What is it that makes a great leader? Is leadership something someone has been born with or can be developed? When asked to describe an ideal leader characteristics like visionary, tenacity determination, passion and vision are often prominently mentioned. These are essential, but not enough to be a successful leader. The soft capabilities, which are equally vital, aren’t included in this list. Ovik Mkrtchyan
While some degree of technical or analytical skills is essential for success, many studies have revealed that emotional intelligence could be the most important attribute that differentiates great leaders from those that only have a basic understanding. Here are a few of the traits that exceptional leaders show.
EARNING THE RESPECT OF THE TEAM
Being able to demonstrate respect, compassion, and empathy for all people regardless of rank is a key characteristic of successful leaders. Respect is the key to building relationships with others. Empathy allows leaders to get into the emotional state of an individual to create deeper connections. Combining these two skills can help leaders achieve success and develop trusting and strong relationships with other people.
DECISIVENESS
Being able to take correct decisions in real-time is an important skill for any leader. The ability to take clear and timely decisions based on the right quantity of data. Most importantly, great leaders can make decisions that are clearly defined and definitive. Great leaders are able to make those decisions based on years of experience. They are not impulsive but arrive at decisions after carefully weighing their options. If you are someone that aspires to take great decisions, you should opt for leadership training.
DESIRE TO LEARN
The majority of executives will likely be forced to navigate through uncharted areas at least once during their careers. This is why they have to be able to trust their instincts and draw upon their previous experiences and the wisdom of others to help guide them. Successful leaders know that there’s always something to learn from every experience they’ve been through before. They seek out answers and possess an open mind to understand and be aware of current challenges and draw upon their past experiences to take swift decisions.
PUSH OTHERS TO BE THEIR BEST
The best leaders constantly encourage others to become the best they are. While doing so they offer the opportunity for individuals to grow both within and out of their comfort zones. The truth is the essence of leadership isn’t about who’s in charge but rather making sure that everyone is focused on their goals as well as keeping them engaged and assisting them to become the best they can be in achieving those goals. Ovik Mkrtchyan
GIVE GUIDANCE
A good leader doesn’t rule by using force. Instead, a good leader inspires others. They model their behavior and know when to assist someone who might struggle, but without directly giving them direction.
CAREFUL LISTENING
Communication skills are crucial for a successful leader. They must be able of interpreting other people’s words correctly and not take their words as personal. They must also be able and willing to promote collaboration between teams and set an open-door policy.
ARTICULATE THE VISION
A successful leader can see clearly and has a strong concentration on the business and its employees. They are strategic planners and believe in collaboration leadership coaching. They assist people in achieving their goals and aren’t unwilling to collaborate with others who might be more successful than their own.
ABILITY TO EMBRACE FAILURE
No matter how much one tries to avoid failings are inevitable. The best leaders accept it as a part of their routine and view the experience as an opportunity to learn. They keep their cool, look at the situation from different angles and think logically about the scenario. What they aren’t able to do is fall apart and let their issues be known that could lead to depression, fear, and lower morale in the group.
REMAIN HUMBLE
Some belief “humility is weakness”, but the two terms differ in many ways. The word “humility” does not mean letting go of self-esteem of one’s self however, it is knowing that people are better off when being praised and being able to discern what needs to be kept in mind when presented with suggestions leadership. Indeed, humble people have more ambition than everyone other. Yet their goal is not for them and is for the benefit of the entire group.
KNOWING HOW AND WHEN TO DELEGATE
Effective leaders recognize that delegation can be more than just relieving their stress levels. The ability to delegate tasks to others shows confidence in the capabilities of the team that in turn leads to greater morale and satisfaction in the workplace and also the loyalty of staff. The employees want to feel valued and respected.
Warren Bennis, a management expert, once stated “Being a leader and being yourself are synonymous; it sounds easy, but it’s also hard.” The positive is that leadership qualities can be learned, refined, and developed in time leadership. Continuous practice and awareness help to build these leadership abilities. Also, it requires regular and open feedback from the team as well as self-reflection, and taking action upon feedback that is received.
Using Informal Learning to Empower Employees
Teachers like to say that learning continues for the rest of your life. It doesn’t end once one is in the professional world, either. Going to conferences, workshops, and networking events are fantastic ways to gain insight from colleagues in the field and broaden the horizons of one’s. But from an organization’s viewpoint, these training and development programs could be expensive. The worst part is that they do not provide value for employees.
When it comes time to set budgets for training. There’s no doubt that training budgets are in the middle of your management’s priority list. But that doesn’t suggest that employees have to be denied opportunities for learning and development. There are many ways that your employees can learn new skills. This is generally known in informal education.
By the definition given by the Training Industry, informal learning is described to be “learning that occurs away from a structured, formal classroom environment”. It can take many ways – self-studying, studying articles, taking part in discussions such as TED talks, or participating in coaching sessions’ leadership. In essence, informal learning is a way to encourage employees to establish their personal learning goals and targets.
ON THE PLUS SIDE OF INFORMAL LEARNING
The advantage of informal education is that it offers the flexibility employees require. Every person learns differently and uses different methods to learn. Instead of having a one-approach-fits-all, organizations can consider providing a suite of learning and development initiatives. Employees could then choose and register for classes that interest them, as well as attend webinars or conferences which might be appealing to their interests. Instead of waiting for workshops or seminars to schedule in the HR department employees can look for the things that interest them and decide to go for them.
ON THE DOWNSIDE OF INFORMAL LEARNING
The reason informal learning can receive a bad rap within certain organizations is that it does not meet its potential. Because informal learning is a way of saying that employees are responsible for their education and growth. The subject can be a quick way to fall off the top of their agendas due to the pressures of everyday tasks and work. In the same way, it’s not difficult to provide a variety of online courses and events that employees can register for. However, do they have a clear idea of what they require? The employees might prefer to stick to their zone and register for courses or content they know about.
However, there are ways that both employers, as well as employees, can steer clear of these dangers. Providing employees with useful sources for reliability. Also, valuable educational content is an effective approach to lead employees to an area where they can begin their path to learning. While at the same time the top management and supervisors must encourage their employees to post their favorite courses or content so that others can also benefit. It is also essential for organizations to create an environment that encourages learning, where employees. Also, managers are aware that their choices in learning will support by allowing them time to attend these training and development classes.
With the proliferation of podcasts, online courses, and Vlogs (video blogs) learning is no longer restricted to a lecture hall or a seminar room with four walls. Learning at work is now an interactive process where senior and junior employees learn from each other and also assist one another. These are a few positive factors that have helped to improve development and learning in organizations in the present.
