Three Things an Effective Leader Must Gain

Leadership without influence, just like the air without oxygen.

Leadership is all about changes. the “always on, always connected” nature of digital dynamic does raise the bar for digital leadership, the title only can’t make one a leader, which crucial things leaders need to gain in order to lead more effectively?

Respect: Overall, as a good leader, one of the tough choices to make is “do you prefer to be liked or get respected,” Respect is based on being trustworthy and authentic. the liking has to be qualified and be able to garner respect, otherwise a leader who just likes to be liked can be detrimental and indicative of someone trying to compensate for leadership and technical deficiencies. No matter respect or likability should be based on the value, being respected with fair value, make the right decision for the organization and majority of people, also live fulfilled life with energy and balance; as a leader, respect for others' ideas, respect for truth, respect for process, respect for 'knowledge.' Doing the right thing at the given circumstances will earn a leader respect. When a leader consistently takes the right decisions and is perceived to be fair over the longer term, she or he is also liked by the majority. Earning respect comes first, liking eventually follows.

Influence: Leadership without influence, just like the air without oxygen. At its core leadership is about influencing people to act in a particular way. Leaders without vision do not influence at all, positively or negatively, for the long term. Positive influence is very temporary from a leader who lacks vision or poor behavior only makes the negative influences. Either way this makes for a poor leader. What leadership focus on is about leading with purpose and intent to achieve particular objectives. Leadership is about change, to make a difference. The more gaps a leader can fill, the broader influence a leader can make. Leadership is about identifying and envisioning a worthy objective, and engaging people to work towards that objective.

Wisdom: A wise leader demonstrates the soundness of judgment: Many people do wrong things, not because of ignorance, but because of poor judgment, due to the lack of comprehensive knowledge, bias, or preconceived notions. Wisdom in the workplace means to encourage knowledge sharing. When organizational leaders value the contributions of each individual, understand and encourage the career aspirations of each person in the team, the likelihood of information sharing increases, because the old adage "knowledge is power" is less likely to be a barrier to knowledge sharing. When people feel supported and confident they will be developed and valued. A wise leader can also effectively manage collective wisdom which gains more knowledge that creates more wisdom. Understanding of wisdom in the data, information, knowledge, and wisdom spectrum is that wisdom is the application of knowledge to solve practical problems in the daily life.

The great leaders with characteristics listed above can lead more effectively with courage to challenge unfair practices amongst peers and colleagues, have an ability to stand for that which is just, fair, and have the wisdom to do it the right way; hold sound and equitable, innovative, great communication skills, charisma, be able to positively influence others, be a benchmark setter, embodiment of good practice, be good role model for all groups within an organization, take exemplary conduct, they are hardworking and approachable; they are problem solver, effective negotiator, inspirational, firm and decisive, and they have integrity and ability to manage workforce effectively to productive/successful outcomes. A great leader will inspire confidence and encourage employees to learn and improve, while not lingering on imperfections. In simpler words, A great leader is a continuous game changer.

Posted in: Future of Leadership