Friday, January 24, 2020
Research suggests that business success rests on impactful leadership. Leadership at all levels requires skill, passion and will. We now focus our attention on 20 competencies that 2020's leaders must exhibit all year long in this first of a two-part series.
Here are the first ten competencies:
Focus on Goals. Leaders who succeed are those who plan and chart the course for success. Winning never happens by happenstance. There are always deliberate and strategic moves being made to accomplish greatness.
Focus on Relationship Management. How we treat people as leaders matters. Maya Angelo says it well: 'People will always remember how you made them feel'. Lousy managers use intimidation tactics, insults and deceitful behaviour (sometimes under the guise of development and mentorship) towards their team members.
Focus on solutions. Problem resolution is perhaps one of the most powerful tools a leader can have in their arsenal. Every human being is created to solve a problem, and every manager is anointed to empower their team to collectively solve big problems.
Focus on managing change. Any leader not comfortable with change is not a leader at all. Twenty-first century leaders must champion the change happening all around them. Embrace it, and convince others around to do as well.
Focus on accountability. Holding people to standards can sometimes pose a great challenge in leadership. Developing strong instruments through well-crafted and administered performance management systems is one way to get the ball rolling.
Driving vision towards tangible results. The leader must be driven by a solid core that speaks of where the company is going and how you propose for them to get there. Helping employees see the big picture and how they contribute to that end result is the task of every successful manager.
Focus on workplace climate. The relationships between employer and employees and the relationship between employees and their work assignment should never be taken for granted. Follow closely with measurement instruments how your employees feel about their peers, their work and the company as a whole.
Focus on nurturing employee talent. One of the first responsibilities a leader has is to identify talent and then develop it. Training and development of staff must become second nature for leaders of high impact.
Focus on effective communication. Most organisations have this similar impediment-internal communication. The breakdown in communication usually occurs at the middle management level where insecurities, a lack of technical skills and egos get in the way of progress.
Focus on creating a culture of service excellence. Driving a service culture is crucial in today's business model. Leaders who understand service are nearly there. Leaders who expect service excellence from their team members are even closer. Leaders who model service excellence and teach others how to consistently exceed customer expectations are the keepers.
• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.