3 Words To Live By For Better Leadership

Leadership is a skill that we often assume comes naturally to people, and therefore we assume it doesn’t come to some people at all. Whilst it is true that some of us are “natural” born leaders, just as any other skill can be learned and developed; leadership is something that needs to be worked on in order for any of us to master it. We as humans seem to overlook the importance of mastering skills that don’t come naturally to us when in reality these are the skills that need the most attention.

In order to improve at anything in life, we have to work towards progress. Progress comes through practice, learning, and making a conscious effort to not repeat mistakes. When we decide to get better at something we are by definition mastering a skill. As with any skill that requires practice and learning, we have to be careful with how we implement our leadership while we are still getting better at it. This requires a level of self-awareness that most people don’t take the time to develop; we have to be aware of where we’re going wrong in order to identify areas for improvement. Dedicating time and energy to becoming a better leader is not easy but it is fundamentally important to the success of an organisation, at any level.

Why is good leadership important?

Good leadership is more than taking lead on projects and ordering people what to do and how to do it. Leadership should be the process of inspiring others and getting them to understand why what you’re doing is important and why they should care, not just what the thing is. Consider this: we all operate at a much higher level when what we are doing directly aligns with what we want out of life. When our deep-rooted desires -- that often stay with us from childhood and don’t change -- are aligned with the work we are doing we feel fulfilled, purposeful, and full of meaning. All of these things drive us to give our all every day in commitment to what we are trying to achieve. The issue, however, is this: too many leaders do not understand that most people are nowhere near their potential because they aren’t 100% invested in what they’re doing. This doesn’t mean they are inherently bad employees, or that they don’t care about their work, or even that they aren’t working at what they believe to be their full potential; it means that if you want to get the most out of your team it is your responsibility as a leader to show that the work you are doing aligns with their values.

Leadership and what it serves to do is of course a very complex subject and there are many reasons why people turn into leaders. But there are similarities that the best leaders in business have, and there is a lot to learn from them. Let’s dive into what you can do as a leader to improve the way your team sees the work they are doing, how you can get the most out of people, and three easy words to remember when you start developing as a leader: compassion, communication, and commitment.

Compassion

What does it mean to be compassionate and why does it even matter in business? Compassion directly links to the level of care that you have and show for the issues that your team face both professionally and in their personal lives. It is a deep understanding of the problems that they regularly come up against and the support that they therefore require. Having and showing compassion starts with identifying the obstacles that your team have to face and being there for them whilst they do. Be the leader that shows so much compassion that the people who follow you won’t ever hesitate to speak to you about the things that are going wrong - after all, if we don’t establish what is going wrong then how can we repeat the things that are going right?

How to Show Compassion as a Leader

Start by listening, and we mean really listening. Listening with the intent of understanding and not just waiting for an opportunity to reply is a skill in itself. There will be signs that the members of your team are struggling, even when those struggles appear to be tedious. You can look for signs that there are problems at work by monitoring things such as attendance, lateness and punctuality, performance, attitude, and so on. There is always a reason that these things are happening and problems at work are just a reflection of problems elsewhere. With this in mind, though, it’s better to spot these patterns before they turn into problems, and this takes us back to our initial point: listen. Take the time to sit with each person - even when there aren’t signs that they are struggling - and get to know them as best you can on a personal level. People need to be heard and the best way to do that is to show that you care and actively look to provide the best support you can for them. Start listening to the people in your team and start acting on what they tell you.

Communication

This is essentially the one factor that separates us from any other species of animal on earth, and what human civilisations past and present have been built on. Our ability to talk to one another -- whether through language, art, music, or any other medium -- is what has propelled us from cavemen to the creation of Artificial Intelligence. Communication isn’t just key in every avenue of life and the sole reason that modern-day technology exists, it is the biggest reason why most teams fail to work together and often the sole reason why successful teams thrive.

How to communicate better as a leader

Communication is and always will be a two-way thing, you must talk to convey a message and listen to understand one. Effective communication, on the other hand, has a lot more to it than just speaking and listening. One way to establish a connection between you and the people you are communicating with is to be adaptable in understanding that everyone is different and so the best way to talk to and listen to them will vary. Again, this boils down to us understanding each other on a deeper, personal level and using this understanding to make sure that messages are received well and that people feel heard. To avoid any unneeded problems start by communicating issues and problems early, before they become too much to handle. Then start working for your team members and being the voice for each of them when talking to management or at a higher level. Truly having an understanding of the thoughts and feelings of your employees is the first step to ensuring everyone feels seen and heard.

Commitment

You must commit to the people of your business, and you must do it wholeheartedly. Commit to doing the best for them. Commit to putting them before you. Commit to making their experience at work the best it possibly can be. Commit to them. When you start a business, project, or team, you must understand that it is the people that will make the thing you are trying to achieve possible; it will always be this way. You should also commit to learning and being the best version of yourself, for them.

How to be better committed as a leader

First things first: remember that the people in your team are just as -- if not more -- important than the work you are doing. This means that if you are the CEO of a company and you believe in and give your all to making your product or service the best in your industry, you have to share the same level of commitment to your employees. People first should be your ethos; invest in your people and what they provide and you will see the return. Commit to making your workplace and environment one that makes people thrive and look forward to coming into the office every day. As soon as you bring others into your organisation you must be as dedicated to them as you were to starting the business in the first place. Show the same relentless commitment to making things work with them as you did with your company.

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