When we speak of leadership, we are not referring to an “executive” leader. There are many leadership levels in business, and the title of the person is usually a prefix to the name of the company or organization they are running.
This does not mean the leader is better than the company they are leading. Their actions measure all leaders.
In addition to making decisions that affect the company, there are the decisions they make that affect their employees.
Why does leadership need to be a team sport?
In today’s world, it is not uncommon to have different people working in different areas. They can be in an office in a geographical location or on a team in a marketing department.
This means there are lots of different people in an organization. Each employee represents a different skill set necessary to achieve the desired result for the company.
Often, the reason we do not feel successful is because of a lack of certain skills. If you look at the list below, you will likely realize how much you lack in these areas.
Being an exceptional communicator is a skill. Talking with your team to hear their needs and communicate your expectations of them is an important skill.
It will also allow you to build a strong relationship with your team.
It’s also important to be a good listener. If you want to be a leader, be a good listener and use your listening skills to teach your team members.
Another skill that is overlooked and underrated is the power of discipline. This is something most leaders fall short of.
When you have a group of employees, your job is not to treat everyone equally but to impact each of them individually.
Another important skill to have is that of influence. If you want to get your team to follow you, influence is one of the best ways.
It’s more powerful than power, and you can use it on many levels.
Curiosity
Successful leaders constantly are exploring new ideas and ways of doing things that can benefit their organization. Successful leaders are curious about the world and curious about what their own organization can do to improve.
Successful leaders continually engage with those around them, asking questions and soliciting ideas and feedback. When they see an opportunity to improve, they are motivated to seek input from those who can offer it.
Asking questions about employees’ unique experiences and learning from them about their needs and what they would like to see happen within the organization are two types of questions leaders should ask.
Insight
Having insight means looking at a situation and understanding what a person or group is going through and what might be going on within the company. It means being able to consider the various influences that surround a situation and understand what impact a change will have on what is going on in that situation.
Many successful leaders are so focused on a situation that they fail to look outside of themselves to figure out what might be happening in their company and their industry.
Emotional intelligence
EQ is a leader’s ability to understand what motivates other people and then respond to that motivation in a way that builds relationships and mutual respect. It’s about understanding when to listen, when to empathize, and when to be firm.
Mastery
It takes time to become an expert at something. By definition, being an expert in something means that you have mastered it.
Mastery in leadership comes when a person can execute his or her decision.
It’s said that about 60% of learning comes through mistakes and 20% through deliberate practice, and this is why most people don’t become great leaders right out of college.
The ability to set and achieve strategic goals
A leader must identify and articulate the short- and long-term goals for his or her organization. These goals must be actionable and measurable. When a leader clearly lays out what is expected and why it is needed, he or she can engage others around the leader to support and help them achieve the goal.
The goal for any company should be a profit-based one. Leaders must identify the factors that affect this goal and then develop specific tactics to achieve it.
Here are a few reasons why we need a team-based leadership style:
The size of the team
As you become a leader, you will probably be the leader of more than one person. This means you will need to decide how to divide up each individual’s responsibilities and each team within the company.
Different employees have different needs and want different things.
They may have different strengths.
You will also need to decide who to delegate to and how to allocate their tasks.
If you are responsible for an entire group of employees, you can’t expect one person to do everything. You may not even be able to do everything.
The individual skill sets of each employee
- Some people have more experience than others.
- Some have good organizational skills.
- Some can communicate well.
You will need to decide how you will structure the team, so each employee has the appropriate tasks and responsibilities. You may need to put teams together for particular roles.
The location of the organization
If you are in one location, the individual skills of everyone are already defined.
If you are in a dispersed location, you have to determine what skills the individual employees have to succeed.
If you are in a place with many obstacles and challenges, then the individual skill sets need to be known well. For example, if you are in a place where it is boiling and humid, your employees need to be good at working outside.
If you are in an area with very harsh climate conditions, your employees may need to work in a wide variety of environments.
The population of the organization
The population you are trying to operate with may vary greatly. The group may be composed of people with different backgrounds, interests, and personalities.
The complexity of the task
Some jobs are simple.
For example, the person you may have assigned to check out your stock orders from the warehouse or count the inventory may have a simple job description.
Other jobs will be complex.
The people you are trying to get to work on your project may need different skills to complete it.
Each individual is a unique individual with different talents and skills. Therefore, the best person for a certain job may not be the most qualified.
You need to recruit the right person for the job. This means you need to choose people who possess the specific skills needed for that specific job.
Summary
A good leader listens to what each employee has to say. A good leader understands that they are all individuals, and they each need different things from the company’s leadership.
A good leader asks for feedback on how the company is doing. A good leader is one that always provides the correct answer when someone asks a question.
