August 2, 2019 How to Spot Leaders in Your Workforce

A look at the qualities you need to look for to find the right leader for your organization.

Photo by Perry Grone on Unsplash

August 1, 2019

Every profession, trade, and industry needs leaders. They have to have the right qualities to be able to encourage and motivate other workers and should be innovative when it comes to the way they manage a workforce. So, how do you find the right people, and how will you know they have the qualities needed for the job? Do you want to employ someone new or promote someone from within your existing workforce? Here are some qualities to look out for.

Team Building Activities

Team building activities that do not involve work are a great way to see if any of your existing employees have leadership qualities. Apart from team building activities being good for the general morale of your workforce, if they have a problem to solve or aims to achieve, anyone that would make a good leader will soon become apparent. They will be the person that guides the others in the right direction and will do it with the confidence that will encourage the others to follow.

They will not be a ‘know it all’ that upsets people but will be able to motivate the other members of the team. A good leader will make sure your team works effectively even when you are not around and will foster a good working atmosphere through honesty and transparency.

Qualifications

Being a leader does not always come naturally, but it is a skill that can be learned. If someone has obtained an online bachelors degree in organizational leadership they will know what they need to do to be successful in the role of a leader. If they have taken the time and made the effort to earn the degree, they have to be worth considering for a management role.

They will also need to know the industry well. You cannot lead other people in a job you know nothing about. This could be another area where qualifications are useful, as employees will not have confidence in a leader that has never worked in the same industry before. A leader needs to know the company’s products in great detail and have a strong understanding of the way the company works and its ethics.

Online degrees are just as hard to study for an earn as a degree obtained by going to university or college. The standard they have to attain is not any lower because they are studying online.

Honesty and Integrity

Honesty and integrity are vital traits for anyone to make a good leader. You cannot expect workers to follow someone they know to be dishonest and who they do not trust. They need core values that they have to stick to if they want to succeed.

Having belief in the leader of the team goes a long way toward making the workers content in their job.

Passion and Dedication

No matter what the work is, someone who has a passion for it and is dedicated to succeeding will make a far better leader. If their workmates see them getting their hands dirty when the need arises, they will gain respect and the rest of the team will perform better. If a team feels their leader is not dedicated, it will be a hard task to motivate them to work their hardest.

Also, passion tends to be catching. When workers see a leader that is working hard to achieve goals, they are more likely to work hard too. Passion will also encourage loyalty to the leader and also to the employer.

Good Communication Skills

There is an old adage that says ‘it is not what you say, but the way that you say it that matters.’ That is so true for leaders and managers of all levels. Good communication skills are essential if you are looking for leaders in industry.

Messages to employees need to be communicated effectively if you want to get the right response, and it will be an uphill struggle to motivate people who feel they are being maligned. A good communicator will also be approachable which can be very important for the other members of the team.

Making Decisions

The whole idea of having leaders in the workforce is to ease the burden on the owners of a company. One of the things they have to be able to do is make a decision, sometimes quickly. On the spur of the moment something could change, someone could be injured, or a piece of machinery could break down. You do not want your business coming to a standstill because of a situation that could have been resolved straight away if you had been around. A leader needs to have the confidence to make a decision and get things moving again.

Taking the Blame

A good leader will accept the blame if they make an error, and the workforce behind them will appreciate the fact that they are not being made scapegoats. Even leaders and business owners are human, and will make bad choices from time to time. Hopefully, this will not be very often, but they have to accept that they were wrong and learn by their mistakes.

Creative People Make Good Leaders

When you think of creative people, forget their abilities in painting or sculpture. Creative people can also be problem solvers, innovators and the type that will be a real asset to your business. It was Steve Jobs that said ‘Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower’ and that is true in all industries, trades, and professions.

Do Managers Make Good Leaders?

There can be a difference between a manager and a leader, although the two do sometimes overlap. Managers do not always have the ‘people’ skills need to make a good leader, and often a leader is considered to be one step up from a manager because of this.

Good leaders can make a huge difference to your business and it is worth the time and effort involved in finding the perfects one for your business, as they can make a significant difference to the bottom line of your accounts.

James Daniels

James Daniels is a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading and knowing about the latest gadgets and tech, whilst offering views and opinions on these topics.

Subscribe to Industry Today