Five ways to approach great and effective leadership
Joining a new team in a position of leadership can be a daunting prospect. As an interim you would be expected to quickly engage and connect with the people around you as you lead them in pursuit of positive change within the organisation. The balance of interpersonal connection and implementing a thoughtful strategy can be difficult to navigate. So, we have come up with five ways to approach great and effective leadership to help senior interims begin leading a new team.
Ability to remain grounded amongst uncertainty
Disagreements and discrepancies amongst the team you are leading can be pivotal in causing a lack of focus and negative output. If the company is in a period of transition, it could also be an unstable environment with an element of uncertainty about the future of the organisation. Managing a team through the difficulties will bring challenges but a focus on centered leadership and remaining grounded through periods of unrest is an invaluable skill.
Fully engaged and energised
A clear head and a strong focus on the task at hand is imperative when approaching leadership. Outline clear achievable goals and keep track of the timeframe to stay engaged with the strategy. Avoid a transactional mentality and make sure the effort is made to build strong relationships with the team. It’s also important to take care of your physical health, social and wellbeing needs so that you have the energy required to lead and manage a team.
Pursuit of positive change
A successful leader must have the drive to relentlessly pursue positive change within the organisation that they lead. It is possibly the most important trait to embody, as leading a team through uncertainty whilst simultaneously implementing a strategy to achieve positive results, requires both ambition and commitment.
Confidence in your strategy and goals
A detailed analysis of the current issues within the organisation, followed by a subsequent plan or strategy of how to resolve the issues and move the company forward, would need to be produced. As a leader it is crucial to have a clear plan, but it is the belief in the plan that will keep both the team and stakeholders confident that changes can be achieved.
Belief of your own potential
It takes a tremendous amount of drive to push for positive change within an organisation whilst building relationships with a new team. Belief in your own potential is crucial as is keeping that belief when situations do not go as planned or problems occur. For others to have faith in you as a team leader and feel sure that you will be capable of leading through times of uncertainty, they need to see that you have complete confidence in yourself and your ideas.
