WORKPLACE CULTURE SERIES PART 1: LEADERSHIP

Written by: Simon Offstein, Research Intern

Leadership

Good leadership isn't praised enough. Leadership skills are the ability to influence the people around you and motivate them to want to achieve a common goal. An effective leader impacts an organization by reorienting the culture and improving productivity. Meanwhile, an ineffective leader has the opposite effect, destroying a company's direction and ultimately leading to its demise. An inability to lead may even be one of the reasons you continue to get passed over when looking for a promotion or new position. So, how can you become an effective leader?

1. Cultivate Respect and Trust

To earn respect, you must respect everyone, whether it's the doorman you greet on your way in, the maintenance workers essential for running the building, or your CEO. Everyone should be treated with respect and kindness. A relationship built on respect gives people a sense of importance, making them more likely to help you.

A great way to build trust is with vulnerability. By confiding in others, people can feel comfortable opening up to you. Providing valuable advice and consolation grows your peers' faith in your ability to provide direction. If you want people to share your vision, they must be able to trust you. Trust can also be built with reliability. By showing up on time and exceeding expectations, you demonstrate dependability for more critical tasks. Earning the trust and respect of others is essential to anyone with leadership aspirations.

2. Emphasize Integrity

A moral code acts as a compass for a company, providing direction to followers and leaders. Leaders must enforce strong values amongst their followers, as they will echo through every facet of their organization. To become a leader, you must discover what you value and find those same traits in the people you choose to lead without compromise. Maintaining your core values, even though they may not benefit you now, is paramount. Remember that any misstep or mistake will be made 10 times over by the people you lead.

3. Work Ethic

As a leader, you must relentlessly pursue excellence and persevere no matter the obstacle. An organization's success hinges on its leader's ability to exert oneself without recognition. Despite the work being vital to the company's success, most of it will be done in silence and thus often be overlooked. In addition to completing personal tasks, a leader must be prepared to motivate their coworkers. This requires investing time in the people around you, ensuring they are as focused as necessary. A successful corporation always starts with its leader; if they are not dedicated, then failure is almost inevitable.

Leading is not easy. It requires constant learning, adaptation, and dedication to the development of yourself and others within your organization. However, don't be afraid of the added responsibility. Becoming more involved provides opportunities for tremendous growth, both professionally and personally. Every individual has a unique approach to leadership; these are a few common traits that will assist you in finding an authentic leadership style.