Stand up and be counted!

I have been deeply thinking recently, as I am sure most leaders have about how leadership, leadership styles/traits are more vital than ever in our lives currently because of COVID-19.

In my opinion, the importance of these elements hasn't changed over the years, it is just under the microscope more than ever at the moment, in the current economic climate.

If you are like me, you’ve probably had more bad leadership examples than good over the years, but I thank the poor leaders in a perverse way as these people show you crucial examples of how NOT to do things and how NOT to operate, which I find sticks in my mind more, even today. 

Important elements to consider as modern-day leaders:

Clear decision making – Leaders need to engage staff with decisions when they need to be made. I have found it essential to make sure you involve your organisation/staff in as many decisions as possible to aid engagement and to promote transparency throughout your organisation. We have all worked for dictators or leaders that are never seen or visible and these people never get the best out of their people. ( Even though they think they do...)

Trust and honesty when it comes to financial elements – Leaders that hide behind emails when it comes to money are never respected as professionals. If a sit-down meeting isn’t viable, then at a minimum there needs to be a F2F video call to discuss in simple terms the why/how of decisions that impact staff financially. Do not beat around the bush with good or bad news. On a side note, businesses need to make a real effort currently to not impact staff financially.

Speed of delivery on promises – Why wait? If you promise to do something as a leader, create yourself a legacy as someone who “makes it happen” and “delivers” in every sense of the word. Get things done now! What is the excuse this time for not delivering for your staff Mr Leader?...

Find variation with all staff members/roles where possible – We all have a set of non-negotiable elements to “our job” and what defines us within a business. But I’ve found that by reaching out and asking staff openly about what they want to be doing, how they see that they can add value across the organisation and also giving short bursts of topics that are completely new to them, helps with energy and positivity levels across the business, without comprising business metrics. This is good for everyone's mental health!

Honest perspective – Try to understand that whilst we all have our defines responsibilities within our business, its important that a leader sees what it is like on the front line when it comes to all roles within the company. Time to openly think about others in this way, could lead to evolution of the role and important changes to make things easier for people.

Get even busier – We all have more time than we think. Fill your time with relevant exercises that push your business/people forward, everyday.

Being there for people – This is simple. Be contactable and listen to people!

Become super organised and disciplined – Find a process for time management that works for you (maybe look for inspiration in my earlier articles) and execute the plan to the full and more.

If there are any other key elements to consider, then please leave them in the comments, I'd be very interested in engaging with fellow leaders who have ideas surrounding leadership/ leading businesses through this time.

Leaders need to lead properly now, more than ever! #KEEPSAFE #KEEPLEADING #BEAGOODEXAMPLE

AK