The principles of leadership come from the English “to lead“, which means to guide or lead. However, it has been determined that it is a process in which people are influenced positively, voluntarily or exalted, to meet business objectives. In addition, the concept of a leader stands out as a person capable of developing skills or attributes that will allow him/her to exert a particular influence on a certain group of people. Leaders can lead great transformations, provided that they have a team capable of accompanying them, that they use their time wisely, that they give this team the possibility of exchanging impressions with their boss (even disagreeing with him) and of feeling useful by being part of the task they are carrying out (4).
Other conceptions handle leadership as a set of capacities in which a person can get to possess certain action over a group of people; achieving that they carry out the tasks with the greatest of enthusiasm and that these objectives are managed as common. We can say that leadership has 3 fundamental principles that every leader must follow to be an example and successful guide in his work group. Leadership experts offer their advice based on inference, experience and instinct (2).
Summary
Being a leader means being able to understand your team’s needs, be responsive and guide them through each project or task. It may be a task with some challenges, but you are the one who can set goals, propose alternatives and steer the situation towards the most optimal outcome. The most important characteristics of a leader are:
- Self-giving: Invests in building relationships with his followers and is not afraid to form emotional bonds. Gives confidence, stability and hope.
- Embrace uncertainty: As long as the leader is calm, orderly and self-confident, no matter how complex and confusing the situation is, he will know how to deal with it so that his team is not paralysed.
- Be adaptable: Sometimes the team will need a motivator, other times an innovator and a leader who knows how to play different roles, as required, will form a more solid team in the face of adversity.
Top 3 leadership principles:
When we talk about leadership, we must keep in mind that many times we confuse it with authoritarianism, being both concepts are very different. A leader is someone who can be someone who makes mistakes; learns from his mistakes, and from the people around him; and finally, someone who knows how to make decisions that will affect his team and the company. Below, we will name the three best leadership principles.
3. Leaders can fail
Not only do they fail, but great leaders see failure as necessary and are not afraid to take risks. Leaders recognize the benefit of taking risks and working outside the box, and the risk involved is worth it. Making mistakes is absolutely the best way to learn and make improvements for the future.
Think of the times you have learned the most important lessons and surely, it wasn’t the time when things went effortlessly right; rather, it was the time you made a mistake, fell down and had to get up and try again. Risk-taking will inevitably lead to mistakes and failures at times, we cannot escape this fact. But these mistakes and failures teach valuable lessons and provide opportunities for reflection and self-improvement.
2. Great leaders are great learners
The second leadership principle you need to understand is that leaders are created, not born, and everyone can become a great leader. You were not born knowing how to be a leader, and right now you have questions about how to be better at it. Leadership is not a gene, it is not hereditary, and babies are not born with a leadership skill set that puts them above all the other babies born into the world that day. As a strong leader who understands leadership principles, you are passionate about what you do, and this passion is the fuel that drives you to want to be better. You strive to always grow and improve, and you understand that there is always more to learn.
Your resourcefulness as a good leader will help you find time to prioritize this daily opportunity to dive deep into the world of leadership. Here are some strategies to help you on your learning journey:
- Take baby steps
- Watch and learn. As the resource for teams increases, so does leadership research (1)
- Listen
- Ask for help
- Take time to reflect. Reflecting on your role and how you connect with your own team members and the agency as a whole is necessary to become an excellent leader because it allows you to analyse your leadership style and assess your strengths and weaknesses.
| Passive Listening | Listening Active |
|---|---|
| You heard the words but didn’t hear what was actually said | You really heard what was said |
| You are distracted, either by what is going on around you or by your cell phone | You are concentrating without distractions |
| Your body language shows that you are not listening | Your body language shows that you are listening, e.g., you make eye contact |
| You are waiting for your turn to speak | You intend to respond to what has been said |
1. What you do matters
A leader takes their team where they would not have gone on their own.
The first leadership principle you need to know is that what you do as an organizational leader makes a real and tangible difference in the performance bar of your team members. To be an effective and impactful role model, you must analyse the role you play within your organization regularly. Holding yourself to a high standard means that you actively look for areas of self-improvement, and then do something about it. Don’t just be aware of your weaknesses; actively work to develop the best skill set you can to be the best organizational leader you can be.
As a good leader, your words and actions make a difference, and how you work with your team members matters. As a leader and role model to those around you, you can make a real difference. You can impact and empower your team members to raise the level of performance and take your agency to places it has never been before.
Companies, if managed well, have a very good chance of success (3).
Conclusion
Social enterprises have a different motivation, to make a change in people’s lives, that is the reason that moves us and the leader who only focuses on processes or economic balances is wasting a great trigger of success: emotions.
You already have the qualities necessary to be the most successful leader your agency has ever seen, and this is something you should know and trust. Before your own team members can believe this about you, you must first believe it yourself.
References
1. Tracy B. Leadership [Internet]. Leadership. 2015 [cited 2022]. Source
2. Alves, J. (2000). Leadership and organizational climate. DSPACE. Source
3. Grijalva, J. P. (2010). Business leadership. Polémika, 1(3). Source
4. CENTENO SALAZAR, M. A. A. R. C. C. E. L. A. (2012). Business leadership: seen from an organizational communication perspective. Academia. Source
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