Primary Objective of Leadership

Primary Objective of Leadership

 

Some people accept leadership roles, but are unclear of what their purpose might be. When asked what their primary objective is as a leader, the most common answer is to maximize the performance of the employees. While, it is true that the leadership style can affect the productivity and motivation of workers, this is the old way of thinking with regards to the purpose of leadership. It was when businesses were not as competitive as today. At present, businesses need to continually reinvent themselves and their leaders must not look outward but focus on inward thinking.

 

One thing most seem to forget is that, without a team, there is no need for a leader. That’s why the primary objective of leadership should involve the team.  They are the ones that can accomplish the objectives of the company. A team is composed of individuals who have different personalities. In order to keep them motivated, a leader must consider several things. Some of the workers can be motivated easily. There are others that need more attention. It is important for a leader to be able to affect the things you can control while not focusing on the ones you can’t.

 

In order to display good leadership, you must be able to display a confident façade even if you are unsure about the details or path forward. If you focus too much on the things you can’t control, you tend to sound like your giving alibis rather than solving the problem.

 

A leader must be accountable in order to gain credibility with the team. Take for example; a situation where you need to explain company policies to the employees. Instead of just explaining the policies to them, you must also give reasons why they are implemented by the company. If you don’t agree with a policy, don’t express it to your team. That’s a conversation that should be held in confidence.

 

The top complaints employees have when asked why they are dissatisfied with their work are not having the proper tools to do their job and not having the proper training. Effective leadership can solve these problems by procuring the right tools for the job and providing adequate training for the workers. Training must be done frequently in order to keep workers motivated. Budget restrictions might make it hard for a leader to provide tools to each member of the team, but this should not be an excuse. A leader must be able to come up with efficient purchasing plans to provide the proper tools to workers.

 

In short, the primary objective of leadership is to make sure the team has adequate training and the proper tools for the job. To learn more about being an effective leader, check out the book The Secret to Leadership: How Not to Suck.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Secret-Leadership-Explanation-Simplified/dp/1496105435