Being a ‘leader’ as a title can be very easy; however, actions must follow. As a digital leader, there is a responsibility to lead, inspire and educate either colleagues, students or members of the digital community. A good leader is important to help make the essential large-scale decisions that keep the world moving.
There are various qualities in which a good leader must possess. Some of these qualities can be self-taught or a natural trait.
The future of UK businesses seem to be shifting towards a more digital approach, following the impact of Covid-19. Being able to lead an organisation or team through this is important.
Strong Communication
Effective leadership requires strong communication. Leaders must be able to communicate and get their message across in a variety of ways, from transmitting information, to guiding and coaching colleagues and the wider team. Communication is important, as it sets the tone for the workplace culture and increases conversation in the workplace.
Influence
Influence can be looked at in two ways. Some may see it as a way of forcing views or convincing people unwillingly. However, being ‘influential’ is different from manipulation. Being able to convince others through logic and in a cooperative manner is a key element of being an effective and inspiring leader.
Respect
Treating others with respect on a daily basis will also ensure that respect is returned. This is one of the most important things a digital leader can do. When there is respect in the environment; that eliminates conflict and tensions. It instead creates trust, improve effectiveness and increase productivity whilst maintaining the ‘feel-good factor’. A positive workforce is a productive one!
Self-Awareness
Being self-aware is crucial for leadership. Leaders must take the time out to assess what they are doing well, as well as traits that they can improve on. This can be done in various ways such as conducting meetings, gathering feedback from questionnaire’s and surveys. Knowing how you show up in the workplace or how your colleagues view you is very important for self-development.
Learning Agility
As the world is rapidly changing, businesses are being forced to change the way they work and adapt to circumstances. Problem-solving skills are crucial for business progression and leaders play a huge part in that. Leaders are now expected and required to experiment, embrace uncertainty, and generate new solutions.
Leaders should also become great learners. Continuously learning and innovating sets a great example and also encourages others to follow suit.
Courage
Possessing courage is a key skill for good leaders. Some decisions are not easy to make and as a result, not everyone will be on-board at first. This may be a new idea or providing feedback to a report; but rather than avoiding issues or allowing conflicts to build, courage will allow leaders to step up and move things in the right direction.
Utilise Your Skills: The Next Steps
All these characteristics fit into their place to create an effective leader. Where some of these qualities will take time to develop and implement, by identifying these skills, it will make the journey encouraging. The skills we’ve listed are not the only qualities you need, there may be skills and qualities that you posses that we haven’t listed.
There are many ways that you can collaborate with your workforce to deliver the best results. The key three steps are:
Identifying
Analysing
Implementing
1) Identify the changes that could/should be made
2) Analyse as a leader what could be done to implement the changes effectively – gain feedback from colleagues or those that work closest
3) Implement the changes effectively – see how changes can be implemented to promote change and productivity within the workforce.
Read: Tips For Digital Leaders