Leadership can be a tricky element in the workplace. Unfortunately, not every person who is put into a position of leadership is fit to be there or open to adjusting their way of thinking. Some people feel they know all there is to know about a given topic. Others feel that their philosophy is the only correct one.
While this may sound astoundingly simple to understand that this isn’t the right approach to effective leadership, the reality is that poor leadership is one of the most common complaints among employees in many workplaces. What can be done to improve leadership and, by association, productivity and morale in the workplace?
In order for leadership to improve, the desire to adjust the sails must come from the leader themselves. Much information exists on leadership styles and how they fit in with personality characteristics and productivity.
Not every person can be shoehorned into one specific category of leadership, however, so attention must be paid to the whole picture and which styles seem to be the best fit. It can be useful to do a leadership style audit in order to identify opportunities for improvement.
Think of the last superior you had in the workplace. Were they kind? Overbearing? Passive? Think of their strengths and weaknesses, and what you would have done differently had you been in their shoes.
Now, think of the leaders whom you currently work with. Or perhaps it’s you, reading this article, who is in a position of authority. Think of the environment at the office and the employees who clock in each day. What makes them tick? What sort of work environment do they desire? What sort of leadership is most conducive to increasing productivity?
The answer to this may not immediately be clear. However, even simply taking the time to pay closer attention to leadership styles and how they affect productivity and morale in the workplace can play a huge role in making strides toward improvement. An additional step to take during a leadership style audit is to find new ways to improve leadership. In any workplace or any career, there is always an opportunity to learn something new. No matter how much experience, career accolades, or awards a person has, there will always be something that could be done better.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always an easy attitude to adopt. Leadership requires a degree of humility, which is often difficult to embrace. To some, humility is a sign of passiveness or cowardice, but this is a misconception. Humility allows a leader to see room for improvement and to see ways in which they could contribute to increasing the quality of work and morale in the office.
The pursuit of improvement is one that every person in a leadership position should undertake throughout their career. While some may think that seeking improvement is a sign of weakness, it should be taken in the opposite way. A sign of a strong leader is an ability to see room for improvement and pay attention to how their style affects the workplace.
Doing regular leadership style audits in the workplace can do wonders for productivity as well as morale.
Employees who see a leader who wants to improve and who cares about the work environment will be more loyal and engaged than those working under a leader without humility and who feels there is nothing that they need to improve.
