4 Ways Confident Leadership Helps Everyone
An organization is only as good as the people who lead it. When uncertainty strikes or employees need motivation, they don’t look to sales metrics or revenue reporting; they look to their leaders. As a leader, your self-confidence and vision are what get people on board with new initiatives and keep them on track to reach organizational goals.
Successful leadership is about more than just measurable accomplishments, though. Great leaders also improve employee retention, build trust among their teams, create strategic plans, and empower individuals to grow in their own leadership skills. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at a few ways a confident leader’s actions and attitudes benefit their whole company.
Builds Loyalty
As a leader, you set the tone for your team members. They look to you to know how to react to adverse circumstances, what to think about organizational changes, or how to feel about new initiatives. For this reason, it’s incredibly important to be self-aware. Monitor and assess your personal reactions before you approach your team to ensure your own insecurities and fears aren’t dictating your decisions.
As you become more aware of how yourself, you’ll develop the number one trait people look for in a good leader: consistency. When you build confidence in yourself and your decision-making skills, it’s easier to keep a level head when unexpected challenges pop up. This self-confidence is what shows people the organization is in good hands and makes them want to stick with you for the long run.
Confident leadership also means trusting your team to do their jobs well. You have to be sure enough of the people you hired to let go of control and give them the space they need to excel in their roles. The more opportunities you can present for them to grow professionally, the more they’ll see you’re invested in their success and be encouraged to continue growing with your company.
Instills Confidence
Confident leaders are confident communicators. They clearly explain their vision and plans to their teams and accept feedback as it comes. This becomes key when a team member has questions about big changes or new directions in the organization. You should be able to offer helpful, transparent answers and show team members how the proposed plan will help both them and the organization.
Sometimes these questions might require more than a short answer. Good communicators know when to defer their response so they can offer a meaningful answer that fully satisfies the question. This might mean asking the team member to set up a time to meet with you and discuss their concern or setting a deadline by which you’ll find the answer for them. This shows you care about finding the right information and not just rattling off the first thing that comes to mind.
Above all else, being an effective communicator means being a great listener. This is perhaps the most important of all leadership traits. Knowing when and how to listen to your employee’s concerns not only shows compassion and empathy, it also builds up their self-esteem. When they know you’ll hear their opinion and consider it, they feel more self-assured in their work and can often help bolster other people’s spirits as well.
Employees will cling to a vision in times of uncertainty, so confidently explaining your plan for the organization preserves their peace of mind and keeps them feeling confident in the company. The more clarity you can offer them, the better they’ll feel about the future.
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Encourages Strategic Thinking
Successful leaders need to be skilled strategists, always thinking of the next step their organization needs to take to reach its long-term goals. When you have an appropriate level of confidence, you’re more likely to take strategic risks that mean bigger rewards for your company. Your self-assurance will push you outside of your comfort zone so you can capitalize on new opportunities.
As you take on these new challenges, you have the chance to develop other leadership competencies too. An executive coach or a CEO mentor who’s been in your seat can help you set goals, evaluate your performance, and teach you how to manage any feelings of self-doubt that might arise when making an important decision. Even high performers need someone to help them brainstorm and implement new plans. Teaming with an expert in leadership development who also has business knowledge is your ticket to becoming a self-confident leader.
Confident people are empowered to own their role and lead with conviction. As you become a better leader, you’ll foster these same feelings in your team members too.
Empowers People
From building loyalty to communicating vision to thinking strategically, confident leadership empowers your team in a number of different ways. People will enjoy working for a consistent leader who believes in what they’re doing. They’ll hold fast to your vision in tough times, and the confidence you bring to future plans will make them eager to contribute to the organization’s success.
When you’re confident enough to acknowledge that your role as an executive is focusing on the big picture, you can empower your team to own their roles. Offer guidance and recognition regularly to build a team of confident people who are all doing their part to move the company forward.
It’s important that although you leave your team to own their success, you’re always available if they need you. If you are not already scheduling regular 1x1 meetings with your direct reports to coach and manage them towards their goals, start now! These sessions are more important than ever as your team members navigate trying to be successful during times of uncertainty and change. They need dedicated time with you where they can be coached on how to be at their best and deliver results.
Finally, make sure you show the confidence you have in your team by actively investing in their leadership development. Provide opportunities for them to grow both personally and professionally, which contributes to the team’s overall success.
At Building Champions, we believe organizations grow when their people are empowered. To support this belief we offer corporate training and team workshops where you and your staff can explore different ways to maximize opportunities through leadership development. Contact us today to learn more about what our retreats can do for your organization.
