Seven E - Leadership tips

1.       Empathize with your followers.

A leader who can easily jump into the shoes of the employees is at a better position to manage and lead the employees. Knowing what your employees are excited about, what causes them stress and what motivates them will greatly help leaders to shape your approach to influence. Spending social times, sharing some leisure moments together and sharing opinions on general issues would help bond the employees and the leader closer into a healthy relationship.

2.       Exude enthusiasm

Showing passion in whatever the leader does would generate enthusiasm. Be enthusiastic in doing even a tiniest of the task. Leader’s enthusiasm is infectious. Meetings conducted by the leaders with energy usually get followers to actively contribute; while meetings conducted by leaders half hearted becomes boring and contributions are not forthcoming. Employees would jump on board with the leaders who are generally passionate in their approach to any work.

3.       Extract feed back

Often leaders assume their ideas and suggestions to have been accepted by the employees. Employees differ in their willingness to provide feedback. Some need greater probing than others. Those that need more probing are more reflective and may therefore have insightful feedback. Grab the opportunity to extract feedback from all quarters. Probe until employees feel comfortable to open up. Having asked for feedback by the leaders is a great complement. Employees feel motivated.

4.       Expect differences of opinions

Respect differences of opinion. Most leaders get irritated by differences of opinion and especially when the opinion is expressed in not very smooth language. Learn to believe that organizations grow because people think differently. If all thought same, then organizations would remain unchanged. People may not have mastered the art of expressing their opinion nicely. But people will only learn when leaders give them opportunity to express again and again.

5.       Enable openness

Being open to suggestions and feedback is an organizational culture that leaders will stand to benefit. Leaders must promote a culture that respects openness in providing suggestions and ideas. Most brilliant ideas for success and improvement come internally from the employees. This important resource for success should be tapped. Make it easy for the employees to provide suggestions and ideas. Leaders must encourage openness through consistent actions of appreciation and seeking for ideas and suggestions.

6.       Emanate courage

Leaders often fail to become good leaders for fear of the implications. Making decisions is synonymous to leadership. Making decisions call for courage to withstand criticism and opposition. Leaders should emanate courage when required to do so. Leaders must have the courage to do what is best for the greater good even if the best would affect some quarters. Similarly leaders must have the courage to admit mistakes if it is committed.   

7.       Empower  followers

Most leaders fail in their primary duty to empower employees. Leaders have the core duty to capacitate their followers to perform at their best self. The noble legacy of a great leader is in many employees groomed and nurtured to take up leadership roles better than the leader himself. This entails creating skills, space and scope for the employees to perform beyond the terms of reference. The employee may falter in the journey but appreciate the courage of trying.