A leader must demonstrate his deep interest in all affairs of the organization. (Photo: 123RF)
GUEST BLOG. Leading a company, a business, a team is not an easy task. It requires both vision, general grasp of things, well-measured self-confidence, ability to inspire and mobilize, a great ability to adapt and the art of finding a good balance between all of these for the greater benefit of the organisation. In short, it requires commitment, so that all this does not happen as if by magic.
Driving is a two-pronged function. On the one hand, he is leading, guiding, orchestrating as a responsible leader in order to ensure that business runs smoothly and succeeds as it should. This is the main aspect of leadership, its visible and radiant aspect, the one that is assumed naturally, starting from people with well-developed alpha fibers.
On the other hand, it is also to guide and direct resources in the right direction to support them and help them stay on course to be in line with the vision and set goals of the organization. This is the everyday, recurring, even repetitive aspect of field leadership. The problem is that it is still too often overlooked in favor of the former when it is just as important if not more while being more discreet. This aspect of leadership requires constant investment of self and time which unfortunately is not always done to the extent of what it should be, which is far from without consequences.
sow to reap
Any form of leadership starts with a vision. It’s really, really hard to get people to their destination if you don’t know where you’re going. However, once this vision has been established, with the objectives that derive from it, it is not enough to present it, expose it and spread it here and there for everyone to adopt it and be imbued with it forever. Yet this is what many leaders still envision today. They cultivate magical thinking a little too much rather than investing in concrete seed to ensure a good harvest.
Leaders worthy of the name are none other than souls and vision keepers. These are the people who must constantly ensure that resources are animated in their daily work to the advantage of the synergy of their actions and the overall harmony of the company mechanisms of the organization.
Therefore, the leading heads must be the lifeblood of this vision. They must constantly remind their troops of its raison d’être and how it fits into each and every role to give it a motivating meaning that naturally creates the desire to give the best of themselves.
This, of course, takes effort. Constantly. This is particularly reflected in a small morning meeting here to properly launch the team each day, a field visit there to inspire, guide, observe or appreciate the work of the staff, or rolling up one’s sleeves elsewhere to participate in a collective effort to overcome a trap. You may be surprised at the effect of small gestures of gratitude to your world.
In short, a leader must demonstrate his deep interest in all affairs of the organization and always be in proactive mode to ensure their smooth deployment. And this, while never forgetting that his role is to run the business, of course, but that it’s the people on the ground who keep him going. For business to move forward, it needs to be done right so that the right things are done the right way at the right time.
Create a healthy corporate culture
To ensure the smooth deployment of the business, it is also important to have dynamic communication channels that allow the leader to be aware of what is really happening in his organization. The cornerstone for this to happen is the feedbacka term I find more evocative than its French version “feedback” for its construction.
In English, “feed” means “to nourish” while “back” evokes the notion of return. And the feedback it has to be exactly that: nurture first (make an example, show the way…), which is the role of the leader, to get feedback later (true follow-up of issues coming from staff). The action of giving first, then receiving, which the term “feedback” makes less good, in my humble opinion.
With this in mind, it is essential to develop a culture of feedback which serves to help and improve rather than scold and punish. Feared leaders usually lead resources who walk on eggshells and hide things to avoid being bullied, which sooner or later leads to disaster. Benevolent leaders – which does not preclude a certain firmness at the right time – rather guide motivated and committed resources who care about the success of the organization and who are not afraid to point out pitfalls. They know they will benefit from the support of their leader and colleagues to overcome difficulties, which rarely lead to disasters.
Develop a healthy and common culture of feedback It is probably the least expensive, easiest to establish, and most effective strategy in an organization. It allows you to always be updated on the state of the real company situation and to stay on course on the company vision, stimulating performance and promoting the sense of belonging of the resources. It only takes one thing: the inspiring commitment of the organization’s leaders to establish and constantly nurture it so that it is as profitable as possible for business performance.
