LEADership and its Evolution
There are leaders do and there are leaders who don’t, which one do you want to be? I big part of leadership (to me) is the lead. Leading by example and working from within the team to complete the goals set by you or your company. If a leader is not leading but rather only delegates it is my experience that respect is lost and productivity goes down affecting the company from the bottom to the top. In this day and age with unemployment dropping it is more important than ever to manage talent effectively as the top talent may not always be at your disposal so it can be very important to develop your team from within.
There are many things that have changed from what management used to be to where it is today and where it is heading to. These ideas are stated in this Forbes article by Jacob Morgan. A lot of these ideas are based around working within your team and fostering an inclusive culture. Here are three values that have evolved it business culture to do so
Supported By Employees to Support Each Other
In the past employees have been used to support their leaders. Management was seen as a separate entitiy that would make decisions from on high to benefit themselves. Effective management has evolved into leaders that support their employees by working with them to make them better. A question that I ask my employees at least once every day is “What can I do for you?” This questions does three things; it fosters respect as you are willing to do the same jobs they do, it shows them that you care about them and the work they do, and it lets them know that if they need help they can ask for it. This supports allows them to open up, creates a better team culture and increases happiness and productivity.
Unemotional to Embraces Vulnerability
Being unemotional was very important in the past. Most managers would only show emotion when angry or sometimes happy but now it is important to be able to be open with your teams. As a leader you cannot be afraid to let someone know how something they did or the company did makes you feel. Opening up can help foster a better relationship with employees allowing them to feel more comfortable which will help when looking into how to improve your management style. The more open you are with your team, the more open they will be with you.
Annual Reviews to Real Time Feedback and Recognition
Annual or Semi-Annual reviews have be consistent in business for a long time. Employees have become accustom to seeing this as raise time and it can sometimes lead to a period of “slacking off” after the raise, as their next review won’t come for another year. The new management styles have focused on constant feedback, positive or needs improvement, and can help to build teams with better ideas of work goals. It is important to sit down with employees and ask them how they think things are going.
“What is going well?”,
“What needs to improve?”,
“What can the company do better?”,
and “What can I personally do better?”
are four questions I ask my leaders every other week and my employees monthly in some form or another. These questions can help fostering a culture of inclusion and giving employees a sense of team.
Evolve Yourself
Evolve yourself as a leader and you will see results. Not all people are the same so your management style cannot remain static. A dynamic style that changes to fit the motivational and supportive needs of your employees will foster the best relationships with your team and create the best culture that you can for your company. There are leaders do and there are leaders who don’t, so I’ll ask you again, which one do you want to be?