True leadership is never really a matter of the position an employee holds. Leaders are always effective within the workplace, no matter their rank. Colleagues listen to their ideas, follow-up on their suggestions for action and turn to them when they need advice.
Yet recent studies have shown that 77% of companies are currently experiencing a leadership gap, 56% are not ready to meet leadership needs, and 63% of millennial employees feel that their leadership skills are not being sufficiently developed. Worse still, workplaces without effective leadership often become toxic.
So how can you step up to become a much-needed leader within your organisation even if your title may not suggest you are in charge of other employees? What should employers be looking out for when trying to develop the leaders of tomorrow?
Here’s 5 traits that all great leaders within the workplace exhibit.
1. Great Communication
The best leaders do not shy away from what needs to be said. More importantly, great leaders communicate in a way that colleagues quickly understand and respect, even if that viewpoint is in direct opposition to their own. They remain polite in standing up for themselves and do not resort to passive-aggressive behaviour – what they say behind closed doors reflects what they’ve said in face-to-face meetings.
2. Flexibility is Key
Those with outstanding leadership qualities are flexible when it comes to methodology. They manage to sidestep micromanaging other employees by not getting hung up on a specific way to complete a task. Leaders focus more on developing positive results than the process of achieving them. As an aspiring leader you should ask yourself “Is this the wrong way of doing things? Or simply a different way?” before taking action.
3. Empower Fellow Employees
Genuine leaders never step on their peers in order to climb the ladder to success. Instead, they look to empower them by boosting morale, supporting their ideas, and providing advice when asked. Respected leaders also return the favour by soliciting ideas and opinions from others, leaving them with a sense of empowerment and enfranchisement.
4. Become Accountable for Mistakes
It’s not easy to hold your hand up and say you got something wrong. Leaders who are challenged on poor performance will not shy away or try and deflect blame, they will admit their flaws and look for immediate solutions. Crucially, best-performing employees aren’t afraid to ask for help from colleagues when things aren’t going to plan, which helps to reinforce team spirit and cohesion.
5. Engage Others
A high-performing team engages the efforts of every member, and the best leaders are naturally great at matching up the individual interests of team members with unresolved tasks. There are naturally those who are quieter within the workplace setting. Strong leaders acknowledge their skills and keep them engaged by delegating them responsibilities that match their aptitudes, rather than shunning them for more vocal advocates.
Get Expert Help with Leadership Development
The best leaders within organisations are not born, they are developed. Using the traits above you can start to hone your leadership skills before you get the nod for an official management or leadership position.
As an employer, you can look to develop these traits as part of your workplace wellness and employee engagement strategies. Here at DocHQ, we are experts at tailoring workplace support packages to suit your needs. Whether that’s mental health counselling, employee engagement platforms, or workplace wellness seminars. There’s a custom-built employee support solution for your company.
To learn more about how you can incorporate our services into your employee benefits package, simply talk to a member of our team today to discuss your requirements.
If your workplace is taking you abroad, make sure you check to see if you have the right vaccinations such as yellow fever or malaria medication for the country you are visiting.
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