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The future of every company, among other things, is dependent on results, which in turn are also closely determined by a series of variables, such as its human capital, that is, employees and managers.
Understanding how this decisive influence of the leadership exercised by managers in obtaining results happens is what we will discuss in this post.
What is a leader?
This is the kind of question that seems pointless to answer and everyone thinks they know.
But when you successively ask questions about a group of people, it is not uncommon to find that the majority view is not wrong, but limited.
For those who like definitions, a leader is the person who has some level of influence over a group, to the point of interfering with the results that he – the group – obtains.
In other words, with the leader the result tends to be different from what would be obtained without his presence and, therefore, influence or interference.
This rather short and simple definition of a leader, which is just one among many possible ones, raises several developments.
Let’s think backwards, that is, from the word “result”.
Results in all areas – and not just in professional areas – are a direct consequence of actions, but also of omissions, behaviors, reactions, training (little or a lot), training, knowledge or ignorance, skills, experience (or lack thereof), not to mention external and/or environmental factors such as competition and customers, to name just two of the most influential.
The set of aspects mentioned above is already capable of yielding inexhaustible discussions, even not contemplating everything that is possible.
Precisely due to the complexity of the subject, we will focus only on the primary ones and, therefore, those that are immediate and under the supervision of the leader, or if you prefer to call it that, the manager.
Even those who do not have experience leading work teams, or in any other areas (eg sports or art), or do not imagine themselves capable of playing such a role, it is reasonably intuitive to assume that the leader is the protagonist in achieving a result, so much so that the performance of football teams is often attributed to their coaches.
When the expected results take a while to happen, the exchange is made. And if from then on, the results change, one has the conviction that this was the reason. Similar examples abound to reinforce this idea.
What is the role of the leader in companies?
It is not a question of position, nor of hierarchy, nor of the organization chart.
And more than just one, the leader has multiple roles. Starting with being himself what he expects from his leaders.
Yes, because he is also a collaborator, only occupying a position with more and greater responsibilities. But also because he must be a mirror, a model, developing various types of leadership on his team.
To do so, he must gather a set of characteristics, skills and knowledge, but above all, assume behaviors that are decisive in achieving the objectives that the company has.
1. Team building
The formation of teams, which some prefer to call teams, given some particularities that make them similar to sports teams, is the first important factor.
Like a team, its members need to be responsible for different functions in the team, complement each other, cooperate with each other, communicate effectively, overcome differences and possible interpersonal conflicts, all in the name of a common goal – the best possible and/or intended results.
It is a relevant aspect and one that often depends on being in tune with Human Resources, starting with defining the profile of each member, hiring the right people according to what is defined in the profile and with the set of skills, abilities and knowledge (hard and soft skills) necessary to fulfill their duties.
But it is still necessary to monitor from onboarding (employee integration), to identifying the need for training, recycling and improvement, clarifying and informing, just as a coach should do.
Aiming to maintain a cohesive group, it must be able to overcome the challenges of coexistence of different generations in the labor market, as well as keep its motivation high, both for knowing and for encouraging everyone to have and pursue personal and professional goals.
2. Assume Responsibilities
The second major role of a leader is to assume responsibilities and here there are at least two different approaches, but equally essential – responsibilities towards the company and towards his team.
From the point of view of commitment to the company, the leader must ensure the pursuit of its objectives, participate in the preparation of planning and its execution, fulfilling everything that is stipulated in the mission, vision and values of the company.
As for his team, the leader is co-responsible both for successes and victories, as well as for mistakes and failures. Otherwise, there will only be obedience arising from the authority of the office, not the respect and all that normally goes with it.
A leader that employees trust is one who dialogues and discusses, rather than just imposing.
He is the one who accompanies interested not only in the results, but also in his professional development. It is the one that points out directions, but also accepts suggestions. Who is willing to teach and humble to recognize that he must always learn more. That the best meaning of power, is the possibility or opportunity to do and not in the sense of oppressing those who have less than him.
3. Multiplier actor
A good leader must be able to multiply the conditions that favor productivity, a good organizational climate, collective well-being and also individualities, synergy, motivation and achievement.
Aspects such as the quality of life at work and the establishment of goals that are at the same time achievable and stimulating, producing recognition, rewards and awards, are just the beginning.
But it involves other issues, such as a job and salary policy, with the participation of HR again, or the creation and implementation of Incentive Marketing and naturally a good set of tools that provide indicators to see the results obtained.
4. Awareness of your role
Awareness is being able to notice, notice and be stimulated by everything around you.
Being aware of your role is not feeling proud of your importance, but that the results will only come if your performance is the widest and best possible.
Therefore, it is necessary to institute talent management policies, as it will often depend on its employees and therefore, identifying and promoting the most skilled is essential. A good leader is not afraid of who can take his place and, on the contrary, invests in the training of those who will succeed him or other managers, so that they can reach higher heights.
This awareness should help you remember the value of your time and that, therefore, you need to know how to delegate tasks.
Never forget that your work and that of your team must aim at constant improvement and this must be reflected in methods, standard operating procedures, policies and reinforce the company’s culture, as well as the many lessons in managing people that need to be learned, as it is through them – the people – that the results are obtained. Both the good and the bad.
Last but not least, awareness of the role of a genuine leader must be built on a commitment to ethics, transparency, justice, honesty, humanity and empathy.
5. Focus on results
By focusing on good – or the best – results, we are brought back to why we have this discussion in the first place.
Focusing on results means working to maximize productivity, whether through time management, better processes, reduction or even elimination of rework, all of this together and the adoption of new technologies.
Despite appearing listed as the last role, it is not the least important, because none is. If you pay attention to all the roles above, you will notice that they all complement each other and that this alone will tend to improve intermediate results, with a benefit at the end.
Pursuing a number, a goal, an objective efficiently involves determining all the necessary steps to achieve it, which will invariably require the performance of other occasional but essential roles.
Conclusion
The results intended and achieved by a company are intimately dependent on the roles that its leaders assume in the performance of their duties.
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