Leadership In Business: The Impact

How a leader drives a business shows clearly in its performance and the happiness of employees. Poor leadership will shows cracks in the seams, poor management, and disempowered teams.

On the other hand, an effective leader has a tremendous influence on the trajectory of the company, and the ability to create lasting, joyous change within those under his or her leadership.

To do this, a leader must embody the following traits of drive positive impact.

1. Communication

Excellent communication is one of the hallmarks of an exceptional leader. Having the ability to negotiate the murky waters of giving orders or critiques while still accounting for others feelings is a tricky balancing act. Finding the way to strike that balance will allow for honest, direct, and open communication, which a leader can use to positively impact the company. Communication is not just about public speaking and giving decisive directions. Just as important is that a leader takes time to listen actively, attentively, and compassionately. To garner trust and respect, maintain an approachable environment that allows employees to speak their minds. By listening to the ideas and concerns of employees, a leader can fill the gaps in the business, no matter how out of reach.

2. Be an Example

Talking the talk without following through does not make an attractive quality in a leader. As the adage goes, “Lead by example.” A company’s policies and values should be carried out by the leader first and foremost. Those under one’s leadership, as well as partners, shareholders, and competitors, will be watching closely. The image of the company falls in line behind the image of the leader. Exemplifying what you want your employees to be validates the mission of the company, and also validates the effort they put forth.

3. Show, not Tell

To show that a leader’s every act aligns with the company’s values means be honest. A leader with integrity lives up to mistakes, admits and accepts them graciously, and goes o a campaign to right every wrong. To be respected as a leader requires being above one’s ego, and showing that you can be accountable to yourself, trustworthy to employees and partners, and stay true to all decisions. Nobody likes hypocrisy, even if we are all guilty of it from time to time. People hold their leaders to a higher standard, so hypocrisy in a leader is especially detested. Focus on providing your employees with and example to follow so that you don't have to say something like "do as I say and not as I do"

4. Strategize Practically

As the decision-makers, leaders must not only strive to always be better. In leading a company to greater heights, there must be a grounded strategy. One way to ground your strategy is by creating a company mission statement, a general page long statement about what the goals of your company are predicated on. It's imperative that you have a framework before strategizing, so that you can fit your strategy to whatever your ideals are. Once you have a mission statement, start to look at likeminded organizations, and attempt to determine if any of the ways they work could work for you. You aren't the first leader in the world, you won't be the last. Chances are if you are thinking of a way to approach a situation, someone else has as well. Let them lay the groundwork so that you can base your strategy on tactics already proven to succeed.

To properly communicate a vision, the business leader must break it down into steps to drive all company employees in the right direction. Having practical logistics makes the vision attainable, thus making it easier to motivate employees towards every goal throughout the journey.