Leadership Basics

When taking on a leadership role, it is important to identify the difference between a leader and a manager. What qualities enable a good leader to motivate and inspire?
Leadership implies management, yet the terms manager and leadershould not be regarded as interchangeable. For one thing, there are a great many managers who are not leaders in any real sense. They are there to administer, allocate resources and deliver on goals set by others.

The leader is much more than an administrator. The leader provides a vision and goals for a department, organization or project. They inspire others with that vision. Particularly in terms of project management. The leader is also the hands-on manager who focuses on details. But in other cases, the leader will rely on the skills of others to turn the overall vision into a deliverable reality. The important thing to remember is that the leader sets the agenda.

A good leader is a visionary, mentor, team member, mentor, manager, motivator. A good leader inspires others and the organization to be the best they can be and reflects that in their leadership style. Keep the following principles in mind:

COMMUNICATE-First and foremost, a leader must have a clear idea of what he or she is seeking to achieve, either in terms of specific project goals or an overall vision for the department or organization. The next stage is to communicate those goals to the team, winning hearts and minds in the process. It�¢ï¿½ï¿½s not just a question of dishing out orders and explaining what must be done, you must also be clear on the reasons why. You should also be prepared to address any skepticism on the part of your team.

SET ACHIEVABLE GOALS. Credibility is vital. Setting an over-optimistic time frame for a particular project may look good on paper, but if the resources simply are not there the leader will lose credibility with both co-workers and those further up the chain.

INNOVATE. One function of leadership is to drive improved performance by looking at the people and processes within an organization and developing a realistic plan to create the most effective, efficient, creative ways of working, thinking, and problem solving.

MOTIVATE. Successful leaders generate trust and loyalty. Much of this comes down to good communication, but it is still important to keep the team motivated. Giving credit where it is due is important. People like to be acknowledged, recognized and appreciated for their efforts and achievements. Remember your people are your most IMPORTANT RESOURCE!

DELEGATE. A good leader knows the strengths and weaknesses of each l team member and delegate tasks and responsibilities accordingly. Those who are given management responsibility within a particular project should ideally be given as much autonomy as possible.