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Becoming A Leader Others Want To Follow

We recently welcomed Kirsty Bathgate from Gearing for Growth to present at a guest workshop at our office on ‘Becoming A Leader Others Want To Follow’. The workshop attracted an excellent turnout of attendees, all sharing this aspiration.

The workshop began with a discussion on the qualities of inspirational leaders. There was consensus amongst those attending that leaders come in all shapes and forms but common themes of a successful leader include: striving to inspire, develop and challenge their team to be the best they can be; to encourage team members to take responsibility; to deliver outcomes; and, in many cases, take some calculated risks.

Kirsty went on to explain the concept of the ‘coaching’ approach to leadership, emphasising the importance of listening, questioning and promoting two-way communication within organisations and put this into practice with interactive exercises for those attending to test their own skills in these areas. Kirsty explained that coaching someone in their role and encouraging them to take ownership of tasks and projects, using their own methodology to achieve the desired results will form a more effective learning curve than simply instructing someone to do something or dictating what and how to do it. This approach can be very concisely summed up by Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”

A number of questions were posed that, as leaders, we should ask ourselves:

  • How much do we want to retain control of an area or a task?
  • Can you accept failure as part of learning?
  • Are you willing to take acceptable risks in the development of people?

Leaders are naturally passionate about the success of their organisation which is in itself a key quality, however, in order for individuals in their team to grow and develop, leaders need to be able to delegate to others in a way that allows that person to take ownership of the work, plan and find their own solution. Initially, the outcomes may not be on par with your own but over time, as the individual progresses, so should the results.

Kirsty also highlighted the importance of ensuring that all members of a team understand the meaning and purpose of that organisation’s visions and values and that they understand the decisions that those visions and values drive. At MBM Commercial, we work hard with our clients on developing and implementing culture and values in their organisation. We have recently worked with Spotless Commercial Cleaning on implementing their culture and values, a company that is ‘committed to providing our people with an encouraging working environment which values ideas and breeds creativity to allow each individual to flourish and reach their full potential’.

For assistance with the introduction, development or implementation of culture, vision and values in your organisation, you may want to consider our fixed price Employment and HR Service, Holistic HR. Please get in touch with Hannah or Hayley here at MBM to discuss further. Or, if you would like to arrange a one-to-one chat with Kirsty, please contact her directly at Kirsty@gearingforgrowth.com

 

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