We previously wrote about taking the first steps into leadership and the importance of self-awareness. But once we’ve mastered the basics, how can we ensure that we thrive in our leadership role long into the future?
What is our role?
Let’s start at the beginning: we need to define exactly what our role is, and isn’t, as a leader. When we think of leadership, we may think of team and people management, but true leadership is much more than that. Each unique role will of course have its own particular responsibilities, but in general, leadership can be defined as setting a vision and helping others to be the best that they can be through the act of leading, inspiring and influencing.
On the other hand, leadership is not about doing everything yourself. In a veterinary leadership role, we may be leading others who have a different skillset to us, and who may even be on a higher pay grade. This might feel intimidating, but think of yourself as the conductor of an orchestra. You don’t need to learn how to play all the instruments – your job is to understand how each role affects the other and to keep everyone in time.
Delegation is an integral part of effective leadership. You’ve hired your team based their ability to do the job – so believe that they can. Allowing an employee to take ownership of their work has been shown to increase work satisfaction and morale while improving productivity1.
Trust is our currency
The most important element of effective leadership is gaining the trust of our team. This is particularly important in a ‘care’ industry where trust is the currency in which we deal.
Building trust ultimately comes down to acting with integrity; being honest, living your values and doing the right thing – even when no one is watching. It’s important to align our behaviour with how we expect our team to behave. We all have difficult days, but our behaviour needs to remain consistent. The moment we show preferential treatment to some team members over others, we fail to keep to our word or act in a completely irrational manner, trust is lost and we’ll struggle to regain respect.
Of course, no one is perfect, and if we do find that we’ve acted poorly, never underestimate the value of an apology. Again, it is modelling the behaviour that we would want others to follow.
The power of active listening
When we’re in a conversation with someone, how often are we really listening to what the other person is saying? Sadly, not as often as we’d like to think. A lot of the time, many of us merely spend the time someone is talking thinking up a counterargument whilst we wait for our turn to reply.
There’s a good saying that if we know what someone is about to say, then we aren’t really listening. And in a position of leadership, this failure to hear what our team is trying to tell us not only destroys trust, but will lead to missed opportunities and a breakdown of wellbeing.
The value of remaining silent is often undervalued. We’re so caught up in presenting our best selves and making our voices known, that we sometimes forget that the only way to understand something is to listen. It is a powerful message of respect to remain quiet, show genuine concern, and reflect on what someone is saying before immediately responding. If our team learn that they can trust us with their concerns, then we will be on a far more effective platform to coach and guide to a favourable outcome.
Prioritise communication
It has often been cited that good communication is a key element to business success. As humans, we naturally seek answers to uncertain situations, and if we keep our team out of company updates, gossip and conflict may occur. But beyond company newsletters and staff announcements, how we communicate is just as important.
Again, consistency is key, and remembering that, whilst we are of course engaging in a work environment, that does not mean that our communication style has to mimic that of a leadership textbook. Our team are people at the end of the day, and a simple, personal conversation is often far more effective at conveying a message than a formal email. It also allows the opportunity for a two-way discussion, rather than acting purely as a means of delivering instructions.
It’s also important to remain respectful. It can be alarming sometimes how polite and friendly we are to clients, but less-so to our colleagues. They say that familiarity breeds contempt, but it helps to view our team members as clients also – after all, they could take their business elsewhere.
Leadership is not a ‘man’s game’
Never fall for the narrative that leadership is better suited to men, despite the gender imbalance of senior roles leaning in their favour. There may well be systemic barriers to women in leadership – namely unconscious bias, the gender pay gap, and access to flexible working options – but no one gender has all the answers to business and leadership situations.
It’s not uncommon to sadly meet discrimination in leadership, with clients or even business associates preferring to “see the man in charge”. Most women in business have at least one story to tell of how they have been overlooked, undermined or even downright insulted. But the ability to hold your own and adopt a zero-tolerance culture to inequality will set the new paradigm for balanced leadership – which, is, of course, the mark of a true leader.
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You may also be interested in:
First Steps into Leadership: what you need to know
Imposter Syndrome: What’s stopping us?
References
- Psychological Ownership: Effects and Applications (2016). https://eom.org/content-hub-blog/psychological-ownership
- Breaking down the barriers facing female leaders (n.d.) https://www.legal500.com/fivehundred-magazine/the-big-issue/breaking-down-the-barriers-facing-female-leaders/?repeat=w3tc
- 10 Things Thriving Leaders Need to Know (2012). https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2012/12/14/10-things-thriving-leaders-need-to-know/