WE often think leadership is about knowing the way and having all the answers.
It is about finding your way through challenges, doubts, and moments that force you to grow as leader. “Out of difficulties grow miracles.” — Jean de La Bruyère.
The practices below are the roadmap on how to rise with more clarity, resilience and purpose.
If you are not reflecting, you are repeating.
Reflection is the most powerful unspoken discipline for great leaders.
Growth and promotion do not just happen.
However, while you are doing your work, it is prudent to introspect, self-evaluate your performance with the aim of correcting the mistakes so that you can grow and become a better employee.
Reflecting and learning calls for managers to be knowledgeable about their job and be experts so that they will be able to effectively evaluate how they do their job in a bid to improve their skills set and performance.
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Here is how next level leaders build reflection into their daily cadence:
Document insights, patterns, and emotional triggers. They journal with purpose of not just venting, but building a foundation for solutions.
They ask the question: “What will I do differently tomorrow?”
Every manager hits a wall at some point in their journey.
Resilience is the bounce back factor for good managers who are nimble enough to adapt to the dynamic shifts of the business.
Managers would re-evaluate their performance and of their subordinates after that deficiencies in skills or areas that need improvement are identified.
Strategies would be carried out on how best to bridge the skills gap.
At times it needs management to invite outside counsel to equip the staff with requisite information on skills development.
Effective-decision making
The management could brainstorm on the past results and evaluate on how they produced good results or negative results.
They can also analyse the production patterns or sales patterns and see how they recorded profits or losses in the past.
After that, they could make an improved decision, for example, to supply more or less in a particular season or segment.
The management can also evaluate information from a segment and measure the successes and failures of a marking strategy that was employed and map the way forward.
Increased adaptability
For example, if there is an external factor that forces the business to change on how to operate as a business, an organisation that invests in skills development of its workforce such a particular company embraces change easily.
Reflection would allow the organisation to formulate robust strategies to effectively face change head on.
Improved self-awareness
Reflection and learning aids management in knowing strengths and weaknesses of their organisation.
The management could reflect on their performance to find out their strengths and weaknesses so that they could work on their weaknesses and turn them into strengths to aid them to effectively run their organisation or business.
For management to effectively assess their performance, they could set a time for evaluation and strategic planning meetings.
They could also use an open door policy to get views and opinions from employees.
Seek feedback
The best managers do not wait for structure performance reviews or crisis moments to hear the truth.
Instead, they invite feedback because they know that what they do not have visibility to can hurt them, and what they are willing to open their eyes to will set them apart.
The organisation should have an open door policy and be approachable by employees to get feedback from the workforce.
The superiors could use meetings to get vital information, for example, on the progress of the production process and learn about the challenges that are encountered by the workforce.
Feedback must be prioritised in effective management as it improves productivity and motivates employees.
Feedback plays a critical role in making the employees have a clear picture of where the organisation is headed to.
Through feedback, employees will carry out the delegated task effectively.
Notably, without feedback, the organisation will fail to compete effectively and satisfy and retain its market share.
Build resilience
This is how the organisation prepares for any challenge and puts in place strategic plans on how to handle disruptions and respond or adapt to any unfortunate incident that would have befallen an organisation.
Resilience enhances employee job satisfaction and boosts employees’ morale, for example, when the employees have managed a crisis or challenges.
Such a workforce would feel motivated and that would boost productivity.
Being resilient in the face of tough economic conditions builds customer trust and the reputation of the organisation is kept intact.
Resilience helps to preserve the company’s financial viability as it would have developed strategies on how to be resilient in the face of economic challenges and how to navigate its way out.
Many organisations that are resilient have competitive advantage over its competitors.
A resilient organisational culture encourages employees to be innovative and creative, enabling the organisation to compete effectively.
Turning to management resilience enhances leadership skills.
For example, a resilient manager would keep focused and calm in the face of adversity.
A manager being resilient amidst a challenge would keep them calm and make an effective decision.
Resilient managers are able to communicate effectively the decisions.
On the other hand, resilient employees are more likely to collaborate and share ideas with their colleagues.
Moreover, resilient workers are able to handle pressure and they rarely complain about their work.
Embrace growth mindset
This is a culture that is instilled in the workforce.
The management should cultivate a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
Such employees tend to take failure as a growth curve and they keep improving.
To encourage a growth mindset, the superiors must recognise and reward employees who consistently improve and demonstrate a growth mindset.
Growth-minded leaders show up ready to learn, adapt and elevate.
That’s how they win long term across all business challenges.
Leadership is not just about strategic acumen.
It’s about drive, built through adversity, founded in reflection, sharpened by feedback and powered by a growth mind set.
Whatever hardships you encounter as a leader, they are designed to build your leadership resolve.
Stay eager to learn and lead from the lessons life throws at you.
- Innocent Hadebe is a United States based certified John Maxwell Leadership business coach and mentor. His organisation, Innocent Leadership Group, capacitates upcoming entrepreneurs with the requisite skills to run their businesses.
