What Leadership taught me.

Richard Branson once said, “Train people well enough so they can leave, train them well enough so they don’t want to”.

When I embraced my role as a leader, I was far from knowing that the role itself will be crucial to my personal growth while focusing on the organization itself.

To succeed, you need to be passionate about what you are doing and know the reason behind it. Without passion, there is no dedication, your vision is limited and growth is non-existent. Most times, it is hard to determine your passion, but once you find it, trust me, the journey is worthwhile.

I felt like sharing with you, the one or two things I learnt in my journey.

Before growing into my role I was told that it is necessary to build connections, relationships and trust.

For the introvert in me, that was something I needed to overcome. I did and now I cannot get enough of the extroverted introvert I have become.

It is interesting to broaden your horizon, learn from your peers and know that you share a common goal; the organization its growth and success.

You would be surprised how some connections turn into respectful friendships. Yes, there is a life outside the confinement of the office and non related work topics of discussion to delve in.

There are different styles of leadership & it is up to you to decide on one that resonates with you the most.

Once someone told me that they do not get involved in the day to day. They let their team members manage it amongst themselves. They believe it to be a way for their team to grow and manage themselves independently. This statement was meant to provide me with a guidance of the style of leadership that I might want to embrace.

After careful consideration & as the months pass by, I believe that;

As a leader, investing in your team and inspiring vision and purpose is primordial.

A respected leader builds trust, a safe environment of collaboration among team members and loyalty. A leader leads by example and is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get involved in the day to day. Showing commitment and dedication is important for team moral as well you being there for your team.

Don’t forget, you are setting up an example for the future leader in your team.

I believe in a healthy safe environment.

A leader’s role is to hear the concerns, grievances whether personal or/and professional of their team members. They should emanate trust so that they are the first person their team would look up to for guidance.

A leader needs to be open for suggestions.

I trust that you have hired the best & they will bring in their expertise from past experience hence making room for ideation and change.

Change is good.

We should embrace change and not shy away from it. By embracing change, one learns.

Life is a learning curve, don’t forget that!

Communication , continuous growth and development sets your team for success.

Whether you have a small team or not, I strongly believe that a leader must invest in each and every one involved and build a space for all to succeed.

This means having difficult conversations when necessary. It is fair to give constructive feedback and be direct. Ignoring it is ultimately unkind, unproductive & unfair to your team. Never forget, they are looking to grow & your feedback is welcomed to that goal.

By embracing leadership traits revolving around your team, you build a positive work culture and most probably unlock the full potential of everyone.

Let’s inspire, empower and make a lasting difference in the lives of our teams.

In the end of the day, we, as leaders, are also on a learning path. I have, so far, been lucky in being inspired by my superiors.

I want to end up by quoting, yes my favorite entrepreneur again, Richard Branson “Throwing yourself into a job you enjoy is one of the life's greatest pleasures!”.