When it comes to leadership, you don’t have to confine your style or define it in just one way.
You can develop your leadership style based on what the current situation requires of you. However, it is important to be consistent in your mission and vision for your team and company. With this at the forefront of your mind, you can adapt your leadership approach and still remain effective.
Consider a situation where strong, consistent, present leadership is of the utmost importance. Some examples are: when your company is going through a period of transition; taking on new work; or has a structural gap.
In these moments, it’s easy for leadership to get swept up in the chaos of the situation and lose sight of their team.
When this happens:
- Confusion around job function and responsibilities may form.
- Stress over whether or not team members are performing or how their superiors perceive them can cloud judgement and hinder performance.
- Employee turnover may increase.
- Hiring and training costs to handle new transitions, team members or processes may increase.
Even servant leaders or self-proclaimed “non-leaders” can evolve and hone in on particular skills that will guide their teams to more productive, successful futures.
Areas to Consider for Leadership Skills
Attitude
It is something we can all work on, as it informs how you carry yourself, communicate, work, show respect and admiration, and interact with those around you.
Notice how you’re coming across.
Does your attitude uplift people or intimidate and demotivate?
Project Management
Successful project managers take a plethora of important skills: communication, vision, innovation, focus and so on. The list never ends but will vary depending on the business.
Project management requires a results-oriented mindset:
- Where is your vision going?
- Is your team heading there?
- What actions could be taken to change or improve the current workflow?
Vision
Teams need consistent vision from their leaders.
What is important for the future of your business?
What actions will realize that vision?
Are we heading there?
Where have we been, and what did we learn?
Teamwork
Simply put: teamwork is at the cornerstone of every achievement, success and failure your team will have.
Check out a few helpful articles on the topic of teamwork:
Ways to Build Employee Confidence
How to Control Attention Residue
Meaningful Conversations to Have With Your Team TODAY
How can you be sure your leadership is adding value to your team and customers?
Areas to Consider for Leadership Style
Consider four “categories” of leadership and how they apply to your current and prospective style:
The Learner
The best leaders are also teachers who share their experience, wisdom and expertise. Teachers are endlessly curious and use that curiosity to learn their teams, new solutions and possibilities to advance their vision.
The Disrupter
Oftentimes, this is a more difficult leadership style for senior leadership, as they find it more challenging to see and notice new possibilities and opportunities without the realm of the status quo.
Leaders who can see the possibilities of the future are the first to disrupt the status quo.
The Optimist
Optimism is both an intellectual and emotional ability. It starts with your attitude, how you present yourself, and the energy you exude onto others.
The Optimist sets the tone for a prosperous future, while still being attuned to reality and what it requires.
The Experimenter
Not every idea will be successful. In addition, not every new endeavor will turn out as you planned or had hoped. Even the most exciting prospects can fall flat.
The Experimenter pushes the envelope and creates space for the best ideas to emerge. At the same time, they are not demotivated by pitfalls and “failures.” If nothing else, the Experimenter is persistent.
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