A leadership manual for beginners

You impose your judgement, and others obey? No, “bossing” is not that. Nowadays (fortunately), things have changed, and team leaders put soft skills into practice. Find out how in this leadership manual for beginners.

Any leadership manual describes how we have moved from a “hard” style, somewhat related to the industrial revolution, to softer ones, in which the team leader puts into practice the so-called soft skills. This set of skills focuses on leaders’ most empathetic and social side; we are talking about qualities that come with the persona. Of course, they can be honed and perfected, but this style is inherent to each individual. However, some characteristics are common to great leaders.

What are the qualities of a leader today?

• They know their industry and the world around them to make sound, evidence-based decisions.
• They respect different points of view and try to understand all arguments.
• They are empathetic and put themselves in the other person’s shoes.
• They are deft touch and always face problems head-on.
• They set out a definite purpose and provide the means for it to be fulfilled and permeate the organisation.

You may be interested in Primal Leadership and Resonant Leadership.

What should a leader do in a crisis?

There is a statement that goes beyond business organisations and applies to reality as a whole: in a crisis, good leadership is put to the test. We saw this, for example, in managing the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic or, more recently, in the war in Ukraine; these situations affect governments around the world, yes, but also the neighbourhood bakery. 

In these cases, it is advisable to look at the leadership style of different leading personalities and learn from their experiences to improve. This Harvard Business Review article outlines five strategies that can help improve the morale and motivation of employees in difficult times:

1. Show appreciation: highlighting that a professional has done their job well and worked hard contributes to a sense of pride.
2. Provide customised support: taking an interest in team members’ personal situations, fears, and doubts makes employees feel more confident and reduces feelings of stress.
3. Involvement in decision making: relying on the team to deal with uncertain scenarios provides collective intelligence and reinforces the organisational members’ peace of mind.
4. Offering new responsibilities: giving the possibility of personal and professional growth and taking on new challenges generates greater involvement and belonging to a common objective.
5. Generate spaces for group cohesion: encouraging joint activities (virtual coffees or not, videoconference games, having a snack) reduces stress and provides a sense of belonging to the group.

Why is it essential for leaders to read?

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” This quote from Harry S. Truman, President of the United States from 1945 to 1953, illustrates the importance of reading to be a good leader. Unfortunately, the statistics are unclear: CEOs are said to read an average of 60 books a year, but this figure cannot be verified because there is no 100% reliable data. One CEO who seems to come close to that number is Bill Gates, who claims to read about 50 books a year, almost one a week.

Regardless of what is true or not in this “popular belief, “ it is undeniable that reading provides knowledge, broadens horizons and allows leaders and non-leaders to have a more accurate vision of the world, its nuances and nuances and peculiarities. Therefore, reading will always be a wise decision.