What makes a good leader?
When running a business, there are several traits a leader must possess in order to operate in an efficient and successful manner. While it is important to have a goal, leaders must remember they are not alone when running a business. A stable and trusting relationship with your employees can go a long way towards growing a successful business.
Business leaders should embody the following qualities to ensure they lead their business to succeed, grow, and prosper in the long run.
The 3 Essential Leadership Traits in Order to Run a Successful Business:
- Cooperation – a strong and positive relationship with your employees through Employee Assistance Programmes or any other employee wellness schemes
- Inspiration – a clearly defined goal or purpose for your business and a passionate desire to achieve this goal
- Strategy – an organised and effective plan of action for your company as well as an active and innovative attitude towards pursuing it
Effective Cooperation with Your Employees and Consideration of their Wellbeing
Telling people what to do is not nearly enough when it comes to successfully leading a team towards achieving your goals. One needs to be able to work with others and empathise with them. This means putting yourself in their shoes, taking their perspectives into consideration, and valuing their opinions. By doing so, you can successfully utilise the skills of your employees and simultaneously build a relationship of trust, honour and respect.
This will also enhance the efficiency of your business as employees will be more willing to cooperate and thereby devote all their valuable energies towards the prosperity of the company. As evidenced by a survey of 563 respondents, 43% of employees say that feeling appreciated makes them more confident (Source: SurveyMonkey). This confidence could bring innovative ideas and a positive attitude to the workplace; attributes that are essential in building a successful business.
Inspiring Others and Knowing What Inspires You
How can a leader lead if they do not know what they are fighting for? An essential characteristic of a good leader is the ability to inspire and motivate others through having a clearly defined purpose for their business. In order to inspire, one has to be inspired. It is highly important for a leader, to know what, why and how to achieve your goal.
According to a survey of over 4,000 respondents, 67% of people prefer to work for a company whose mission they believe in, over one that pays well (Source: SurveyMonkey). This proves how important a clear goal is to run a successful business.
Strategical and Efficient Planning
Lastly, in addition to strong cooperation with colleagues and a definitive, feasible goal, it is essential for a leader to also possess the skill of strategizing rationally, morally, and in an organized manner. In order for a leader to successfully run a business, they need to know how they want to achieve the goal they set for themselves and the company. This means being an active member in outlining an organized plan that takes into consideration new innovative ideas, moral values and feasible goals for the company.
3 Key Takeaways
A leader does not lead alone
Utilizing the skills of your employees and empowering them to reach above their full potential is essential. Remember that your employees are your greatest asset!
The importance of strategy and organization
A great idea is nothing without a carefully outlined plan to execute it. While it is important to be passionate about your goal, it is useless without a carefully thought through practical and organized plan.
Caring for the wellbeing of your employees
A leader’s relationship with their employees is of the utmost importance to the success of their business. At Links, we offer an Employee Assistance Programme which supports employees by ensuring their wellness and engagement is prioritized. We work with leading businesses to help build a comfortable working environment and improve efficiency!
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Links International is an industry leader in innovative HR outsourcing with services such as payroll outsourcing, visa application, Employer of Record (EOR), outplacement, recruitment and more! Contact us for more information on how we can help leverage your HR function.
