5 Qualities of Modern Leadership
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” – Jack Welch
Conventional ideas of leadership were awash with control, dictation and power. But, in this quote, American businessman Jack Welch captures exactly what it means to be a modern leader. Leadership is no longer about personal success and promotion but about generating success for and from the larger group.
Hence, leadership as it was once known has transformed. Now, the role of leader goes hand-in-hand with inspiration, motivation, mentoring, development and most importantly, teamwork. A team is only ever as strong as their leader and yet a leader is only ever as strong as their team. The modern leader builds their team, guides them and stands with them.
In this article we look at 5 qualities of modern leadership and how this behaviour plays a crucial role in business development.
1. Inspiration
The modern leader is a natural source of inspiration to their team, taking the time to empower and progress their staff at every opportunity. Rather than revelling in their own success, they view their team as a hub of potential. Staff are made to feel that every task contributes to their own success as well as that of the business, helping them to drive forward in their career and push for better results.
The modern leader ignites their team’s possibilities, growing the business from the skills within.
2. Honesty
It can be tough for leaders to build trust in their team. But one thing to remember is that trust never comes before honesty. The modern leader ensures that their behaviour is truthful and ethical no matter what the hiccup or hurdle. Consequently, they are able to gain the respect of their team and set a behavioural example.
When honesty is at the forefront of a leader’s agenda, the result is a healthy and co-operative working atmosphere where everybody knows where they stand. And a healthy working atmosphere leads to healthier business growth.
3. Delegation
Effective modern leadership isn’t centred around dictation but delegation. And this doesn’t just mean passing tasks out to the team. The modern leader focuses on understanding the abilities of each team member so they are able to entrust tasks to the correct people. And the attitude with which a task is assigned is also crucial to productivity. Great modern leadership capitalises on assigning work with passion, encouragement and full trust in the individual.
The more an individual feels that their role is appreciated then the better the quality of the outcome. And when leadership embraces delegation in this way it pays off in great results for business.
4. Open
A problem shared is a problem halved and this is the idea that every modern leader should embrace. Reaching out to the team for ideas or help is no longer something to be frowned upon or a sign of weakness. Instead it shows trust and commitment to the team. And tapping into the collective intelligence of a group is guaranteed to sprout better results for the business.
When a belief in sharing information is promoted throughout the workplace, the environment feels much more open and comfortable. Relationships between team members are much easier and the barrier of communication within the staff rankings is removed. This all begins with the modern leadership approach.
5. Resilience
The modern leader deals with negative circumstances in an admirable manner. Whether the latest marketing strategy has failed, a key client has been lost or the business have received some truly damaging PR, the modern manager knows exactly how to handle the pressure and stay cool.
If a negative attitude is leaked to the team then this could significantly affect staff morale and productivity. Knowing this, the modern manager goes out of their way to find a means of stimulating positive energy in the team and avoiding any sourness in the work environment.
Modern leadership capitalises on the idea that a team is only ever as stable as their leader.
Source: smallbusinesscan.com
