By: Yogesh Sood
CMD, Blanchard Research & Training India LLP
Effective leadership imparts inspiration and transacts trust. No relationship can exist, survive and sustain without mutual trust and respect, and leadership too is not exempted here. A majority of people wrongly perceives the role and responsibilities of the corporate leaders.
People usually assume that leaders are born to command, direct and rule, and they are not as accountable as other employees in the organisation. Contrary to this, they are more liable than others in almost every aspect because risks are always directly proportional to one’s position, the more height one achieves, the more susceptible one becomes to fall.
It is the support and contribution of the team that helps a leader to move further and inspires the team for bigger challenges and goals. It is a divine truth that leaders cannot acquire success without the unflinching support of their teams which can be harnessed only through the unwavering trust between the two.
Now, the question arises, how to win the trust of the team? There is no thumb rule to follow, practice and get results. But, there are some general states of things that one should incorporate them in her/his habits and make desirable changes in the leadership style.
- Invest a Sizeable Amount of Time with Your Team
Instead of inviting others at your place, develop a habit of finding people in their places. This leadership approach is very effective in changing the mindset of the people in your favour, positively and speedily. Now, you can remove many communication barriers between you and your team. You can analyze the workplace environment, working conditions and commitment of the employees towards the work with much clarity and better understanding. Moreover, you can also explore the issues which might have been not shared with you due to the fear factor or other inhibitions.
- Define Clearly the Roles And Responsibilities Of Your Team Members
A leader should be very smart and strategic in the delegation of authority and assignment of a task. He should be good at assessing the team and delegating the right task to the right person. Share what you expect from them and what support they need from the management side. Never leave a room for doubts, uncertainty and fear, and motivate them to devise a novel and innovative action plan for the accomplishment of the task.
- Exhibit Your Confidence and Trust In Your Team
Many a times employees perform below their capacity because their leaders failed to communicate that they can enhance their performance if they try to do a bit extra. Small initiatives and a little more courage can transform an average employee into a star performer. But, it depends on the leader that what is the level of his/her trust in the team, and how often he/she interacts with the team to raise their confidence. Employees perform well when their coach/leader induces them to perform exhibiting the trust and confidence.
- Share both Appreciations and Criticisms
At the time of success and achievements don’t try to steal the show; the credit should be shared with the entire team. It will be great if you declare publicly that the task was impossible without the support of your team. But, in case of any debacle or setback, don’t play the blame game. Take the responsibility and ensure that you, along with the team will learn from the mistakes and the results will be positive very soon.
- Take Initiatives in Removing the Barriers To Success
To avoid recurrent failures, discuss the things with your team in a soft tone, once again avoid blaming them and motivate them to discover solutions. Don’t undermine their suggestions and note them in your diary. They will feel privileged that their suggestions have been taken in the consideration. After reviewing their suggestions, make necessary amendments and develops strategies feasible as well as viable in nature. Now, be the first to adopt these strategies and inspire your team to follow you.
So, these are the characteristics that make a leader commendable and trustworthy. In the present times there are many training programmes and module that help business leaders acquire the above discussed skills. These programmes are Situational Leadership, Change Management, Crucial Conversation, Train the Trainer, to name a few.
