Leadership is Action, Not Position

Leaders are those who inspire themselves and others to do the right things at the right time. They build an inspiring vision, set direction and create something new which is capable of changing the gridlocked beliefs. Leadership is about mapping out where you need to go and “win” as a team or an organization; and the approach is quit dynamic, exciting, and inspiring. Yet, while leaders set the direction, they are also expected to use management skills guiding their people to the right destination, in a smooth and efficient way. Leaders must lead by an example along with overriding vision and purpose. They possess an unquenchable passion for successfully implementing the vision of the company regardless of the disapproval of those individuals who fail to see the bigger picture.

Emblems of Being an Effective Leader

An effective leader is a person who creates an inspiring vision of the future, motivates and inspires people to share the same vision, stays at the helm of each and every ongoing process and coaches and builds a team to achieve the vision.

Effective leadership has a lot to do with knowing your own business and being able to analyze the existing relationships among the different departments, as well as the way your employees interact with each other. By analyzing the internal function of your company, you will get the most of your team, optimize your resources and encourage a spirit of cooperation.

Acknowledge and Appreciate

Who doesn’t want to be valued? It is essential as a leader to give your people credit and recognition for the incredible things they do. One of the reasons people leave a job is because they feel underappreciated. A leader should never take the credit for the work that their people do. A good leader is a generous leader who recognizes people. Work recognition into the culture of your team. Make a conscious effort to call out your top producers in a recurring meeting. When others see a coworker being recognized, it infuses motivation into your team. Everyone will work harder to be the next person whose hard work is recognized.

Empowering Everyone

Everyone wants to be trusted to make decisions. Empower your people to make certain decisions. Allow them with the opportunities to shine rather than discounting their abilities and doing it yourself. Trust will make them confident and help them strive for larger-than-life goals.

Leadership is both a gift and a privilege. You can erode the cohesion of your team if you fail to value them. Each one of them performs an essential part to keep the engine of your company running. When you can put your people’s needs and interests before your own, you will be a more successful leader.

Example of Empowering Leadership

Jack Welch exhibited leadership as chief executive officer (CEO) of General Electric Co. from 1981 to 2001. He played an integral part in 600 acquisitions in emerging markets and increased GE’s market value from $12 billion to $505 billion. Because things are constantly changing, Welch insisted everyone at GE embrace change. To continue evolving company operations and producing greater output, managers and employees had to continuously reinvent themselves and their work. Welch hired managers who shared his vision of GE, had endless amounts of energy, and were able to encourage employees to stay engaged in their work. He sought managers who created, developed and refined ideas for the future, and found ways to make them a reality. As a result of Welch’s leadership style, managers and employees were more empowered, products gained higher quality, and customer satisfaction and profits increased dramatically.

Conflict Management

If you are a leader, you have a responsibility not only to solve the conflicts that will be inevitably generated within your team but also to be able to detect them before it is too late to fix them. In conflict resolution, it is essential to know your peers. Ask, listen to different versions, show empathy and act with justice.

Creativity and Thoroughness

The definition of leadership also has to do with creativity. Good leaders are able to create an environment that will encourage all the members of their team to develop their skills and imagination so that they can contribute to the common project and vision of the company. If you want to lead successfully, respect the creativity of others and learn from the people around you; their ideas will surely prove to be positive for you.

A good leader sets the bar high for their people because they want to reach the goals and make the best of their teams. In addition to this thoroughness, the leader must know how to listen, in order to know the needs of the people, and then provide the necessary time and resources for them to do their job properly, and therefore meet what is demanded of them.

Risk Taker

The leader is the one responsible for taking the risks that others are not willing to take. They are confident enough to make a decision, and if they make a mistake, the leader must have the courage to rectify, assume their guilt and take the right path, without blaming it on the team. Good leaders know how to get ahead of their time, they see opportunities where others can’t and know how to spread the enthusiasm for their vision to try to make it real.

Improving Thyself

True leadership seeks continuous improvement. Leaders have the ability to turn the people in their teams into stars, people who have improved and developed their skills through the influence of their leader. In short, the definition of leadership has nothing to do with the hierarchy or position of anyone in the company; it has nothing to do with imposing views but with listening to those who know.

Leadership is the attitude assumed by those looking for something different, who are committed to achieving a goal and whose conviction they manage to transmit to others through enthusiasm and optimism to reach a common goal. They exude passionate energy that rubs off on others around them. They have a light, effortless, and clear persona that is projected to everyone they meet because they are so in tune with their work. Others feel this and want to be a part of the vision that the leader is bringing forward.

Optimism

Productive leadership shows optimism and provides positive energy for staff. Leaders are helpful by nature and truly concerned about others’ well-being. Leaders find answers to challenges and are the first to reassure and inspire workers when things do not go according to plan. Leaders find ways for staff to work together and achieve maximum results in an efficient and effective manner. Optimistic leadership sees where the company is headed and plans the steps needed to get there. Visualizing what is possible, following trends in the industry, and taking risks to grow the business are all required of leaders.

 “Great leaders never quit. They embrace and overcome any obstacles, personal or otherwise, that stand in their way. Thus, they need to do the necessary work on themselves to prevent anything from holding them and eliminate habits that are keeping from being the best leader possible”.

Source: https://www.ciolook.com/leadership-is-action-not-position/