Last year I started what I thought would be an interesting exercise: to write a series of articles about what, in my own experience, makes a good leader. What are the skills, attributes or practices that make a person good at leadership? The first article (which you can revisit here:
https://www.griffonconsulting.co.uk/post/leading-by-example) was all about one of the most important things I believe any effective leader must get right, the simple idea of leading by example.
Little did I know at the time how much more relevant these ideas would become, with all that we’ve since learned regarding the varying responses to COVID-19 by different world leaders, and the sometimes stark contrasts we have seen in that regard. The example that immediately leaps to mind is New Zealand’s ‘gold-standard’ response to the crisis, for which Jacinda Ardern rightly deserves praise. As opposed to the leadership response in the UK, where certain key people have apparently been unable to follow their own guidelines.
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For this article, I want to talk about another key responsibility of a leader which is also painfully relevant given recent global events, not just COVID related, but also the staggering events across the pond in January and indeed at several points during 2020.
A leadership role should not be considered a ‘right’, nor does it confer any special powers of decision making, motivational speaking or inspirational personality. What it does come with, however, are responsibilities. For me, the first of these has always been looking after the team. This is as much about getting into the right mindset to lead as anything else, if your first instinct as a leader is to issue demands and stamp around the room to display confidence (as opposed to competence), then you’re likely missing the point and misunderstanding your responsibilities.
The first responsibility of a leader must be to the well-being of the team, at a national level or in a crisis this is obvious, but in the world of business the idea can sometimes – often too easily – get lost in the noise of the profit imperative, cost controls, or the very human desire for status and recognition.
On a day-to-day basis what matters is being mindful of the team’s health, safety, needs or worries, this is about both physical and mental health, and doing whatever you can to be approachable and helpful. I’ve spoken before about servant leadership and this is an approach that really works well for helping you support your team. Another way to think of it, oft repeated on social media of late – with good reason – is this; you work for the team, they don’t work for you.
As a leader, you work for the team, they don’t work for you.
This subject is central to the differences between a leader and a manager as well. The manager’s job is to organise and marshal resources to make sure the work gets done, no one disputes that this is essential for any business. However, it’s not mutually exclusive to the ideas of leadership we’re talking about here either. Ultimately, if you look after (and look out for) the team (whether you’re in a leadership role or not!) then the team will take care of you in return, and together you’ll all make sure the job gets done. So really this whole idea is in everyone’s best interest, including the company where all these hypothetical example people are working!
According to several studies, there’s a clear link between employee happiness, engagement with the business and productivity, and in the current context looking after your staff has never been so crucial.
The key thing to remember is that organisations/businesses are made up of and dependent upon people.
People have personal lives, feelings, physical and mental health challenges. If you aren’t using your leadership position to help, encourage and support the people you work with, then you’re missing a critical part of what it means to be a good leader. The happiness and well being of the team will be directly reflected in the happiness and longevity of the organisation, so it’s not something you can afford to ignore.
Your mindset is the first and easiest thing to change!
I hope this article has been useful. Earlier this year, I launched a Leadership coaching and training program designed to help leader-managers in small companies and start-ups to develop or improve their leadership style and more effectively engage with their teams to get the best outcomes for all. If you'd like to learn more please pay our new website a visit, at:
https://www.leading-with-integrity.co.uk/coaching or drop me a private message.
