Leader, not morale dampener

Beautiful Interlocking Faculty” was the verdict of a Professor of Computer Science when he was describing the make-up of an organic workplace that is characterized by value-delivering engagements in organized interdependencies. The leader in this workplace is not a divisive agent. He gets the best out of his people through unity that is achieved with tact. He helps his people to expand what is possible for themselves, the team, organisation and other stakeholders.

He does not manipulate, control or demand for respect. He is not an apostle of negativity. He fosters progress and boosts creative productivity. This leader regularly satisfies inner work lives though consistent positive emotions and strong motivation.

He promotes favourable perception of his organisation, individual contributions of colleagues, and collaborative efforts of teammates. His all-embracing agenda is non-stop forward momentum of meaningful work. There is alignment in the workplace, enviable cumulative impact from team chemistry, energy and warmth.

A non-contentious metric of great leadership is “how many people did the leader successfully lead to the desired destination”. The effective leader achieves salutary impact with people skills not his intelligence. He listens with focus with no shade of bias. He makes the employees feel cared for. He does not preempt them in his regular interactions. They always bring him to speed with their expectations without fear.

Constructive feedbacks help his organisation to adapt quickly and also innovate. He is not a “know-it-all” leader. He is always there to guide their focus and therefore, regularly boosts morale and bonding. This leader’s great confidence boosts agility and progress. He is assertive, not aggressive and is a partner in progress. He is not authoritarian in his demeanour and communicates with his colleagues directly, politely and sincerely.

The outcome of his leadership style includes: listening before leading and encouraging different perspectives before taking decisions. His decisions are always clear, logical and practical. He is consistent and reliable. He not only gets the work done, he also builds strong and resilient teams. Employees “belong” and are convinced they are part of something meaningful and exciting.

Psychological tools are still very important today notwithstanding the AI technological breakthrough. They include: shared purpose, sense of belonging, daily positive reinforcement, behavioural and knowledge empowerment, trust and connectedness as well as regular props to challenge enviable growth.

AI is not an existential threat as most employees believe. It is a powerful general-purpose technology that will enable incremental productivity. Its gradual integration into workplace processes will be greatly salutary. It will make knowledge workers more productive and more valuable.

“Human” AI and other breakthroughs, will only augment and not replace the psychological tools that make the knowledgeable employee reliable. For instance, can ChatGPT provide the insights between the field and marketing activities in sales? Smart salesmen/women segment specific sales strategies. They influence buyers and strategic partners. They not only drive sales but also loyalty, that can be for a lifetime.

The leader with his mastery of psychological tools drive workforce imagination, dedication and inspire beneficial outcomes. He challenges the status quo and propel growth. He is involved with team members to achieve great results, great revenues and greater productivity.

There is a saying that “coming together is the beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success”. The leader drives the “role-model” change. He walk’s the talk. He epitomises the organization’s culture, the framework for compelling vision and growth. The effective strategy to get there. The leader and his community of associates always make it happen.

Effective leadership is a blend of traits, skills, behaviours and situational awareness. The effective leader adapts to the needs of the situation and his colleagues (no micromanagement or working in silos). He fully grasps leadership dynamics and the necessary empirical backing to run the “interlocking faculty” of contextual intelligence.

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It is only the “kill joy” leader, moral dampener and enthusiasm killer that is not a force for good to employees. He uses “leadership” power as a weapon. He looks down on his people with contempt and exudes negativity. He does not build trust and he wants to always command as well as control. He dislikes all-embracing collaboration. An organic workplace epitomises a strong sense of community, task-oriented culture, unhinged flow of relationship building communications, informal and formal mentoring, coaching, respect and collegiality.

The leader must always follow through with encouragement. He must have faith in the potential of his people and use this to meet and satisfy expectations. Employees perform better when more is expected of them. According to the “Pygmalion Effect” of positive people management, the leader’s support for individual employees will impact valuable and best actions, encourage non-toxic behaviour and promote genuine beneficial efforts for growth.

As I mentioned earlier, leadership is the capacity of someone to influence and lead others, not alienate them. The leader must strive always to create positive impact in the lives of his colleagues. By so doing, he will be building a legacy of valuable inspiration, values and contributing meaningfully to creating a better future for them.