What is leadership?

Leadership is influence.

 “He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.”

For you to be a leader, someone has to be following you.

How do you lead in 2021?

  1. Capacity development is the key to a performing and motivated team.
  • What are their challenges? What are their gaps? What matters to them?
  • Invest in training and development
  • Give them the support they need to succeed
  • Keep coaching them through their journey

2. Lead your team through change

Change is the one thing we can be certain of and leaders play a key role. .

  • Know what you want to achieve.
  • Observe how your team is feeling; walk the floors or just keep in touch.
  • Accept that change won’t happen unless you take action.
  • Communicate your intent and why.
  • Lead by example and support your team every step of the way.

3. Think strategically

Sustainable, organisation-wide change requires leadership that looks to the future, integrating short-term results with long-term focus.

  • Understand your vision; know where you want to be.
  • Communicate clearly to the team and make them feel a part of the journey.
  • Ensure they know the role they play.
  • Recognise each and every step and achievement

4. Nurture innovation

Leading innovation well is different from leading operations. Good leaders know when to ask for help.

  • Demonstrate trust in innovators to empower them.
  • Keep the purpose of the innovation front and centre to motivate, inspire, and focus innovators.
  • Partner with innovators as equals to contribute and share the risk.

5. Build resilience into your culture.

Resilient teams are mindfully aware of how things change. They are able to respond productively in the face of disruption and willing to learn from experience.

  • Anticipate what’s happening within your team and outside the business.
  • Empower your people to collaborate in new ways.
  • Nurture a culture of confidence; mistakes happen but it’s how you learn and move on that is important.
  • Assess your progress so that you can continuously build capability and capacity.

6. Build Effective and responsive interpersonal relationships

As a leader, you need to treat your team as human ‘beings’ not just human ‘doings!

  • Spend time with them; walk the floor, get to know them, show interest in their lives and aspirations.
  • Listen much more than you speak.
  • Demonstrate that you care about them not just the results they achieve.

7. Lead by Example

Challenge yourself to lead by example and set the pace through your expectations and behaviour.

  • Provide recognition when others do the same.
  • Walk the talk; your team will know that you are the real deal because you say and do the same thing.
  • If you say you’ll do something, do it! Be true to your word.

8. Track progress

Build a structured and consistent method for tracking progress – both for individual workers and your team as a whole.

  • Measure success and key milestones.
  • Instigate quick check-ins with your team for 10 minutes each week about their progress on projects.

9. Make employee recognition your ritual

Employee recognition shows employees their contributions are recognised and appreciated.

  • Personal recognition is the number one driver of employee performance.
  • Make recognition part of your daily manager ritual.
  • Take the blame if needed and give the credit to someone else.

10. Model your leadership style on servant leadership

Servant leadership means you focus on the needs of others, especially team members, before you consider your own.

  • Acknowledge other people’s perspectives and give them the support they need to meet their work and personal goals.
  • Involve them in decisions where appropriate.
  • Work to build a sense of community within your team.

For more information on the leadership and management training courses we do, please click here or email us on info@lanterntraining.com.