Leadership skills in the workplace can make or break a business. A bad leader of operations can repel fruitful relationships with the employees. In fact, the wrong leader can scare employees away from even working for the company. The leader is the authoritative figure that serves as a role model and directs the team. This influence on the team is key to the success of a business, because bad direction can produce a bad team.
Employees and employers of a company, both virtual and physical, need not worry. A combination of learning leadership skills in the workplace while practicing leadership qualities can teach you how to be a good leader at work. In this article, read about effective leadership skills in the workplace as well as how to be a good leader. Encourage proper direction of a company.
How to Be a Good Leader at Work
Leaders are not just born; they can be made with the right training and development. According to Robert Velasquez in a study by Infopro Learning, although, companies spend most of their money on leadership development and training, only 29% of those leaders are able to lead their company. Some people may inherently like to take control of their surroundings. Others have to learn to familiarize with actions leaders should take to be an effective leader at work. Ten of such engagements are to:
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Be Brave
In any market, many things happen unexpectedly. Situations usually never go as planned. Leaders at work should know that they are the decision maker for his or her demographic. Leaders make the decisions, of which some may be blind risks. Evaluate every option and make the right decision, even if it may cost you in the beginning.
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Have Integrity
Factual information is necessary in deciding how to progress. Be truthful with employees and avoid costing others just to help yourself. Know that the leader is responsible and held accountable for the team’s actions.
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Earn Trust
Honesty is the best policy! People will respect you more if you tell them the truth rather than concealing bad news. Be impeccable with words.
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Be Patient
Some things take time. Immediate gratification is never healthy—there is no room for learning in the meanwhile. A career is never made overnight.
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Know Your Niche
It is essential to want a career. Motivate the entire team with encouragement and make their job enjoyable so they look forward to coming in to work. Amplify their skills with activities that allow them to practice. Encourage them to have fun, so that work does not feel like work.
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Be Open-Minded
A lot of work is now passed on to remote workers rather than teams at physical office locations. Flexibility is key in keeping a company updated. Adapting to new technologies and cultures is necessary to stay relevant in the industry. It may seem like expensive, but it is an investment.
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Be a Role Model
Treat employees how you would want to be treated. Set an example of how you would like the business to be run. Employees need to physically see a conductor in action to understand what they are required to do, properly.
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Stay Organized
Imagine if employees see their leaders messy desk. That visual will make them think that their desks can be just as messy. If a business is important to you, you should keep it well groomed. Leaders should try not to allow that kind of depiction of themselves as workers.
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Be Understanding
An individual’s emotional quotient is just as important as his or her intelligence quotient. Emotions are attached to memories when undergoing a learning experience. Empathy and kindness allow people to come to a mutual understanding rather than leaving them feel as though they had to compromise in a situation.
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Make No Judgments
Be fair in all affairs. Try not to be biased or show favoritism toward employees. This can be detrimental to a business when an employee becomes entitled and cocky.
Effective Leadership Skills in the Workplace
Leaders are not perfect, but they have to try. Some skills leaders should practice perfecting
Diction and Direction
Proper communication with employees is essential. Without effective communication, messages are not delivered accurately, as they should. Also, know the market inside out, so you are fluent in the industry’s language. Enunciate when speaking with the team. Be professional in your presentation.
Focus and Awareness
If ever overwhelmed, take a breather. Doing too much means losing energy and focus on an important assigned task. Be aware of pricing and cost issues, so numbers balance and match up. Having expertise in the industry will help staying updated with new technologies. Being aware of the surroundings and perceptive of the team’s needs is essential. Do not allow this to be a distraction from the main goal.
Creativity
Be agile—it is important to keep employees’ minds stimulated. This way they will be able to think fast and learn quickly. Encourage the team to think outside of the box, from different perceptions. Every individual employee brings something different to the table according to the culture they grew up in. Be open-minded to different views—this will encourage thinking outside of the box.
Relationship Building & Mediating
Mediating issues between employees requires earning respect from them. Employees would look to you as a jury would a judge. Build a relationship with each employee and do not show anyone favoritism. One worker may be more productive than another, however, that could be circumstantial. It does not mean they are more deserving.
Optimism and Practicality
All businesses will face manic up and downs. It is important to know that when one door closes another one will open, unexpectedly. Remain optimistic in all affairs, but not too optimistic. Leaders do not have everything under control, but they are not totally powerless over situations. Be practical—exercise ambition with proper control and be realistic in decision-making.
Genuine Leadership Qualities
When people exercise a certain practice over and over again, they become accustomed to it as a part of their routine. This can be compared with a legal system enforced in a country, since people naturally abide by those regulations without question. Just the same, when exercising leadership qualities, people will adopt the qualities of a leader. Here are some qualities that should be adopted and presented by a leader in a workplace:
Competitive
Leaders are versatile—they do things differently, which sets them apart from the way others conduct their businesses. Everything needs drive to get where it needs to be– haphazardly conducting a business is a waste of energy. Similar to how a car will either stall or roam around aimlessly if it has no destination—ultimately wasting gas.
Convincing
Good “soft skills” are essential for a business to succeed. Leaders should be able to communicate messages and listen carefully. It is important to be convincing because leaders they are the face of the brand. Along with the marketing team, leaders create a personality for the brand. This is what makes the company unique. Practice public speaking skills. If a leader is not confident in the product, he or she will not be able to speak its language to customers.
Customer Servicing
Be attentive and understanding of customers’ input. Customers are guaranteed satisfaction when you adapt to their needs. Happy customers will keep coming back.
Passionate
Thirst is essential for success and leaders should be authentic. Leaders should want to be the best at what they do. Genuine leaders show that they care to bring something different to customers. Passion in branding a product or service shows that you care about the customers you sell to.
Authoritative
Leaders can become power hungry and inflate their ego. Narcissistic, self-centered leaders are more destructive with negative energy. The team will feel this energy in the environment. It is important for leaders to be authoritative; assertive but not aggressive. Crossing that boundary can be detrimental to your relationship with employees. Be consistent with respected words when communicating with employees or customers. This consistency will show fairness and reliability in the leader and the brand.
Importance of Leadership in the Workplace
Leaders are meant to guide employees. Leaders provide direction and make sure goals are being met. This guidance can include training and even feedback. This also includes mediating and resolving issues that can stall productivity. Good team leaders also instill a sense of confidence in the team to maintain positive energy in the business.
Team leaders also should be able to provide a creative atmosphere for employees. Breakthroughs should be rampant in this type of environment. Looking at an assignment with different perspectives and flexibility allows the employee to choose a work process. This may even foster a new process that is more productive and beneficial for the team.
The most crucial role of the leader is to promote values in work ethic. Integrity is vital for the success of a business. A team leader who demonstrates honesty promotes honesty within the team. The team leader who takes responsibility for a situation, admits mistakes and does not overstep boundaries exhibits the significance of accountability in a workplace.
