BECOMING A LEADER

RUBY C. MANGILA

The main criteria for someone to move up in a company or school are to be a strong leader. Strength in the workplace can sometimes be misunderstood as being domineering or just ordering people around.

If the teacher wants to be a strong leader, there are some steps to take that can help them to gain that objective

Set the right example. If the management team is smartly dressed and punctual in the mornings, then this will encourage your staff to replicate this behavior. Being a good role model for your business is vital if you want your staff members to be as professional as you are. Lead by example in everything you do at work. It can be very difficult to reprimand a member of staff for something if you are a habitual offender.

Continuous development of your leadership skills. In order to become a great leader, you have to understand your own attributes and limitations. Seeking continuous self-improvement means that you will be strengthening your own skill set and ensuring that you have the right skills to be an effective leader.

Be technically proficient. Being an effective leader also means you need to stay one step ahead of your team when it comes to technology that may impact your industry. Subscribe to industry blogs and read whitepapers that will help you keep up to date with technological advancements in your sector.

Make sound and timely decisions. It is imperative that you are in a position to make informed decisions quickly. By ensuring you are up to speed with good problem solving, decision making and planning tools, you will be in a position of strength to lead your team.

Seek and take responsibility for your actions. As a leader, your team will look to you for guidance and inspiration and ways to take the business to new heights. When things go wrong, they will turn to you to take corrective and decisive action.

Positive Attitude. A positive environment is more likely to create a more engaged and productive workforce. By displaying enthusiasm and confidence, a good leader will understand the impact that they can have in this working environment. Obviously, it isn’t always possible to have a positive attitude towards every task that a leader is likely to tackle however, the more negativity you can keep from impacting your workforce, the more likely you are to see positive results.

Keep your team informed. Your team will look to you to keep informed at all times, so try to keep abreast with everything happening in your business and in your sector. You will then be in a position to cascade that information down to your team who will hopefully appreciate your efforts.

Get to know your team. Management dictates that you have a degree of separation from your team. You should always bear in mind that your team will be made up of individuals who have different outlooks and abilities and will be at different stages of their careers. Therefore it is vital to understand what makes them tick and to remember that what motivates one, won’t necessarily motivate another.

Don’t be afraid to delegate. One of the key skills a team manager has to quickly learn is the importance of delegation. Successful delegations begin by matching people with tasks. If there are gaps in team member’s skill sets, a good leader will quickly be able to identify and manage these gaps.

Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised and completed. Before you delegate a task to anyone in your team, it is vital that you understand what is involved in the task and what a satisfactory outcome will look like. If your team is asking questions about the task, try to ensure you are armed with the answers. By not having the necessary information to hand, you could lose respect from certain team members in your team. At the end of the day, people want to be led by those they respect, who have a clear sense of direction for the business.

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The author is Teacher III at Dapdap Resettlement Elementary School Division of Tarlac Province