What is leadership? Being in front while others follow? Making rules and ensuring people obey? Well, yes, these are features of leadership to an extent. But in business, what is leadership?
To make the way known especially by being ahead. It involves bringing people somewhere or getting people to where you want them to be using instructions or practical examples. Leadership is the ability to do all of these, the status of being a leader.
What is the relationship between leadership and running a business? Why do you need to be a good leader to run a business? Over the years countries have failed woefully over bad leadership but bad leadership does not affect just us by way of politics. Companies, industries, and firms have also had to shut down under poor leadership. While everyone would opt to be in a leadership position rather than followership or subordinate, leading is not an easy task. Many people see leadership as simply sitting back and issuing out orders. While that is an aspect of leadership there is more to leading than just that. Get to know more about the skills and qualities of a good leader.
Importance of good leadership at work.
It is said that "once the head is rotten, the whole fish is bad". The same goes for leadership at workplaces. Leaders at our workplaces refer to those in administration and management, they are expected to show the way while others follow. A firm or company that has incompetent board members or management staff is on its way out of business.
Good leadership would also aid in maximum productivity. A good leader will not just dish out instructions but would do so based on the abilities of individuals and would also be of assistance to whoever requires such. A good leader would also ensure he follows up on every task assigned, this would result in optimum results for the firm.
How to be a better leader.
The largest room is the one for improvement. You may be a good leader already but you know you can always do better. How do you improve as a leader?
- Be a professional in your field; Are there higher degrees in your niche? Work towards getting them, after all, there is no end to learning. It is not wise to settle for basic knowledge or to stick with only the experience you have gathered. Network with those in your line of business, go for training and refresher courses etc this will position you to lead better.
- Be a hands-on leader; Let those whom you lead see you working. Do not be the one to just issue others are standby to watch
- Be proactive; Always think ahead, and have multiple ways of achieving a goal. Have contingency plans. Think every step through and it will go a long way to preventing crises.
- Work towards motivating those who work for you or with you; Be enthusiastic about what you do. Enthusiasm is contagious and soon your employees would share in it and it will make for a conducive work environment. On the other hand, if you lack motivation or show a carefree attitude towards your work it would affect your staff and the result will be evident in your company's output.
- Be flexible; True you are the head, but things do not always have to be done your way. All we care about are the results. That is not to say the process is not important as you would want to avoid anything illegal, the point is that you should allow your workers to implement their ideas as long as it shows signs of producing the desired result.
- Groom your employees; Sponsor training and let them get a shot at improving their craft. Avoid writing people off if they fail to meet up to your standards or expectations. Show them how to achieve the company's set goals and objectives.
- Be creative and innovative
- Be generous with commendation and avoid flattery.
- Ask for and accept suggestions from your employees to make them feel useful
- Do not be overbearing and avoid micromanaging.
Having considered these ways of improving your leadership skills, take steps to practice what you've learned and watch your staff/followers and business blossom under you. Great leadership fosters trust amongst employers, employees, and customers/clients. The importance of trust in business cannot be overemphasized as proven in this article on how to develop trust in business.
As you strive to get better at leading, improve your communication too with SmartSMSSolutions’ bulk SMS service. We offer bulk SMS service for a fair price. We run great marketing campaigns that have the potential to boost your business. Leave us a comment or call us on 08035515868. You can also chat with us on WhatsApp at 07034243326.