A friend of mine once made a simple yet profound statement when he said "The business of leaders is people". While leadership at all levels involves decision-making, strategy development, and all that good stuff it's really about inspiring creativity, building confidence, and creating those opportunities for people to be the best they can be. Despite systems processes and technology, it's people that are the common denominator in every organization across all industries. The business of leaders is people for sure. Here's why.
Inspiring Engaging and Presenting the Right Opportunities Encourages Success
Organizations are "cathedrals for human development" where people of all varieties come together to learn, grow and excel. From entry-level to the CEO nothing gets done without someone making a choice or directing someone else to act. As leaders, it is our job to provide direction and guidance by giving people the tools and resources they need to succeed. Great leaders inspire, engage and provide the right opportunities for others to grow personally and professionally. They encourage success by helping others build the confidence to face difficult challenges. Leadership on this level is about inspiring excellence and bringing out the passion in everyone.
Showing Appreciation and Acknowledgement Builds Trust
It has been said that the deepest human need is to be appreciated. Whether it's at home with loved ones, with a close friend, or in the office appreciation and acknowledgment for a job well done builds self-assurance and motivation. As leaders, we provide feedback to our team through formal performance appraisals but do we always take the time to really appreciate effort, tenacity, and attention to detail? Leaders who acknowledge their employees build connections on a personal level that translate into trust and commitment. Showing that you are invested in the success of your employees gives them the tools they need to excel.
Embracing Diversity Leads to Fresh Perspectives and Better Decision Making
How do you ensure the right decision? You can't and you will make mistakes as everyone does. But embracing diversity and showing the people you work with that you respect their opinions and value what they have to say despite differences is the first step in securing a fresh perspective and better decisions. Staying ahead of the curve demands new outlooks and "out of the box" thinking. That is exactly how great companies outpace the competition. Improved decision-making comes from having a variety of perspectives at your disposal and embracing differences among people. In all organizations, it's the people who hold the business together and success is significantly impacted by the leadership cadre. Why? Leaders are in the business of engendering confidence, inspiring creativity and innovation, and developing the organization's most important asset - its people.