It takes leadership to overhaul the world, modernise the ways of the world, and make people believe that change is for their good. There are countless examples in history displaying how positive leadership initiates positive changes.
Even in contemporary times, some exemplary leaders are working on incredible changes. The theory of the corporate world is no different. Businesses depend on progressive and pragmatic leadership to redefine their success. What positive leaders can bring on the floor is exclusive to them.
But for sure, such incredible leaders are rare, or else there would not be such a dearth of leaders. In fact, around 77 percent of business organisations across the globe have leadership deficits (Go Remotely)
We all know what uninspiring leadership can do to an organisation. Ineffective leadership can augment turnover rates and bring down engagement and retention rates to record lows. On the other hand, positive and inspirational leadership can transform the fortunes of a business.
This is why an organisation should be rational while choosing its leaders. In this blog, we elaborate on the various ways in which great leaders add value to an organisation. Let us see how positive leaders integrate positive changes into the culture and functioning of a business.
Promoting optimism in the workplace
The most enchanting trait of a positive leader is that he creates a working environment driven by overwhelming optimism. This optimism takes the pressure off employees and enables them to stay motivated. A good leader is one who shall look at the brighter side of things more often than what went wrong.
They shall look at failures in a positive light and manifest the same for their team members.
It takes extraordinary optimism not to be demotivated by failure and to evaluate it to identify the shortcomings. The grim reality of the corporate world is that no one talks about managing failure. However, positive leaders shall be a mentor to their teammates and shall motivate them to stay positive.
They shall have the positivity to believe that their team members can achieve the goals with motivation and the right guidance.
Moreover, leadership is a selfless act of leading from the front. Optimistic leaders shall not give up on their team. They shall rather model the correct paths and strategies for their team. He shall lead from the front and exhibit the rightful way of doing things. Because they shall never let negativity override their inspiration and zeal, he shall radiate the same positivity to the team.
It is the basic human tendency that we have. We absorb motivation and enthusiasm from people around us. So, if you have such a scintillating leader in your organisation, you can stop worrying about the future.
Effective feedback sharing
A self-centred or pessimistic leader shall not know the true value of feedbacks. On the contrary, positive leadership is all about adding value to others’ perspectives.
Given that, a good leader shall ensure that there is efficient feedback sharing in the workplace. Feedback sharing is salient to the functioning of an organisation. Here are some trends that exhibit the importance of systematic feedback.
- Hubspot states 98 percent of employees shall disengage when they receive little or no feedback from their superiors
- According to Hubspot, 65 percent of employees are in favour of receiving feedback
- More than 40 percent of employees who are engaged receive feedback every week.
Hence, the fact is that employees are receptive to feedback. They see feedback as a crucial necessity for career advancement. The rest depends on a leader’s ability to capitalise on this acceptance of feedback among employees. A positive leader shall know how to deliver constructive feedback.
The purpose of feedback sharing shall not be to discourage employees but to help them learn and improve. Doing these little things right is what positive leadership is about. Giving feedback for the sake of it and sharing feedback to create positive impacts are too different things.
Turning challenges into opportunities
Optimism comes from flamboyance and a lot of self-belief. Challenges do not deter those who believe in themselves. Speaking of the corporate world, challenges only make success a more viable idea. A genuine and confident leader does not see a challenge as the end of the road. They rather look for opportunities amid unprecedented situations.
The best and the most vibrant quality of positive leaders is that they do not quit. Such leaders focus on developing a growth mindset, and they propagate the same idea among others. They are instrumental in curating a work environment that embraces challenges and looks forward to them.
It is all about perspectives. Whether an individual sees a challenge as a dead-end or a new beginning is subject to perception. This is where great leaders outshine others. They have strong characters and progressive perceptions. As long as you have such leaders in your organisation, the overall response to roadblocks shall be fascinating.
True and capable leaders know how to train their team to glow at its best in times of crisis. So, come what may, you can always depend on a leader who believes in persistence and positivity.
Endorsing empathy
Knowing what works the best for the morale of the team is a trademark of positive leadership. A positive leader is not complacent or adamant. They are willing to adapt to new strategies for creating a productive workplace driven by high employee engagement. Further, they understand the value of compassion and empathy in the workplace.
They view these virtues as important elements of vibrant company culture and not as mere obligations. As per the State of Workplace Empathy study, 96 percent of employees expect their leaders to be empathetic. A smart leader knows how to deliver on these expectations and link them to upscale performances.
Besides, compassion, empathy, wellness, and gratitude in the workplace are more desirable than before. In this ongoing pandemic, employees find themselves reeling under stress and anxiety. They are struggling to maintain a positive outlook amid the chaos triggered by COVID-19.
But leaders with inspiring optimism shall absorb the apprehensions of their team with compassion. They shall be able to understand the vulnerabilities the team members are facing.
Having done that, they shall find a way out to help their team regain the lost motivation by supporting them. For them, empathy shall not be a waste of time as it may be for someone who revels in negativity. They shall rather look at empathy and emotional intelligence in terms of the sense of belonging and security they give to employees.
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Empowering team members
Leadership is synonymous with self-sufficiency and liberty. Leaders have ample confidence to feel empowered to innovate, experiment, and approach a problem with critical thinking. Similarly, they love to empower their team members and give them crucial freedom and flexibility. We all know that no one likes to be micromanaged. It could lead to unnecessary confusion and negativity.
Good leaders do not commit themselves to micromanage or burdening team members with norms, and they do know that team members need their share of space and flexibility. They believe in encouraging team members to be self-sufficient.
In other terms, empowered leaders like to empower their team members. This is among the classical leadership traits that make an ordinary person an extraordinary leader.
These leaders show trust in their teammates and let them choose their approach. Furthermore, they promote virtues like creative freedom and outside-the-box thinking in the workplace. Hence, positive leaders create a more independent, more confident, and more emancipated workforce.
Such a workforce shall prove to be paramount in taking your business to the next level. Any entrepreneur would feel like a king with empowered teams.
Recognising efforts and not only outcomes
Happiness, encouragement, job satisfaction, and engagement have a direct correlation with recognition. But in the corporate world, we limit recognition to outcomes and achievements. No one is much interested in appreciating and recognising effort and tireless working hours.
Coherent to employee recognition statistics, 69 percent of workers say they shall work much harder if they receive enough recognition. Let us come back to the fundamental question. Should recognition be restricted to results and accomplishments? That is not something a positive and progressive leader shall agree to.
Progressive leaders believe that the process is equally important as the outcome. This is why most of the optimistic leaders in the world are anti-perfectionists. They recognise the process and hence recognise the efforts put in by people irrespective of results. This is what keeps the team going and encourages everyone to keep giving their best.
There is no one in this world who would mind appreciation. A little recognition and appreciation can do a world of good to our spirits and confidence. Outstanding leaders with a silver lining shall leverage recognition to convince their team members to bring out the best in them.
Fostering conducive workplace relationships
Workplace relationships and teamwork are salient to the success of an organisation. It is a well-known fact, and it remains undeniable that organisations do invest in team building. This is another arena where a positive leader can bring in a lot of progressive changes. By modelling cooperation and collaboration, they can play an active role in curating workplace relationships.
Also, they shall have an unbiased perception of all their team members and shall confront toxic developments like office politics. They shall foster greater trust and coordination among team members. They shall promote the idea that if they can make an effort to maintain working relationships with every team member, others can do the same too.
This is one of the most fundamental differences between management and leadership. Leaders lead by example and show how things are done.
Relationships between employees have a direct impact on productivity and profitability. In the usual sense, it is up to the managers to ensure that subordinates share trustworthy relationships. When managers are forward-looking and optimistic, they shall look to work on every element that drives cordial workplace relationships.
They shall be critical to creating an environment where people take pride in each other’s success rather than envying it.
In Summary
Every employer should invest in leadership development among employees. The more reliable leaders an organisation has, the better are the prospects of success. The vision should be to identify and develop leaders characterised by overwhelming optimism.
When you have seen what progressive leaders can do, you can also make leadership an essential soft skill for hiring. Forward-thinking leaders shall secure the future of your business and keep refining the processes to help your business scale new heights. And, of course, these leaders shall find the ultimate captain in you!
About the Author
Jessica Robinson is known for her classic blogs spanning various fundamentals of business management, learning strategies, and teaching methodologies. She is diligent in her ambition to aware readers of the latest trends through her work on The Speaking Polymath.
