Thoughtful Leaders Accomplish Business
Thoughtful leadership is very important (and so much needed) nowadays because focusing only on the results isn’t enough. It’s also important to take into account the impact of a decision made on the colleagues (direct or indirect). Another good point with a thoughtful leadership is that, like a virtuous circle, it can be “taught” easily. It’s so powerful to gain a thoughtful leaders’ perspective from the military where decisions aren’t just carrying financial consequences, they carry the ultimate consequences - life or death. Thoughtful leaders holds their team in their hearts as fellow humans, in their minds as equals you respect and in their hands as to protect them. Protect, relate, guide, nurture & LISTEN.
Thoughtful Leaders are Agile
The situations to be careful to avoid is continuously asking for day and no decision gets made or there are significant delays, so the opportunity and money is lost. Beware of time constraints. Evaluating and understanding the completeness and quality of information on which the decision is to be made is essential. The need for urgency will depend on the situation. A manager may only be interested in answering for the results of the project, while the leader not only will answer to the results of the project, but as well as the team members involved. In a decision making process one makes oneself a question: How much time do they have to make a decision? All heavily depends on this. Remaining flexible during the execution of a plan/project isn’t a mistake, but instead crucial to success.
Leadership is not just about being able to make a quick decision, it is about being able to make the best decision by using critical thinking skills. This is the first dimension and is essentially managerial. The second dimension is communications- communicate assertively the decision to a group and gain their acceptance and commitment. The third is executive-implement the decision and be ready to adapt and modify it as conditions change. To do all three functions, the leader must have a defined goal or end state. Communication of your decision and your ability to be an adaptive leader are so important to this process. The path of a project manager to becoming a project leader, there’s the matter of changing tasks, as well as hitting the pre-set tasks list. And still, what separates a manager to a leader then?
Related: Good Oratory Skills
Strategy is a System of Expedients
To be a thoughtful leader, you have to be able to not only gather information but assess the relevance of these options. A ‘Leader’ must possess the mental agility and flexibility to anticipate and react to changing circumstances. Fortunately, we are beginning to understand in business that changing course when confronted with new information is not a sign of weakness in a leader. In a fluid tactical environment it’s important to know the mission goals, but remain open to the feedback the situation is offering. However, Thoughtful leaders need to remind themselves that, leadership comes down to consistency and strong, confident action upon which the team can rely. Thoughtful leaders must be thoughtful to make decision; making decision is always difficult, leaders sometimes make decision they dislike, they must do.
There are certainly instances where expediency is necessary. We all hope as leaders to have enough time to weigh all our decisions, but this is unrealistic. Sometimes we need to make a choice as a leader and move forward. One of the keys to learning is the humility to admit fault and or lack of knowledge. Another is the courage to attempt to address your shortcomings. Admitting fault requires an organizational culture that fosters Professional Safety, so the best-possible decisions can be made courageously (and re-assessed) using imperfect information. Thoughtful Leadership is keeping others from making mistakes, which you have already made. Thoughtful Leaders shall not have all answers and all knowledge, but must have the skill to involve and persuade people, share responsibilities and so creating THE TEAM to take right decisions!
1) Make a decision, move forward with confidence and stick to it. The confidence and leadership are synergic these both can’t be one another’s antidote. Someone who is able to use their critical thinking abilities to make decisions and then execute those plans based on an evaluation of the information available. Confidence can only take you so far.
2) Be situationally aware, accept input. Too much confidence can become arrogance. Surrounding yourself with great mentors and successful individuals is extremely important as we are all influenced in the decisions we make.
3) Reassess the situation and decision. Is that leadership is something to take the right decision on the right time, execute it on when exactly needed and act quickly if it doesn’t work someway? That it? Or Leadership is a bit more steps ahead to lead?
4) If new information warrants, admit mistake, correct course and reaffirm new direction with confidence and stick to it. This is just Good business all around in any form that a top official or Leader is expected to lead. That Leader must have access to the most up to date information in that field of work. Without a staff or team who can get the facts needed quickly and correctly that leader could be without the knowledge they need to make the BEST decision!
5) Thoughtful leaders Repeat steps 2-5) as warranted.
Thoughtful Leadership keeps every team mate on board
The more we practice this type of leadership, the better we will become and the better our decisions will be. Experience and practice can lead to a faster analyse- and decision making process. Important, especially under pressure! Leadership also comes with progression, experience & awareness of the repeated situations we are involved in over a period of time. STAGES: Often with Sports teams we see players come in as rookies, having to earn respect from team mates & coaches, flitting between Senior & reserve grade teams. They then progress into a regular first team player, then a senior player & leadership role. Lastly they evolve into a veteran player, assisting coaches, & mentoring the next group of rookies coming through.
Leadership is very important for success of the team. What is your team mission? Do you as a thoughtful leadership have something you need for people to understand? Do you have an idea that needs the buy-in of others? Perhaps a story can be happily ever after for a thoughtful leadership. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. Thoughtful Leadership is also not about battles but genuine cooperation, tactful collaboration and practical peace. And employing a team style, where the leader is taking advantage of the strengths and trust of each member, allows that to happen much more comfortably than the “old” management style. In the end, it’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best, to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter.