CHANGING THE WAY LEADERS LEAD

There are a number of ways of exploring leadership style. If leaders can successfully understand their natural style of leadership, and explore how that style might be changed to fit different circumstances and different people, then their leadership is much more effective. Knowing your strengths and abilities, and leaving other parts of your leadership to others is another vital element of being a great leader.

Whether you are managing a team at work, captaining your sports team or leading a major corporation, you leadership style is crucial to your success.

While leadership is easy to explain, leadership is not so easy to practise. Leadership is about behaviour first, skills second. Good leaders are followed chiefly because people trust and respect them, rather than the skills they possess. Leadership is different to management. Management relies more on planning, organisational and communications skills. Leadership relies on management skills too, but more so on qualities such as integrity, honesty, humility, courage, commitment, sincerity, passion, confidence, positivity, wisdom, determination, compassion and sensitivity. Some people are born more naturally to leadership than others. Most people don't seek to be a leader. Those who want to be a leader can develop leadership ability.

Leadership can be performed with different styles. Some leaders have one style, which is right for certain situations and wrong for others. Some leaders can adapt and use different leadership styles for given situations.

Today ethical leadership is more important than ever. The world is more transparent and connected than it has ever been. The actions and philosophies of organisations are scrutinised by the media and the general public as never before. This coincides with massively increased awareness and interest among people everywhere in corporate responsibility and the many related concepts, such as Fair Trade, sustainability, social and community responsibility. The modern leader needs to understand and aspire to leading people and achieving greatness in all this areas.

Philosophy is the platform on which great leadership is built. Get the philosophy right, and the foundation is strong. Ignore the philosophy and all that follows here will be built on sand.

leadership tips -

1. There is only one way - the straight way. It sets the tone of the organisation.
2. Be open to the best of what everyone, everywhere, has to offer; transfer learning across your organisation.
3. Get the right people in the right jobs - it is more important than developing a strategy.
4. An informal atmosphere is a competitive advantage.
5. Make sure everybody counts and everybody knows they count.
6. Legitimate self-confidence is a winner - the true test of self-confidence is the courage to be open.
7. Business has to be fun - celebrations energise and organisation.
8. Never underestimate the other guy.
9. Understand where real value is added and put your best people there.
10. Know when to meddle and when to let go - this is pure instinct.

As a leader, your main priority is to get the job done, whatever the job is. Leaders make things happen by:

• knowing your objectives and having a plan how to achieve them
• building a team committed to achieving the objectives
• helping each team member to give their best efforts

As a leader you must know yourself. Know your own strengths and weaknesses, so that you can build the best team around you.

A leader should then :

1. Displays absolute integrity

2. Maintains technical competence

3. Takes care of subordinates

4. Respect others

5. Is goal orientated

6. Sets high standards for self

7. Possesses supreme confidence

8. Shows superb people skills

9. Chooses leadership over managership

10. Has high physical and mental drive

11. Holds the ability to choose the harder right over the easier wrong.

A leader must lead an organization with these in mind :

1. DUTY – be responsible

2. Honor – try something different

3. Country – be part of something bigger than you.

4. Mission – know the task, live the task, promote the task

5. Insight – treat your subordinates as if they are most important – because they are

6. Execution – let your actions define you and influence others

7. Strategy – understand the secret of good tactics and good timing

8. Proficiency – be the expert and share the knowledge

9. Loyalty – exercise it up and down

10. Change – to be transformational