HOW TO DEVELOP A LEADERSHIP VISION FOR A BUSINESS.
March 10, 2023
WORK PLACE BULLYING
March 10, 2023
FIVE IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP ROLES
It goes without saying that organisational leaders play many roles in leading the strategic direction of an organisation. Effective leaders need to fulfil their roles in ways that will provide the right guidance to those they lead. Such roles can be implemented regardless of the organisational size, the type of industry, or whether the business is public or private. They are not imbued by default and need to be actively learned, continuously developed and consistently practiced. Here are the five important roles that a leader must play:
1. Communicator:
The most effective leaders use all levels of communication to reach out to staff, customers/clients and other stakeholders. They proactively encourage the exchange of information within the organisation. All communication whether verbal, written or online communicates consistency and clearly defines what the organisation stands for. Successful leaders develop the art of selecting personal communication styles that are open, honest, fair and appropriate to the different situations and audiences. These leaders have also developed the skill of actively listening to others, including those with opposing views. They carefully and thoughtfully make course corrections as the need arises.
2. Thinker:
Strategic thinking requires that an effective leader do the following:
- Understand how the different functions of the organisation work together and how it can best respond to external and internal changes;
- Learn the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation, and the opportunities and threats facing it;
- Understand how the strategic objectives are influenced by current and future business and economic forecasts;
- Recognise that the operational objectives and targets must be in line with and support the strategic objectives of the organisation;
- Be aware of and respond to the behaviour of current and potential competitors.
3. Decision-maker:
Developing a consistent approach to the analysis of information is imperative to effective decision-making. In making important decisions and prior to implementation, the leader must consider the impact of such choices on all stakeholders.
Drawing on one’s business knowledge and experience as well as the knowledge of the collective team will help the organisation to identify current and potential problems. It will also provide the platform on which to study a range of solutions before selecting the final one, thus making sure that the selected decisions fit within organisation’s mission and goals.
4. Team-Builder:
Effective team-building rests upon ensuring that individuals and teams are kept informed of plans, developments and issues that will affect them and the way they do their job. Team-building helps its members to understand and meaningfully contribute to the organisation’s strategic goals. It also requires an appreciation for contributions made at all organizational levels. Team members must also be confident that individual and team efforts will be fairly reviewed and recognised as appropriate. An effective team-builder empowers team members to excel and provides appropriate support and timely feedback that will support employee initiative.
5. Image-Builder:
A consistent demonstration of fairness, integrity and professionalism builds the kind of image that supports professional achievement and employee support. These characteristics must also work in tandem with being open-minded and responsive to, and supportive of, the needs of individuals as well as the team.
When an organisation strives to institute an effective organisational culture and demands high standards across the board, an extraordinary level of performance results. Adopting an ethical approach to business and personal dealings set the stage for trust, credibility and influence among peers as well as team members.
