ThinkTalent Leadership Tips: What it takes to lead

A great leader pursues excellence in themselves and others – while taking into consideration the wellbeing of their team, in alignment with realistic goals.

This week’s blog from ThinkTalent highlights some of the elements it takes to become a great leader:

The fundamentals

Successful leaders manage difficult situations. They influence people because they are able to express themselves clearly and tailor their emotional reactions to people or situations. Basically, they know how to say the right thing to get the right result.

They are skilled negotiators who are adept at motivating themselves and others. Above all, they are able to remain positive, even during challenging situations.

Accountability & Motivation

Accountability and Motivation go hand in hand. Rather than existing in a circle of concern; if only they would, or you need to change, it is far more beneficial for a leader to take a more positive stance towards; how can I better understand you and what solutions can I provide.

Examine things in the context of what really matters and what you can do to achieve this. When there is avoidance of accountability, it can lead to resentment and a breakdown in communications. Motivation is depleted.

When a leader shares accountability, they inspire an achievement-oriented team who feel fully involved in shared challenges and successes.

Autonomy & Effective Goals

The test of a good leader is that when they leave – others will carry on successfully. Engagement drives and motivates a team. Goals create engagement and ‘engagement is contagious’.

Avoid micromanaging and set SMART goals. Include your team in decision making and allow your team to dream ideas that could become useful. By giving greater autonomy along with clear, attainable goals, your team will thrive independently as well as a whole.

To Sum It Up

We’ve all heard the saying ‘People don’t leave bad companies, they leave bad managers’ and the reason we’ve heard it so often is because…Yes, it’s true.

Make it a priority to seek self-development as a leader regularly. Learning is not a one-time event or a periodic luxury. Great leaders in great companies recognize that the ability to constantly learn, innovate, and improve is vital to their success (Amy Edmondson).

With over 30 years’ experience in leadership and management development, ThinkTalent is a leading training provider. Register your interest in our upcoming courses to discuss the possibility of funded training for your organisation.