What makes a great leader? Great leaders are responsive to the needs of employees, customers, and investors. They engage in daily interactions with their team and customers and strive to impact the business positively. These leaders practice humility, embrace their roles, and foster innovative thinking. They build a likeable company culture and are admired by their staff.
Transparency
Transparency fosters an environment of trust and cooperation. A great leader can make team members feel valued by being open and honest. A great leader like the former DaVita’s executive CEO, Kent Thiry, establishes a foundation of trust and loyalty that encourages increased employee advocacy—which in turn helps to build the employer’s brand—by demonstrating how much the company values its contributions and opinions. At the same time, showing attention and gratitude can help leaders become more approachable in the eyes of their staff.
Managing people requires a high level of transparency. If you are willing to listen to employees’ concerns and share your ideas, you can improve the work environment and enhance employee performance. Open communication and regular team meetings are essential in this regard. Similarly, transparent leaders do not blame anyone even if decisions go wrong. Instead, they look for the reasons behind them. When communicating openly, a leader builds trust among his employees.
Adaptability
Adaptability is a crucial trait for influential leaders. In today’s complex, matrix-styled organizations, the key to success is dealing with sudden environmental changes without getting bogged down in rigid processes. An adaptable leader such as Kent Thiry knows how to plan and prioritize based on the current situation, allowing them to respond at the moment.
Creating a culture of constant curiosity will ensure that your mindset is open to learning new things. Using different perspectives will allow you to use a broader set of tools. Adapting to new situations will make you a better leader and increase overall happiness.
Self-awareness
Developing self-awareness as a leader is crucial. First, you must be aware of your actions and how these impact others. You must reflect on your efforts to determine if they align with your values. If they don’t, you’ll be less likely to succeed. But self-aware leaders are the ones worth following.
Empathy
Empathy is a critical skill when it comes to being an effective leader. Empathy helps create maximum engagement and productivity while showing your employees that you care about them as individuals. Empathy also shows your employees that you value their contributions and are interested in their success. Practicing empathy daily will develop a workplace culture of understanding and caring.
Empathy is understanding what someone else feels, thinks, and judges. Often referred to as “vicarious introspection,” this trait helps leaders assess situations and make more informed decisions. Empathy helps leaders understand how others feel and make the right decisions based on that understanding. In addition to fostering good interpersonal relationships, empathy can be an invaluable skill in the workplace. Empathy is crucial for effective communication, as well as fostering loyalty.
Communication
A good leader knows that effective communication is the foundation of their success. It isn’t easy to know how to communicate effectively unless you understand the language. The art of communication includes logical argumentation and the ability to listen. However, it is essential to remember that communication does not end with words. Even when you are not speaking, your behaviour conveys much information.
Communication is essential to achieving goals and achieving organizational objectives. In addition, effectively communicating ideas to the appropriate audiences is crucial in boosting employee motivation, building team cohesion, and fostering healthy working relationships.