The power of good leadership

When it comes to talking about leadership skills, many debate the meaning behind it. Until not long ago, being a leader, was considered by many the way a group of people were being told what to do, and how to do it; some others believed, it was making people accomplish tasks in order to achieve a common goal. And some others thought, it was just about being on top of the ladder overseeing everyone else and pointing out what was wrong.

However, times have changed, and so have people. Employees started expecting more from the people guiding them, resulting in a change of mindset and ways of working in most industries and companies around the globe.

There have been companies that strongly contributed on making this a reality; Google is perhaps one of the most recognized companies, on implementing a horizontal structure, where heads of departments became more involved with their teams, turning it into a more collaborative environment where everyone was accountable. In fact, they believe that “successful leaders at Google make time for individual team-members and create inclusivity, while empowering the team as a whole”.

And so, the meaning of leadership started getting a new, and?perhaps more purposefull meaning. Directors, managers, supervisors, and anyone in charge of a group of people, have now the responsibility of getting involved and understand that anyone who works in the same department,?works with them and not for them. They also need to have other set of skills that are critical for employees to engage with them:?be humble, communicate well, listen, learn, participate, ask.

Some renown entrepreneurs, mirror themselves in their companies and this is shown in the way they lead and believe leadership should look like. A good example is Sir. Richard Branson, who has built an empire with his disruptive brand, Virgin. In his book, ′The virgin way′, he describes how listening, learning and leading are key when understanding and developing a business. He gives good examples of how these 3 attributes, have been critical with his staff, his clients and even the competition.

Being a good leader means understanding the operation and how things are done; it means understanding the different kind of people and personalities that can make part of an organization; identify and boosting their strengths,?support their constant development, and also, becoming an individual that is an inspiration. Good leaders are clear on the objectives set at all levels, create a clear route for accomplishing them, learn from the mistakes, see opportunities in any challenge, and most of all, believe and empower everyone to believe on that common goal.

In a world where there are so many working opportunities, per industry, company size, brand… people are more than ever seeking to work in places that they can relate to. The boost of start-ups seen in recent years show how younger generations want to work for something and someone they believe in -other than just working for the highest bidder.

Workplaces have had a big challenge, reinventing how they do same jobs in a different way. A good leadership is key on this transformation, where inclusivity is compulsory, and rolling up your sleeves, regardless of the role position, is a must. Ultimately, this shows the empathy, respect and the treat you’re willing to give the people you work with.

The success of many companies, not only depend on how the bottom line looks like; it also relates to how a company is perceived. For businesses within the service sector,?having an established team can be key for client attraction and satisfaction. Companies with large turnarounds can create a feeling of uncertainty, resulting in a degradation in performance and services given. On the other hand, for those companies who develop goods, it can represent lack of sustainability of their products within consumers in the medium and long term.

Therefore, in a world where technology seems to be leading it all, it is essential to remark that the human factor is, more than ever, key when leading the success of a company in the long term. Remember that nowadays, people do not leave a bad job, they leave bad bosses.

If you consider yourself to be a good boss and leader, make sure you deliver the extra mile by treating others with kindness, guiding them to learn new things, helping them grow and understand the value they bring to your company.

If you have worked with a great leader, this is the place to mention him/her!

At Iterum, we are proud to have? Miro Batista Pousa ?and? Joseph Fidanque ?as the commanders of this ship.

Written by: Alejandra Urquijo Dominguez . Marketing Manager - Iterum Connections.