LEADER AND LEADERSHIP. KEY ASPECTS AND PRINCIPLES OF THESE TWO CONCEPTS
"You can call yourself a true leader if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, act more and become someone greater than they are now."
John Quincy Adams.
The word "Leader" itself comes from the English ("leader" - leading, the first to go ahead) - it is a member of the group who does not just lead, but the person who is followed.
Rapid progressive changes in today's business sphere will always require modern people to be not just high-quality executors of strategic decisions and tactical actions, but also real leaders. The basis of leadership is always the intention with which the leader confidently acts. And everything usually always boils down to a specific personality with a certain set of life principles (a person's beliefs, practical, moral and theoretical principles that guide him in life when making decisions and taking actions).
For example, for the leaders of the company Golden Grove, such principles are, were and will always be honesty, hard work, patience, perseverance, loyalty, courage and modesty.
But you will ask: How do you even begin to cultivate a real leader?
First, you should highlight three key components of leadership, based on which you can easily distinguish a "leader" in your actions.
Direction. A leader has a clear vision of movement, he clearly sees the goal and can describe it in simple, understandable words and numbers. A leader perfectly understands the current situation and whether it is acceptable for the organization. So, first of all, the task is to understand for yourself what you really want to get from the business (what the owners want to get), which indicators can indicate the achievement of the result.
Leveling. Everything within the leader and in the team is aligned relative to the direction of the goals. That is, nothing that the leader and the team do every day contradicts their deep human principles and values, and every step supports the goals of the company. The task of the leader is to constantly remind the team about the daily contribution at the level of simple actions to the realization of the company's goals.
Nowadays, it is always typical for people to be distracted by a lot of emotions, life problems that are not related to work at all, but which directly affect the emotional stability of the employee himself. Accordingly, such distractions will always divert the focus from the goal.
Inspiration. A leader is a source of inspiration in a team. Then it is easier for the team to recharge from the source of this inspiration in the person of the leader himself at critical moments.
And in no case, do not count on the fact that other people will become what you do not want to become yourself. In support of this opinion, we suggest that you remember the 7 habits of highly effective people, which are clearly described in one of Stephen Covey's books, and which have already helped a large number of people to become high-quality leaders:
- Be proactive.
- Start with an idea about the desired end result.
- Priority and order.
- Win-win thinking. When others win, you win too.
- First understand yourself, then seek understanding.
- Create synergy.
- Sharp the saw.
It is also desirable for every future leader to learn to perfect one small but very effective daily exercise. And it consists in always being aware of what the members of your teams are experiencing in relation to their work tasks, what support they need to cope with these issues better. After all, the key daily task of a true leader is to reveal the hidden potential of his partners and maintain the appropriate emotional climate in the team.