A leader is someone whose abilities a group continues to recognize and trust. A good leader influences the members of his team and motivates and encourages them with his attitude and work to achieve a common goal.
But why is it so important to be a good leader?
A good leader can transmit optimism and enthusiasm to others to achieve a common goal. He becomes a role model; the workers will follow him, ask him for advice, and act like them. Therefore, we would not like an authoritarian leader, a tyrant who does not care about everything, in charge, if not a charismatic, democratic, self-confident, empathetic, and motivated person.
If a company has a good leader in its possession, it obtains a large number of benefits, such as:
- Increased performance and productivity.
- The established objectives are achieved.
- Motivated and enthusiastic workers.
- Stress is reduced, as well as discomfort and sick leave.
- Teamwork increases.
- The image of the company changes; it is perceived more optimally.
- Improve competitiveness. Competitiveness in small doses is very beneficial, encouraging workers and increasing their productivity.
- The work environment is much more relaxed and joyful.
- Employee engagement increases.
- Creativity increases.
- You get better results and more benefits.
Now that we know what a leader is and why being a good leader is so important, we need to learn about the different types of leadership. This will help us identify the type of leader we are or the leader we want to become.
On the other hand, it is necessary to consider various factors that will determine the type of leader needed, such as the company’s objectives, its culture, or the company’s personality, among others.
Next, we are going to name the most common types of leadership :
- Autocratic leadership. This type of leadership is considered the most extreme since the leader has absolute power and makes the decisions, and no one can contradict him. The presence of assertive communication does not exist, as well as the freedom to comment, propose strategies, present suggestions, etc.; the group members follow
- orders and nothing else. The autocratic leader takes all the credit and never thanks the team for the work done, which causes discontent among the team, zero motivation and commitment, continuous staff turnover, etc. Autocratic leadership is indeed effective if quick decisions have to be made. In conclusion, this type of leader is disappearing since it differs from the work style and culture of many of today’s companies.
- Democratic leadership. It is often called participatory leadership since the leader promotes teamwork and encourages the team to discuss, express their opinion and make suggestions. This type of leader listens carefully, considers the team’s opinions, and weighs them carefully to make the final decision. Although it is the one with the last word, democratic leadership obtains very positive and satisfactory results; team members are more motivated and more productive, and profitability and commitment increase. The leader must maintain the team’s motivation, commitment, and collaboration, a task that takes work.
- Laissez-faire leadership. The French expression “laissez-faire” translates as “to let go” or “to let go.” This type of leader grants much freedom and autonomy, intervening if necessary. The essence of this type of leadership is knowing how to delegate and trusting team members without that vigilance, as happens in autocratic leadership. Laissez-faire leadership has proven efficient in teams of senior professionals with extensive professional experience and motivation who do not require constant surveillance to be productive. For this type of professional, it is liberating to have a leader of this type since autonomy and freedom help them to be more productive and creative. On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that only some professionals enjoy these characteristics, and even so, one must continue monitoring and following up on the work; delegating does not equal zero control.
- Charismatic leadership. It is the one we find the most and the best known. A charismatic leader generates positive feelings, thus creating an optimal work environment. Thanks to his communication skills, he transmits enthusiasm and motivation among the team members. The project flows efficiently, presenting very good results. If the charismatic leader disappears, the project is seriously affected since he takes the enthusiasm and motivation of the workers.
- Transformational leadership. It is considered one of the most complete leadership since it provides great flexibility. His naturalness and charisma characterize this type of leader. He maintains a high degree of communication, trusts team members and allows them autonomy and freedom, and is democratic when making decisions, but knows very well what his position is; sometimes, he makes decisions, and other times, he delegates. The goal of transformational leadership is to cause transformations among team members. This type of leader increases the productivity and efficiency of team professionals thanks to the motivation he transmits to them. And they achieve this thanks to the fact that their followers give them trust, respect, and admiration.
It must be considered that before adopting one leadership or another, the company, its workers, its projects, and its objectives must be thoroughly analysed in both the short and long term.
Regardless of the type of leader you want to be, we offer you some tips to introduce into your day-to-day to become a good leader:
- Clear and efficient communication. You must listen to your team and consider their opinions. When speaking, you should be very explicit to avoid misunderstandings.
- Guide by example. You cannot demand commitment and motivation from your team members when you go to work as little as possible and with a bad attitude. Therefore, become the person you want the group members to be.
- You must know your strengths and weaknesses. Once you identify your strengths and weaknesses, firstly, bring your strengths to your team and, secondly, delegate and work on your weaknesses.
- Work more than the others. If you want your team members to get involved, do it first.
Work on your emotional intelligence. You must know, understand and know how to control and manage your emotions. But be careful; that doesn’t mean you’re not empathetic.
- Be humble. It will help you to have more confidence in yourself.
- Be charismatic. If you manage to be a charismatic leader, you will get your workers to follow you wherever necessary; thanks to motivation, productivity will benefit.
- Accept your own mistakes. Making mistakes is normal, don’t punish yourself, but learn from them. If your team makes a mistake, don’t look for blame; focus on finding solutions.
- Have goals and projections for the future. It is important to have goals to stay motivated and want to improve.
- Maintain a pleasant and relaxed work environment. For your team members to remain motivated and productive, you must take care of the work environment; for this, we recommend fluid communication.
- Be a close leader. Please do not put a barrier between you and your team, be close and transmit confidence to them. Being close does not mean being friends with everyone; you must be very careful since it can cause problems.
- Be clear and transparent. Never lie or hide things from your team. Otherwise, you will lose their trust and respect.
In conclusion, to be a good leader, you must be a good person and very good at your job.
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