Undoubtedly, the corporate world will never return to the norms we were used to two years ago, and these changes have caused unprecedented turmoil in many industries.
That is why strong leadership is needed, especially in the light of technological developments such as hybrid work environments, automation, and the like.
So, here are the 7 reasons you need strong leadership in 2022.
1. Supports the well-being of individuals
Improving employee well-being is a top priority for business executives worldwide, and it’s important both within and beyond the office.
According to a study conducted by Deloitte, 77% of employees have suffered signs of poor mental health at some point in their careers.
That’s why you must support and safeguard the well-being of your employees because their mental health can be harmed in the wrong work environment.
This is one of the reasons you need strong leadership in your company to focus on and prioritise initiatives that support your employees’ well-being. This will also help them deal with any challenges inside the company.
Here are some of the tips where you can support your team’s well-being in the workplace:
- Let your team members personalise their workspace
- Allow for flexibility in terms of in-office and remote working, as well as the hours that staff are working
- Use external resources to help you with your well-being activities.
- Give your managers the tools they need to deal with mental health challenges
- Create an environment that fosters collaboration both face to face and for those who are remote
2. Stabilises organisations
Let’s face it, employees are the lifeblood of your company, and if they’re dissatisfied, everything else suffers.
That’s why strong leadership is needed in your company to stabilise your organisation with clear direction – clarity creates stability.
A workplace where employees are engaged, feel supported by management, and communicate with different departments can help you retain top talent and acquire new talent.
By establishing coherent and robust company culture with clear messaging, your company can benefit from alignment across teams and everyone focusing on the same outcome.
3. Improves teamwork and collaboration
Within an organisation, there are always unavoidable problems regarding teamwork and collaboration.
Lack of clarity, trust concerns, personality clashes, and other challenges are typical issues you may face.
And as a leader, understanding how to deal with and overcome teamwork and collaboration challenges can help you maintain your team’s strong morale and productivity.
Promoting cooperation and collaboration in the workplace has several advantages. Here are a few reasons why it’s a good idea:
- Increases efficiency and productivity
- Improves communication skills
- Enables growth and learning
4. Creates space for conversations
When your team is worried and concerned, it’s essential to create a safe space where they have time to think and reflect and maintain and grow relationships.
Even if we’re used to holding conversations via Zoom, Slack, or other messaging and conferencing platforms, it’s still important to maintain and improve our conversational skills.
As a leader, you should also encourage your managers to focus on providing employees with additional options for where, when, and how they conduct uncomfortable conversations.
People are more willing to be vulnerable and speak their thoughts when they feel safe at a coaching session or a meeting and believe in the best intentions of all team members in achieving a positive outcome.
Safe areas in 2022 will appear different, but you will also have the chance to make them seem even better with technology and the right leadership.
5. Fosters respect within the organisation
It’s not simple to take your company to the next level. Your leadership team must develop a workplace focused on trust and respect.
Trust and respect are only achieved through the right actions and behaviours of leaders. Leaders need to earn this from their teams – you must accept responsibility for your actions to build a relationship built on trust and respect.
When you deeply understand your team, you show that you are aware of their distinct personality. This ensures they feel valued, and it also helps you acquire mutual respect. When your team is treated with respect, they are more likely to do the same for others.
Always remember, as a strong leader, you need to improve your listening and communication skills to cultivate a culture where people feel trusted, respected, and valued.
6. Promotes creativity and innovation
Companies that are innovating set themselves apart from their competitors.
Thus, if you promote creativity and innovation to your team, it can help you and your company succeed by quickly adapting to new challenges and thriving in unexpected situations.
According to Mckinsey, 84% of leaders agree on the importance of innovation, but only 6% are satisfied with innovation performance in their companies.
By emphasising the importance of confronting the status quo, your team will be able to provide innovative solutions that can help you save money, increase client or customer retention, or even generate new income streams.
Furthermore, fostering creative and innovative thinking within your organisation can also become an essential part of your company culture – leaders need to create the time for team members to be innovative, allow them to fail and learn from these failings. Risk is a key component of innovation and leaders need to empower employees to take risks!
7. Encourages peer coaching
Sometimes, your team members are afraid that asking for help may be a sign of weakness or lacking competence. However, those empowered to seek help will solve problems and challenges more quickly and personally grow and develop.
Peer-to-peer coaching is an excellent way of supporting this. Provide an environment where your team can seek support and ask to collaborate with peers. It allows your geographically dispersed teams to build bonds and connect.
Creating a peer coaching program in your company is an effective method to boost employee morale.
It isn’t always simple, but you must start, even if it is small. Remember that this is an opportunity for your team to learn from each other, collaborate and, more importantly, create empowerment where they take responsibility to move forward without always relying on you, the leader.
Ready to take your leadership to the next level?
Your team will follow you if you demonstrate your enthusiasm for the organisation, your work and most importantly, them as individuals. Your leadership every day and minute is influencing your team members.
Are you ready to take your leadership to the next level? Have a FREE 30-minute session with me, and let’s talk about how you can adopt the greatest leadership practices within your organisation.
