In the more than 30 years I have been in team and leadership roles, I have had the privilege to work with, and for, some of the best leaders you could ever wish to know. I have also worked for some terrible leaders, but luckily for me, there have only been a handful.
The leadership skills of the manager may be the most important factor in achieving desired results.
There are many leadership styles, which can be boiled down to two distinct categories: the calm and collected and the loud and angry.
Both categories have strengths and weaknesses, and both can and do influence their subordinates to act. But without a doubt, the calm, collected leader more often than not prevails over the loud, angry leader.
Great leaders embrace the process of discovery by never giving up the quest for information. They control their destiny so that no one else controls it for them. They are never 100% satisfied, because there is always room for improvement.
To be an effective manager, you should know that people do better in a positive environment of acceptance and understanding.
Why not put into action the six areas that Steven Armstrong suggests in his book, ‘You Can't Lead From Behind: What I learned in combat about leadership, people, and profit’, and make being the boss one of the best experiences. The six areas are:
1. Recognition: The leadership skills of the manager may be the most important factor in achieving desired results. And two of the most difficult tasks in dealing with employees are praising and reprimanding.
2. Motivation: all motivation is self-motivation. Therefore, your job is to help your employees find a cause that compels them to act while achieving the organisation’s goals. It is your job, as their manager, to get your people to want to do what needs to be done.
3. Morale: High morale leads to a more co-operative work force, which in turn leads to higher productivity. Its side effects are fewer grievances, more willingness to accept new ideas, lower turnover, and team spirit. It’s what makes the difference between a team that gets work done and one that really achieves desired results.
4. Mobilisation: Managers get results through the efforts of others. The most basic job of a manager is to help people develop. Do so and you will increase the value of your team and empower them to achieve more for the organisation.
5. Dealing with People: Your success or failure will be a direct result of how well you align your organisation’s goals with the career goals of your people and deal with any friction caused by misalignment.
6. Trust & loyalty: You will never have a fully productive team unless you win the loyalty of your people. A manager cannot persuade, coerce, or force people to be loyal to an organisation. Loyalty can only be earned through a fair exchange.
Source: Steven D Armstrong: ‘You Can't Lead From Behind: What I learned in combat about leadership, people, and profit’.
