What makes a leader exceptional? Whether you aspire to lead a team at work or simply want to be a more effective leader in your personal life, understanding these qualities can help you unlock your full potential and make a positive impact on those around you.
For a company to be successful, there needs to be a company vision, good communication and a focus on company morale. Employees in the business need to know exactly what they’re doing and why they are doing it just as much as the employer. Here are some tips we’ve picked up along SAMS long 24-year journey to where we are now as a company.
Vision
Every great leader has one thing in common – a clear vision. They have a compelling idea of where they want to go and can articulate it to others in an inspiring way. A strong vision acts as a guiding light, motivating both the leader and their team to strive for excellence. For SAMS, we believe that an investment in safety is an investment in your future, so our vision is to empower both employees and businesses to make better decisions.
Communication
Effective leaders are Masters of Communication. They possess the ability to convey their ideas, expectations, and feedback clearly and concisely. They listen actively, encourage open dialogue, and foster a sense of trust and collaboration among their team. At SAMS, we try and make sure each person has the power to input their ideas within the company. We tend to encourage democratic decision making to make sure each team member is heard.
We understand that targeting individuals can be hard with a busy day to day schedule, which is why we believe having a consistent marketing meeting is so valuable. Every Monday, at the beginning of the week we will arrange a setting where we can update employees with recent decisions made in the company as well as an equal opportunity for employees to introduce their own ideas and opinions within the company. Communication is the bedrock upon which successful leadership is built, so by allowing employees to be seen and heard is a valuable contribution to maintaining good company moral and enduring motivation.
Empathy
The days when leaders ruled with an iron fist are gone! In today’s world, empathy is a crucial quality of exceptional leaders. They put themselves in others’ shoes, understand their needs and concerns, and offer support and guidance. Empathy not only fosters a positive work environment but also helps leaders make decisions that benefit the team.
A great example of making time for individuals is having diverse perspectives. When you work as a team you experience input from different backgrounds, experiences, and expertise. This induces fresh new perspectives and unique insights that lead to more innovative ideas/solutions. If one person isn’t happy it’s likely multiple people have had or will have this same problem.
Empathy helps build trust and loyalty between employers and employees, cherishing long-term relationships and reducing turnover. Its worth listening, staying calm, fully understanding the problem, finding a solution then making sure to document or report on anything if need be. It’s important to note that companies that are ISO accredited will have to comply with any rules that are set in stone.
Adaptability
Change is inevitable, and a good leader knows how to navigate through it. Leaders who can adapt to new situations and embrace innovation are the ones who can steer their teams towards success. They remain open-minded, flexible, and are willing to learn. In a rapidly evolving world, adaptability is a quality that ensures long-term growth and prosperity. The biggest change for SAMS was the remote working aspect introduced back in 2020.
We don’t like to say the ‘C’ word too much in the office anymore, but it seems adapting to COVID-19 was the best opportunity that could have happened to us. As a small company, we were terrified of what the outcome could have been for SAMS, but being open minded and introducing remote working and remote courses has brought in more diverse and unique students that we would have never met.
Students are now able to take our courses wherever they may be in the world, and we are able to teach them remotely from our desks in Manston. We have been able to spread our wings internationally and branch out to more people than ever before.
Integrity
A leader without integrity is like a ship without a rudder. Exceptional leaders demonstrate honesty, transparency, and strong moral principles. You need to be consistent in your actions and decisions, and make sure your words align with your deeds. If you believe in what you do, then its likely others will respect you too, however this needs to be demonstrated with actions. By demonstrating actions, you will cement respect and loyalty and boost the confidence within yourself and your team.
This is easier to do than you think. Stay up to date with what your company is doing. If you haven’t done so already, divide your company into sectors. Make sure you know the goals and planning in each sector and play a contribution. Put in place weekly or even monthly meetings so you can see a clear direction on where things are heading.
Resilience
Leadership is not all sunshine and rainbows. It often comes with challenges, setbacks, and failures. A resilient leader is one who can bounce back from these obstacles, learn from them, and motivate your team to do the same.
One way you can build resilience is by mentoring and upskilling employees. If you see something isn’t quite right and needs fixing, then guide your team onto the right path. At the end of the day, you possess the power to persevere and inspire. Keep moving forward even in the face of adversity.
If your employees aren’t inspired or motivated, then the odds are they won’t perform to the best of their abilities. Lack of employee inspiration will gradually take a toll on customer satisfaction, output levels and even revenue potential. One way you can avoid lack of inspiration/motivation is by upskilling employees. By providing this basic level of care and time, you are reminding your employees that they are an integral part of the company.
SAMS has 200 e-learning courses in subjects such as business, social care and health and safety that students are able to complete in under 2 hours with no tutor needed.
Here are some examples:
Business skills:
Health and safety:
Health and social care:
Conclusion
Becoming a good leader is a journey, not a destination. It requires continuous self-improvement, learning from others, and honing the necessary qualities. While these qualities can certainly enhance your leadership abilities, remember that leadership is not solely about titles or positions; it’s about inspiring and influencing others to achieve greatness.
If you have any questions about this blog, you can contact harriettpendergast@samsltd.co.uk
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