Your Leadership Journey
A key thing to think about before trying to understand leadership a little better, is that it is not just about heroic leaders; the reality is that people take leadership decisions every day, making decisions in their own lives, but also in the work environment. In this blog we will explore what it means to be a leader and the core elements of leadership.
Core Elements to Leadership
We think of leadership as a journey. It can help take the pressure off us to get it right all the time, the important thing is we get to the destination and we’re learning as we go. Sometimes the journey will be straight, but for most people, it’s a winding road that will have wobbles. There will be things that will go well and things that don’t. The challenges we face along the way are all opportunities for learning and development, and that too is part of the journey.
You are already leading
What many people fail to recognise is that they are already leading in aspects of their own life – you are already on this journey as an individual. You may have organised friendship groups, a trip to Ibiza, or maybe you’ve negotiated your pocket money with your parents – you are already leading.
Our courses can then provide you with the knowledge, ideas and tools to build upon for the workplace and life generally.
Providing direction and a persuasive vision
A core element to leadership is the ability to provide direction and a compelling vision. Steering what your team is going to achieve and painting a picture for people, so they understand it. Having the ability to present your objectives and tasks related to these objectives in a persuasive manner will help inspire your team.
This works at every level within an organisation, not just top management positions. You may see an opportunity to improve a process within the workplace, or how something is organised, like for example, the stationary cupboard. You may find a better way of organising this and can then take those positive steps to make that happen. Reorganising the cupboard, explaining to your peers what you have done and why, getting their buy-in, then fine-tuning your system until it works effectively, as intended.
Motivating and Inspiring other to achieve
In order to motivate and inspire others to work to achieve your shared vision is key. Getting people involved, and then fired up, will encourage teamwork and the feeling of everyone working together to achieve a common goal. This again works at all levels, inside and outside of the workplace. Think about sports teams and pub quiz teams – the skills we use in our social life can carry across into the workplace.
Being Visible
Being a visible, approachable leader demonstrates to your team your own integrity and decisiveness.
Mid-level and Senior-level leaders, if they make an effort to be seen around the organisations, engaging with people they become more than just visible, but crucially, they also become accessible. This is in turn shows that you have the time to speak with them and build a connection. By listening to what the team has to say you are also in a good position to pick up new ideas, gain a feeling for what people think about the ways things work and keep your finger on the pulse.
If you would like to learn more about leadership and management, and how you could develop your own skills, do get in touch.
