5 Key Components of Truly Successful Leadership

We all know leadership is important – there’s no doubt about that! Managers and mentors all over the world constantly strive for success and growth – their dedication is pivotal not only for the company’s sake, but it’s also incredibly fundamental when it comes to their personal development as well.

Nowadays we are constantly surrounded by information – whatever it is that accompanies our mind, there’s already a handful of tips and tricks on the subject everywhere around us. The leadership topic makes no exception – anyone can educate themselves extensively on the matter and find smart and useful techniques that can help them become better at management. Essentially, that’s today’s article’s agenda: Coming from a place where leadership has tremendously shaped my own professional aspirations and experience, I’ve decided to conduct a list of 5 key components that should absolutely be present in a manager’s day-to-day life.

Stay tuned and, while reading, try to reflect on your own leadership journey – how many of those 5 components have you already implemented in your own management style? Let’s begin!

It Goes Way Beyond Excelling at Hard Skills

At first, many people assume that impeccable leadership revolves mainly around excelling at the hard skills needed to get the job done. Of course, that’s true – but it represents only part of the entire truth that goes with outstanding management.

Being actually good at what you do is important in leadership for multiple reasons. In order for you to be able to manage your team, you need to be completely aware of all the projects and processes – otherwise, you won’t succeed at being of assistance. What’s more, in order to help them with any arising issues or problems, you need to also be aware of the nature of the job and each project. So hard skills are indeed fundamental for successful leadership – after all, your team members are expected to frequently come to you for expert advice and guidance.

But outside of hard skills, we, as participants in leadership, need to also showcase a deep understanding of human nature and behavior and excel at our soft skills as well – being great at listening, communicating, showing empathy and supporting each individual’s personal development and growth are all crucial milestones along the lines of great management.

The list below contains 5 key components that are proven tactics for better leadership – and as you may have guessed already, they are all more focused on implementing soft skills as opposed to showcasing professional expertise. So let’s get going!

Here Are the 5 Key Components Needed for Outstanding Leadership

Congratulations – as you’re reading this, perhaps you have either just stepped into a leadership position or are likely soon about to. I know first-hand how both exciting and frightening this entire process could be – but fret not as I’m about to tell you everything you need to know in order to prepare for this much-anticipated professional transition.

Good Leadership Is Where The Employees’ Mental Health Is Taken Care Of

Needless to say, mental health is and always will be a crucial part of everyone excelling at the job, no matter what the job is. If our mental health deteriorates over time, how can we be expected to put our best game out there? Proper leadership is not only about delegating tasks and distributing the workload; it’s also a matter of taking care of your team members. 

Successful leaders spend a great deal of their time thinking of ways to promote healthier work-life balance since they are well aware of burnout’s consequences. Creating a positive work atmosphere that nurtures mental health is also a leader’s priority – this way you can ensure both impeccable project execution and happy and fulfilled employees.

Mentorship Is Different Than Task Delegation

When we refer to mentorship, we mean the entire process of showing up for your team members, supporting them and providing them with thoughtful advice, know-how and useful insight. Leading by example is by far the best management approach that has the potential to elevate employees’ performance and provide understanding, communication and long-term support. 

Remember that each employee is different and probably has different needs when it comes to leadership – some people are very proactive and need little to no guidance; others prefer strict task delegation and support. No one is better than the other, people just have to function differently – it’s the leader’s job to pay close attention and determine the right approach with each individual team member.

Create a Workspace Where Everyone Feels Welcome

There’s nothing better than a work environment that encourages everyone to be themselves – without filters, without worrying if they will be accepted or not.

A healthy and positive atmosphere is where you feel heard, acknowledged, seen and appreciated for who you are. As a leader, you can often ask for your employees’ opinions and expertise on various subjects – after all, those individuals have made it into the team thanks to their experience and professional input. Learning from one another and allowing each member to openly express their opinions and visions on a plethora of topics is not only important for the business’s overall development but it’s also fundamental when it comes to decreasing employee turnover. Wherever people feel appreciated is the place where they would truly give their best to shine.

Be the First to Get to the Problem-Solving

If there’s one certain thing you’d most likely bump into on a frequent occasion in leadership, that’s problem-solving. In business, no one’s immune to obstacles and errors – that’s especially true in dynamic and fast-paced projects that require the participation of numerous staff members.

A good practice to leverage your leadership approach is to stay alert to potential obstacles and always be ready to get to the problem-solving. Having an emergency plan in your head whenever an issue arises is a must – this way you’ll resolve errors quickly while also teaching your team what to do in situations like these in the future.

Micromanage Just the Right Amount

I’ve talked multiple times about the topic of micromanagement – nowadays it gets more and more frowned upon as many leaders out there believe micromanagement is the opposite of a productive and proactive work environment.

Allow me to disagree but just to a certain extent. 

Yes – excessive micromanagement that cripples leaders out of fear of losing their control over situations and people could indeed be detrimental to proactivity and productivity. What’s more, it could quickly lead to employee burnout and increased levels of employee turnover. But what about the complete lack of management?

There are leaders out there who disagree with micromanagement as an approach to an extent where they completely let go and let their staff members navigate the work process entirely by themselves. This scenario poses several threats – people may feel a lack of support and guidance; they might experience burnout or begin to lose motivation. Being a good leader doesn’t mean interfering in everyone’s work ways all the time – but it also doesn’t mean completely abdicating from the leadership role.

Conclusion

Although leadership can sometimes be stressful, at the end of the day it’s a rather enticing and adventurous journey, together with its challenging moments at times. 

But fret not – with the proper attitude, knowledge arsenal and desire to thrive, I bet you’ll get there in no time. I hope this article has managed to shed some light and give you a new perspective on the entire process – and hopefully make you more prepared for the much-anticipated career opportunity.