Do you hold relevant skills to be a leader in your organisation?
Leadership has been topical as long as can be remembered. Traditionally the monarchy and military have been at the forefront of discussions, but as the 20 century management theories and lessons learnt have been shared the role of leaders and the relevant styles have evolved, and continue to develop.
We fully recognise that the importance of people in transformation, success and progress and want to be the best at supporting organisations in that journey. My thoughts and recent research by Connor has shown that the following traits are what are needed:
- Make quick relevant decisions
If we are to make the right choices we need to keep an ear to the ground and by communicating regularly across the organisation will help keep leaders grounded in reality. The skill is then to take this information and make the right choices.
What are the skills of those who can make quick good decisions in my organisation or the leaders I am working with?
2. Create personable regular communications
Building great communications habits that involves regular contact with the people who can support you but also share a new perspective on things means that you will always be in a good position to make informed quick decisions.
Remote working due to regular travel and or location of staff means that we are more reliant on technology to support us. We recognise that there is nothing better than seeing someone ‘in the flesh’ but the reality is this makes it harder for it to happen. Making the time to have a regular slot in the diary to talk and share ideas is a winner all round.
3. Have the right connections
We all know the saying “call a friend” when we need support and the power of the network. Its those trusted people that we have built relationships with when you dont need a hand or vice versa that seem to add to our agility when the real need is there.
Identify those who you’d like to connect within and external to the organisation and build a plan as to how and when to do this. Then reflect on those you didnt select and think of how you could help them or vice versa in a time of high intensity or change of direction.
I believe its important to remain authentic with this rather than being in the take mode. No one likes to be shunned away as they are not seen as adding any perceived value and you never know when and who you will need.
4. Set the example as to how best to maintain your health and support others
This isnt about being soft but recognising, like any machine, that we as humans need to replenish and get some rest for us to work at our optimum. The options are endless including walking meetings to combine exercising and working, taking exercise before you get to the office in the morning and or finding that quiet spot away from the craziness of life to stop and reflect.
5. Adapt behaviours to suit evolving business strategy
Gone are the days when organisations had a strategy that lasted a long time and the cogs of the organisation could more at a slow progressive pace to get there. Organisations are adjusting strategy on a quarterly basis and in doing so the leaders need to adjust their thinking and decision making.
Agility in practice and in mind seem to be the number one development and learning area for leaders. The ability to move quickly and easily through the maze of business choices and decisions is a significant success factor.
What are you doing to reinforce the right agile behaviours in your business and that of your clients?
6. Have confidence to seek knowledge
Your leaders are not going to know everything and cant be expected to and so having a shared and supportive culture is key. As people experts and professionals this is a great opportunity to act as coaches and or allow people to feel comfortable in asking the right questions to make the agile progress that is needed.
7. Care for the people that will support your success
We can all identify the best leaders that we have worked for or come in contact with. In most cases it goes down to the fact that they cared. In some cases they listened and others they gave the time to discuss an area of work.
As leaders you are a people professional.
What strategies, support and advice are you giving your leaders to enhance a caring success culture?
7. Show you are human
As humans we are real and with that comes our own unique ways and foibles. Showing our human side as leaders means that people can relate to you. Sharing daily personal challenges to learn something , be healthy as you travel, reach the gym before starting work in the morning to balancing sports day and the boss’ all hands meeting.
So as leaders and what are you doing to demonstrate that and how are you as a people development expert encouraging your leaders to communicate that side of you?
So where can you start ?
One of the best ways to progress is to:
- Build a picture of success with the key players
- Be clear on the behaviours that represents and where they already exist
- Identify the priorities of which leadership traits to begin with and who to start with
- Identify and commit to accountability in the delivery and progress
- Agree on milestones and adjustments to continue to support the market / business need
- Identify an external mechanism for feedback, progress checks.
- Ask what are we doing to stay human and support wellbeing with our working habits?
- Get started in less than 4 weeks as its in the moving that you will see the progress and needs evolve.
We have seen the perils of waiting and or holding tradition in many an organisation and so you will need to arm yourself with the great habits to keep you on success and progress trajectory.
Lizzie learnt her graft as a leader in high pressure environments in both corporate and military settings. Lessons and experience have shown that continual fine tuning of working patterns, communication and learning that makes the difference to ongoing progress.
Lizzie is passionate about establishing and maintaining peak performance through bringing together the ingredients that will support leaders and their teams achieve their success. Being a robust leader means building on own strengths as well of those you serve. Having studied the intricacies of how to achieve human performance and the interventions that will achieve business success. She is on a quest to support others make sustainable progress.
Interested to continue the conversation lets chat…
lizzie@rhodesjames.co.uk
