Good leaders need lessons

Published Oct 4, 2015

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One of the bonuses of employing younger, less experienced team members, is that I constantly learn from them.

They think differently. They do differently. Create and foster future leaders, build them for tomorrow. It is the privilege of the leader to empower, enlighten and equip their team to lead the next.

Know that some of your team may be happy with their present job and not want to extend their level of responsibility. They have reached their limit. Encourage them to be self-directed, to make decisions. In a time of uncertainty, people are less likely to be decisive.

Guide them and make them feel confident enough to make a move.

A bad decision can sometimes be better than no decision at all! Each and every one of us will respond in our own unique way to different environments, so try to create a platform from which your team can respond to the needs of the environment appropriately and sensitively to one another.

Try to ensure that individually and together they elevate their level of consciousness. To achieve this learning, growth, expansion and ongoing personal development are necessary. Leaders need to be constant learners.

Talk to your team. We learn more from people than paper. It is said that 89 percent of our learning is visual, 10 percent auditory, and 1 percent falls under the heading of other... so what is the other?

A leader should also provide an environment conducive for continual learning. Lifelong learning is essential for any leader. When you stop learning, you stop growing.

Look at your personal balance sheet. What do you know and what do you need to know? Grey areas could include better personal knowledge of your staff, general knowledge, or political knowledge.

Encourage your team in formal learning. Part-time and full-time courses may enhance the skills needed by your team to take a step up. A formal qualification is good for credibility and also great exposure to vibrant minds.

Perhaps, if you cannot devote the time, be secure enough in yourself to know that you too would benefit by sending one or more of your executive team.

* Jenny Handley is a brand, high performance and leadership specialist who offers individual consultations and team workshops.

** For information on Jenny’s books and courses, visit www.jennyhandley.co.za. Follow Jenny on Twitter: Jenny_Handley and Facebook: Jenny Handley Performance Management.

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