to inspire through the use of words at the right moment, engagingly. It is about knowing how to make people listen with will and excitement. The same excitement that makes a company succeed.
4. Effective leadership improves communication
No matter the situation, effective communication is one of the best abilities anyone can possess. For those in positions of leadership, it is even more crucial. Misunderstandings occur when people communicate poorly. Misunderstandings in the workplace can affect groups, wreck projects, and even harm a company's brand. Effective leaders are aware of how crucial communication is. They make an effort to speak, respond to questions swiftly, and establish the right mood.
5. Leadership leads to innovation and enhanced creativity
Being creative is part of being human. We keep evolving, creating, and expanding. In a company, innovation happens when people are in an environment where they feel inspired, pleased, and free to be flexible. And it is a leader's responsibility to establish a workplace that provides the right atmosphere to feel this way.
6. Leadership skills are important for self-development
Being able to guide oneself into accomplishing goals is what is called self-leadership. Strong self-leadership is demonstrated by abilities like self-awareness, self-regulation, and accountability. Furthermore, empathy is also crucial. The most effective leaders are not emotionally or interpersonally detached. They recognise the value of sincere relationships and invest their time in them. In conclusion, leadership skills can improve a person’s life and bring value to their sense of self.
The Different Styles of Leadership
A leadership style is described as a leader’s choice of methods, actions, and characteristics when guiding a specific group of people and managing a team.
There are 5 main leadership styles:
Transformational Leadership: Focuses on change and building a better future based on today’s concerns.
Delegative Leadership: A leadership style that focuses on delegating initiative to the team members instead of the leader.
Authoritative Leadership: This leadership encourages a “follow me” type of approach. These leaders consider themselves mentors to their followers.
Transactional Leadership: Relies on a rewards and punishments dynamic. The leader establishes specific goals or tasks for their teams, using this reward-based method.
Participative Leadership: This leadership includes the employees in the decision-making process.
At Passio Consulting, we believe strong leadership is crucial to guide a company to achieve exponential results. Our team is committed, focused, and determined. And this happens not only because of each of its members’ skills and knowledge but also due to our incredible team leaders who speak up, guide, and inspire everyone to give their all in each project that is developed.
If you’d like to know more about what we do, visit us our website, social media or talk to us.