The start of a new year is a time when we might consider the idea of bettering ourselves. For leaders giving consideration to improvements is particularly important for the sake of their own personal and professional development, and also for their teams and the business of which they are part. We might think about things like: how will I boost my chances of success, how will I inspire others or how will I steer the business towards greater success? It’s certainly not enough to simply ‘decide’ to better oneself in general terms.

To become a better leader in 2021, will require a systematic, well laid out action plan that includes problem identification, self-evaluation and a final resolution. This holistic approach will incorporate all aspects of leadership in business to drastically improve your leadership stance. Rather than an immediate transformation, the process of becoming a better leader is one of gradual, effective progression.

Here are five tips to become a better leader in 2021.

1. Know Yourself
The process of self-evaluation is imperative to grow as a leader. Highlight specific areas of yourself that you deem necessary to improve. This can either be achieved through self-analysis and/or by asking for honest opinions from respected co-workers. Note them down and then decide how to best improve on those areas in the coming months.

2. Establish Effective Communication and Connection
Effective communication is the key to masterful leadership. Leaders who fail to establish relationships based on mutual understanding and trust are at a disadvantage to those who do. Poor communication can result in team members harbouring negative feelings of confusion and resentment. Terry St. Marie indicates that a more “human” leader is a friend of the team and a role model to those who will strive to impress them. More human, in this case, means exercising love, understanding, care and genuine empathy for your people. Talk and listen more to your team members this year. See how it works out.

3. Know your team members
Use your ability as a leader to understand your team and those who support you, to gauge what their motivations, strengths and gaps are. Take this a step further and get to know them on a more personal level, making the effort to express an interest in them as individuals, learning more about their interests, talents and aspirations. This knowledge will make it easier to delegate projects and tasks for more positive results.

4. Show Rather Than Say
Ineffective leaders believe more in directing rather than demonstrating. In some situations this may be the best answer, however a better leader will demonstrate what they ask of their team members. This brings about excellent outcomes and a better working environment for everyone.

5. Ask For Feedback
Feedback should form a vital part of any leader’s quest for self-improvement. To assess the efficacy of your techniques, ask for honest opinions from those around you. These insights will help shape a new perspective on what works and what doesn’t and award you with a critical perception of how people view you as a leader. …

Well, what a year 2020 has been …

For some this year has been the most brutal — entertainment, restaurants, pubs, and other businesses have been devastated as restrictions and market uncertainty conspired to keep customers away.

For others, health has been impacted — either through contracting the virus or through mental health being adversely affected — loneliness, isolation and lack of human interaction being a huge factor in this outcome.

And others have thrived through their involvement in exciting projects, stretching challenges or just because they have loved working from home.

I, personally, am very keen to see the back of 2020 and think forward to 2021 and all the opportunity a New Year can bring. Let’s get it right this time … planning for new beginnings! …

Our last post on this topic discussed the impact of 3 of the 6 leadership styles outlined in ‘Primal Leadership’ by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie Mckee. These included the visionary, coaching and affiliative leadership styles.

In this post we’re going to look at the 3 remaining leadership styles the authors refer to, including the democratic, pacesetting and commanding leadership styles.

Democratic leadership Style

The democratic leadership style is also referred to as participative or shared leadership. Democratic leaders focus on equality and encourage participation from their team members. All contributions to the decision-making process are welcomed. …

It all seems a little heavy right now …

… Which is not at all surprising. A year of change, of uncertainty, of inflicted control, of isolation, of mixed messages, of little understanding, of diminished humility, of jobs losses, of a mixed sense of identity, of loss, of gains, of witnessing aggressive, bullying and inappropriate behaviours for high office. It’s bonkers

And as we hurtle towards the end of this historic year — 2020 is certainly one for the history books — what next?

Frankly, who knows … I certainly don’t. In that unknowing state I could draw myself down into the depths of disabling worry and despair. …

Or, is it innate?

I’ve always thought I was pretty resilient, capable of working long hours with little sleep. Juggling multiple projects, constant travel, relearning how to use my iPhone after an update, facing major setbacks in my life and still carrying on with a smile and with energy.

I feel ashamed when I think of my judgment of others, in the past, who haven’t seemed resilient … who have said they are too tired to engage, too weak to continue, too defeated to fight … I always thought you simply needed mental resilience to overcome physical depletion.

And to some degree I do think this is right. The thing is though, everyone’s mental resilience is different. And like any difference, some of which may be more visible, we need to embrace it and accept other’s boundaries and appreciate that if we were all the same life would be dull! …

Here’s a look at some of the leadership styles Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie Mckee speak about in their book ‘Primal Leadership — Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence’.

The leadership and management style adopted by a leader largely impacts employee morale and behaviour. Here is a quick look at three of the most popular leadership styles and how they affect employee motivation and behaviour.

1. Visionary leadership Style
Visionary leaders are inspiring leaders. They are able to convey a vision to their followers in a way that engages them and are skilled at leading a team towards the achievement of a common goal. They do not, however, ‘dictate’ how that end goal will be accomplished. They encourage proactivity and motivate their employees to take the initiative and to discover solutions to problems on their own. Visionary leaders are empathetic leaders. …

Every prominent leader had a vision that marked the beginning of their journey. Susan B. Anthony envisioned women having the right to vote. Nelson Mandela had a vision of Africa free from Apartheid. Steve Jobs, a visionary well ahead of his time, envisioned the entire future of technology, music and animation.

For these outstanding leaders, their vision alone did not inspire followership. Had they not been dedicated to communicating their vision, it would have never manifested beyond an idea. Without effectively communicating a vision, it is hard to motivate your team to carry the idea into manifestation.

Establishing the Vision
The core of a vision is a clear purpose that drives the leader. This purpose must be universal, useful and accessible, and all components of the company must align with it. To cultivate the type of loyalty, dedication, commitment and excitement that influences your people to feel connected to the vision, they need to be a part of the vision. This means they need to benefit from it somehow. This could be in the form of commissions, ownership stake in the company or promotional opportunities, as these methods reward merits and contributions. Or it could simply be that they believe in what you believe in. Regardless, employees that stand to gain from the vision, either personally or materially, are more likely to build an attachment to its success. …

Every leader has their own unique leadership style, one that they’ve honed and mastered over time, one that they are comfortable with.

“People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.” These are the words of Theodore Roosevelt who was the 26th president of America, a soldier and an author. He believed that all leadership styles fall into 2 categories, leading and driving.

To fill all the ‘hats’ Theodore wore as a soldier, an author, and a president, he embodied significant drive and determination. He had a vision and the will to succeed. He worked hard to build the support and respect of others so, was he a leader or a boss? …