IN the previous two editions, we have stressed the importance of both culture, and goal setting within an organisation. Having an image of what type of culture you want to build, and what goals you want to achieve is essential for any organisation, but you cannot achieve and sustain these without strong leadership.
IN the previous two editions, we have stressed the importance of both culture, and goal setting within an organisation. Having an image of what type of culture you want to build, and what goals you want to achieve is essential for any organisation, but you cannot achieve and sustain these without strong leadership. I believe that for any group of people trying to achieve something together, it requires strong leaders who serve as an inspiration and are guiding figures towards the goals determined by the group. There are many different types and styles of leadership, and it’s reasonable to suggest that different industries and organisations will require a different style from one another. To illustrate this point, I’ll use two sporting examples. In rugby, the captain of the team is the leader on the field of play and he is right in the thick of the action. The best captains have a way of leading from the front, showing their colleagues the way in terms of endeavour and the level of application required and they are performing the same job as the group. But the role of the head coach/director of rugby is different from that of the captain. The head coach is responsible for the team’s performance but he does not actually play. He is responsible for team selection and getting the team to perform at its best. He is unable to lead from the front like the captain, as he is not playing, therefore, there is more importance to what he says to the team before, during and after play, and the impact of his decisions in terms of team selection. So there are different ways in which people lead within an organisation Despite there being different styles of leadership, and different personality types contributing to these, there are certain qualities that all good leaders possess. For example, being respected by and giving respect to the group, being true to who you are and going about your business with honesty and integrity, having confidence in your ability and your ability to make decisions and delegate, effective communication, approachability, high levels of commitment, intuition, and, in my opinion, one of the most important; being calm under pressure. This often gets overlooked but it is key to any person who people look to for guidance. What happens when you and your team try to achieve something you’ve never done before and there’s no set plan on how to do it? When the risks increase, the pressure builds, something unexpected happens, and your emotions become that little bit more responsive. Using past experiences is obviously a good starting point, as is enlisting the help of any support network that you have. But the ability to trust yourself and what help you have at your disposal to make those tough decisions is absolutely vital. It will enable you to make quicker and more accurate decisions, and that will have a huge impact on the group. They will sense that the leader is in control and that will help them to relax and get on with performing their role as best as they can. Pressure, in my opinion, is merely a by-product of opportunity. When there is something important on the line, and the opportunity to do something valuable, there’s often that sense of pressure, whether that be in sport or business. But what great leaders do not lose sight of is the goal, and thinking calmly when it matters enables you to get on the right path to achieving that goal. Brian Wrigley says: Stephen has made a number of excellent points which are all highly relevant in the business world yet again. Leadership in business starts with the business owner. The (or you in most cases) set the vision, the destination and the culture of the business in which the employees are required to buy into. How well you inspire this adoption of vision and values is up to you, do you lead by example or are you able to inspire action by your words and passion. An inspirational vision created by a respected leader gives the employees purpose, this purpose drives the business to success. How inspiring is your vision and passion? We would love to hear all about your vision.