10 Things You Need to Know About Leadership

Leadership is crucial to any organization. Without good leadership, the company is set to fail or suffer a great loss. Good leadership is mainly about the ability to influence your followers and guide them on a journey to reaching set goals. To achieve this, there are certain things a leader will have to do or be. Of course, there is no one way of leading, and as such, different leadership styles, and institutional goals will require the leader to do or be different things based on what works best for the situation at hand. Below are some of the most important things you should know about leadership;

Transparency is key – transparency is everything in leadership. Those who elect leaders expect to have their interests served. In the process, both those who are represented and the followers must be kept in the loop. They should get all the essential details of what is happening, especially if it directly affects them. For example, the owner of a company will need to know how funds are used, and followers will need to know if the path you are leading them through poses a threat of any kind. One writer states that a lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.

Accountability – as a leader, you should be able to explain your choices and take responsibility for your actions and the outcomes of your decisions. This includes whatever goes wrong in the hands or under your team's watch. You are answerable to whomever you represent or are affected by whatever decision you make, and you should demonstrate that you can reliably deliver on your promises and commitments. In addition to that, you should be able to cultivate a culture of accountability in your team. Hard as it may be, you need to hold them accountable for their actions, too, and give constructive feedback to improve group performance.

Leadership is not about you – it is about reaching goals. You are the driver but not the wheels or the engine. Remember that you get your power from those who chose you to represent them or that what makes you a leader is that you have followers. Put your interests aside and serve. As a leader, you need to be humble and remember that your leadership is ineffective without the support of your subordinates. Therefore, you must remember the ‘source of your relevancy’ and deliver. This is also a challenge for those who lead their institutions. Remember that your employees keep your businesses running and ensure that you build the best possible relationship with them. Your attitude determines your team’s or organization’s success. It spills over to how your subordinates treat clients or value their jobs. Be a team player and work in harmony with others without abusing your power. 

You do not stop learning – being a leader does not mean you know everything there is to know, or that you know better than your subordinates in everything. Even if you do, you may miss something important. Learn to listen and allow your subordinates to make contributions where possible. Keep improving your skills, and learn from those who have walked the journey before you and from other leaders.

Relationships are important – build good working relationships with your followers and everyone likely to be affected by the outcomes of your work, planned and unplanned. How you work with others will determine how they react when you make mistakes, their readiness to forgive you, and how much they trust you. Most importantly, it will play an important role when deciding who or what to support if choices are made. 

Empower your subordinates – motivate, challenge, and advise your team and help them grow. Do things with them as a team player as much as possible. This way, you are not only improving their lives, but you are building a reliable team with an idea of how their leader wants things done. It gives them the confidence to keep things moving even in your absence.  

Positivity and optimism matter – enhance positive emotions in your team and those who matter most to your institution. A positive attitude keeps things moving even in difficult situations. It boosts confidence and creates a supportive culture crucial to building a solid and resilient team. Positivity and optimism also keep the team motivated and hopeful. However, as a leader, you should be careful not to overdo it. Balance it up with being realistic to keep things under control.

You need to be decisive – making timely and well-informed decisions as a leader is crucial. Gather all necessary information and consider how the situation affects your team or the institution. Some decisions will be heartbreaking; you must focus on the goals and how indecisiveness affects them. Do not overanalyze things.

Control your emotions – a leader must be emotionally intelligent. Being controlled by emotions blurs your view and affects your judgment. Staying positive, giving yourself time to understand other people's situations, and not making rushed decisions can help you learn to control your emotions.

It’s okay to make mistakes – you are human, after all. Forgive yourself when you have made a mistake and learn your lessons. Do not make another mistake by trying to cover up, lest it comes back to haunt you or worsen the situation.