Good Leadership – What is it & How do you develop it?

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Effective leadership embeds every successful organisation. Good leaders are often the main drivers for growth and innovation, not just for the organisation but also inspiring the people within the company.

Leadership is also something that is often confused with managing. While both are critical to the success of an organisation, after all someone has to manage the budget and logistics. However, an effective leader will execute the vision of the company, develop the right culture within the company, and motivate people towards a particular goal. Good managers can have effective leadership skills, but not all managers are leaders.

So what are the makings of a good leader?

  • Decisiveness – A good leader recognises that time is precious and so much time can be wasted in the decision-making process. A good leader will make informed decisions but keep the timeframes of the task at hand in mind. They commit to their decisions to completion.
  • Set a (good) example – A good leader won’t just tell people what to do or what they expect, they will roll their sleeves up and work alongside them. They recognise that people won’t respect you if you always come in late or shift their workload onto someone else.
  • Passion – Leaders care. They want the organisation to do well and their work to be to a high standard. They want the people alongside them to thrive. It isn’t “just a job” to them.
  • Accountability – Good leaders will take responsibility of their actions and decisions, even when things go south. They will be willing to listen to feedback, even if it’s not always positive.
  • Develop their people – Leaders aren’t precious about their knowledge, they are willing to share what they know and look for opportunities to develop their people. They want their team members to improve and they will foster strong relationships within the team.

How do organisations enable effective leadership?

  • Learn to recognise potential – Push people out of their comfort zone and see who thrives. Learn about someone’s interests, goals and values not just their job-related skills. Invest in development programmes and courses.
  • Create a sense of buy-in – Cultivate that sense of passion and care for the organisation by communicating your vision for the organisation and create a shared sense of mission
  • Coaching – A coach can provide guidance, advice for specific challenges and address the individual’s fears and weakness in the hopes to work past these.

At Caja we have extensive experience developing skills and behaviours that leaders require within our clients. If you’d like a conversation on how we can support you, then you can contact us here.