It’s hard enough being a leader
in today’s workplace where more work and more thought are being asked on a
daily basis, much less leading an entire organization through a process or
change. This is especially difficult if that organization has established
processes and employees who are not prone to change. Some leadership traits
that come to mind when thinking of these change leaders are resilient and
adaptable, relates well to others, inspiring, good communicator, and strategic.
They must initiate a change at the right time, the right place, and in the right
manner to do it successfully and have it accepted by the organization and its
employees.
The traits described above are
merely a foundation for a good leader, but using these traits effectively and capitalizing
on these strengths are what’s going to make them successful. For example, there
are leaders who communicate well but fail to communicate change in the forum,
or use the wrong channel to roll it out to the organization. This is where
strategic thinking comes into play. These attributed of good leaders coincide
with one another, as neither one of them is better or worse, more or less
effective than the other. They all play off one another and complement the
leader in his/her entirety. I lost a very good change leader a few months ago
when he was promoted to a headquarters position. This leader afforded autonomy to
employees, knew what to say and how to say it, inspired others to excel, brought
humor to the workplace when necessary, and carried out effective plans for our
distribution center. I saw him carry out change within the building in a very
positive attitude that was received by each and every employee quite easily
because of who he was. He was that type of leader that made you not want to
work for anyone else if possible.
I can’t say that one single
leadership trait or attribute makes one successful. Different organizations of
different sizes and industries require different leaders, but there are some
effective leadership traits that are proven to be successful in nearly every
situation. Good leaders are the ones who drive positive change despite what
others think, who step outside of the box to solve problems, who inspire others
to drive that change no matter what their role is in the organization. These
leaders often change themselves as they move up the corporate ladder, but it’s
always for the better. Personal and professional development is at the
forefront of decision making and behavior.
No comments:
Post a Comment