Before making the jump to answering the question why is leadership important you may want to take a moment to learn what is leadership. Why is leadership important? It may surprise you, but the answer to this question is not simple. The reason the question is so complex is that there are a number of element’s leadership attributes. Saying one is more significant than another is not always clear as it depends on the situation. For this reason, the question why is leadership important will generate different responses.
Answers to the Question: Why is Leadership Significant?
Leaders are able to achieve results by inspiring their followers by offering a path to goal attainment. Leaders support their team members by delivering feedback and suggesting alternative courses of action. This feedback helps to develop skills and confidence in organizational members.
Leaders empower the members of their team and delegate responsibilities to improve working conditions for all their peers. Without empowerment, people become fearful of situations and decision making. When you take the time to add up all these moments of hesitation, you will find there is an incredible amount of wasted time, one of the most treasured scarce resources, and it also leads to inefficiencies in other areas of the organization.
Putting an individual in a position who possesses the qualities of a good leader shows your team that they are valuable. Leaders take the time to understand the driving forces of their members and put them in situations where they can utilize their skills and interests in a meaningful way.
Leaders take the time to understand internal and external factors that influence performance. It is important to appreciate that distinct challenges call for unique responses, and effective leaders are able to employ a variety of leadership styles. Utilizing these leadership styles helps the team to circumnavigate rough waters while getting the best performance from their followers.
If you took a pot and added all the replies that may obtain from the question why is leadership important you could boil it down to a statement that appears something like the following. Leadership is significant because it is a competitive advantage that brings the team closer to achieving the vision of the organization by increasing efficiency and production.
Benefits of Organizational Leadership
Why is leadership important and what benefits can you receive from leadership? There are numerous benefits one can receive from leadership. One of the major roles of leadership is to provide a clear vision to your followers. A vision provides your followers with a better appreciation for their role on the team by highlighting their responsibilities and providing a path for execution that brings the team closer to arriving at their goals.
In order for the leader to provide a clear vision they need to take the time to evaluate their opportunities and strengths. Once the leader understands the capabilities of the team, they can establish a plan.
Another benefit of organizational leadership is the ability to propel the team to success by providing incentives followers to put their best foot forward. Followers have the desire for recognition and want to feel like they are a valuable component in the organization. To motivate team members, leaders need to learn about the intrinsic value members have on their involvement in the organization. They learn employee values by asking them questions and forging a relationship with contributing members. By taking the time to engage with members and listening to their needs, leaders boost their likelihood of retention as well as expanding the possibility of executing the strategic vision of the organization.
When problems arise, leaders manage the crisis and help the team face their challenges and fears. A visionary leader will try to interpret market forces and develop a plan to overcome these challenges before they impact the team performance. When a leader takes the initiative to learn, reflect, and develop a strategic plan, the organization will benefit from reaching their objectives. Note that reaching their objectives is not guaranteed but the percentage of success increases.
Actionable Steps to Increasing Your Leadership
Why is leadership important and what steps can I take to improve my leadership potential? To increase your leadership potential you can work on one of two different areas. First, you can develop your personal leadership abilities. Second, enhance your leadership attributes, so they can provide value to the team.
Personal Leadership Abilities
Take the time to build your confidence. You can increase your confidence by reflecting on your strengths and weaknesses. To increase your strengths enter more situations that you must rely on that ability. Weaknesses can be developed by being honest with yourself. Once that attribute is clearly defined you can read a book or take a course that addresses that particular skill set. If you are having difficulty identifying your skills conduct a skills inventory.
Organize your work environment. A scattered environment will jumble your mind. Take some time to clean your workspace so you can focus on the people side of leadership.
Develop a morning ritual. There are many terrific resources that will guide you in selecting a morning ritual. One resource that has worked well for me is Hal Elrod’s “Mircale Morning.” In his book, he talks about the importance of the six life savers that include silence, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading, and scribing or writing. Together these practices will focus your energy and guide your daily actions.
Enhancing Team Leadership Attributes
As a leader, it is your job to help your team take action. Clearly state organizational policies to team members. This helps people to identify what actions they can take within the scope of the organization. Identify and remind members how to find resources. Members know where to find commonly used resources. However, the resources that individuals use on a less regular basis can sometime be forgotten or individuals may not know how to access them efficiently. By stating policies and identifying resources you empower individuals as a leader to take action.
Make yourself available to the team. Schedule time with your followers to meet with you to check in and ensure things are going smoothly. Catch members before frustrations set in, and they consider other alternatives. This action step can reduce organizational turnover and provide you with the opportunity to offer guidance.
Sponsor a team-building exercise. When members come together to connect they feel like they are part of something bigger. Uniting individuals can help to establish relationships, so they can learn from one another.
At the next staff meeting, take a moment to recognize someone for their performance or who embodies the values of the organization. Recognition builds morale for stakeholders.
Involve individuals with the decision-making process. When you take time to solicit input as a leader, you increase involvement. Involvement by others puts skin in the game. People want to see the outcome and find success when you involve them in the process.
Conclusion
Take the time to answer the question, why is leadership important for yourself? There are many benefits of leadership and being successful as a leader is an active process. Learning how to improve your leadership abilities is never ending. There are always ways to be a better leader. However, focus on one thing at a time, and you will find success in this role.
Leave a comment. Why is leadership important to you?