What motivates us to follow a particular leader?
People want leaders they can trust and respect, who articulate a clear sense of direction, are capable of making good decisions in a timely manner, and who demonstrate empathy and caring to those with whom they work.
Good leaders are not born they are made. If you have both a strong desire and determination you can become an effective leader. Continual self-learning, self-discovery, training, experience, and a willingness to receive feedback are essential parts of the process. There are things that you must be (trustworthy, honourable, of strong character), do (coach, share, practice attaining mutually agreed upon goals) and know (the job skills, how to set a motivational environment).
A good leader has to ensure that everyone in the organization:
a. Understands the company business strategy
b. Aligns their goals to the business strategy, and
c. Is informed about the results.
Leadership is the process by which a person influences others to accomplish predetermined results, coaches them to succeed, and ensures individual goals and achievements are aligned to the organization’s strategies. A good leader builds cohesive teams that work well together to produce extraordinary results. These results are attained because people want to work with you, not because you have the authority to boss them around.
Members of your team are always observing how you behave. Do you walk the talk? The easy part of the process is knowing what to do. The difficult part is putting the knowledge, skills, and values into practice. There is nothing worse than a leader who says the right things, but acts differently. The poet Emmerson said, “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you are saying.” In the eyes of your team, your leadership is everything you do that affects the organization's objectives and their well-being. Respected leaders are always conscious of how they behave and how that behaviour impacts others.
A good leader behaves in ways that inspire trust. Without trust there are no relationships, and without relationships there is no team, and without a team the results will suffer. A leader’s ability to build trust is an important part of the process. As a leader your attitude is critical, because it underpins your self-image – how you view yourself. Self-image impacts how leaders approach problems, their creativity, and their interactions with others.
The basic principles of good leadership have not changed dramatically over the last 40 or 50 years. What has changed are leaders’ beliefs, now they are embracing coaching in organizations, and trying to follow the process. In 1973, the U.S. Army listed the principles of leadership. It is a list which today’s leaders will find worth reviewing.
- Know yourself and seek self-improvement.
Continually strengthen your attributes. - Be technically proficient.
As a leader, you must know your job and possess a solid understanding of your employees' tasks. - Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.
Search for ways to guide your organization to new heights. And when things go wrong – they always do sooner or later – do not blame others. Analyze the situation, take corrective action, and move on to the next challenge. - Make sound and timely decisions.
Use good problem solving, decision making, and planning tools. - Set the example.
Be a good role model for your employees. Your actions and your words must send the same message. - Know your people and look out for their well-being.
Develop your understanding of human nature, and never underestimate the importance of sincerely caring for your workers. - Keep your workers informed.
Know how to communicate with them. - Develop a sense of responsibility in your workers.
Encourage character traits that will help them carry out their professional responsibilities. - Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished.
Clear communication is the key. - Train as a team.
Many so called leaders call their organization, department, or section a team; but, they are not really teams...they are just a group of people doing their jobs. - Use the full capabilities of your organization.
Develop a team spirit and you will be able to employ your organization, department or section to its fullest capabilities.
These principles confirm that the process of being an effective leader requires that you are trustworthy, communicate a strong vision, support that vision, ensure that goals are kept alive and relevant, and show caring through coaching.
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