MANAGER / LEADER SPECIAL...... The `growth' mind-set

The `growth' mind-set

GROWTH IS THE MIND-SET THAT LEADERS HARVEST IN THE PRESENCE OF PEOPLE WITH PROGRESSIVE MINDS

As we are aware, everything starts from the awakening of inner self. A seed needs to be sown to bear a beautiful and strong tree with lot of flowers, fruits and leaves. Hence, one can relate the seed to our mind-set. The nature of thoughts we harvest reflects on the life we lead.

Today, our work sphere entitles us to juggle a plethora of positions simultaneously, with multitasking being the buzz of the moment. Hence, we need efficient leadership to guide our mind-set in the correct path, encouraging us to push our limits and unearth new potentialities. Growth is instrumental for success and the modern challenges we face require new approaches to leadership.

True leadership is about harvesting an environment where individual teammates are empowered to grow for the good of the organisation. When we make it a precedence to plant the seeds for communal success, we generate a space for those around us to flourish and thrive-both personally and professionally.

If one's mind-set is to nurture growth, the action automatically mirrors the tryst of work towards growth. To inculcate this idea, leaders with progressive outlook towards life and organisational growth, are needed.Therefore, leaders should possess the following skills:

LEADERSHIP SKILLS:

Perhaps the most important skill a leader needs is to inculcate the onus to grow. Leadership is all about having a vision and working towards achieving that vision. Without the apt leadership skills, common goals would get warped in the process of execution, leading to chaos and disappointment. With apt leadership skills, one can synergise the collective efforts on an organisation towards a common goal of success. Today, leaders are meant to inspire productivity and competence amongst people, to manifest an environment of growth.

TEAM-BUILDING SKILLS:

In terms of organisational growth, a single brain cannot take decisions on a solo basis.One needs the support of fellow members to accomplish the tasks within the desired time frame. In a team, every member functions to hisher level best, in order to achieve the assigned targets. Team members must be attuned with each other to avoid unnecessary conflicts, a responsibility that the leader has to overlook. Hence, it is imperative of leaders to have sufficient team building skills to helm the role of guiding others.The efficiency of a leader lies in their ability to helm a team successful in accomplishing the desired goal in an optimised level.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

Communication skills seem a challenge in development amongst leaders, with prolific people often faltering in terms of putting their message across. Yet, communication is critical for building alignment and executing strategy. For a leader, it is a free-flow of information and thoughts, instrumental in elevating organisational progress. Communication is building a connection and proving to be an inspiration not just transmission of information. An effective leader always ensures that his message conveys both his vision and the organisation's purpose and values. To inspire authority, a leader must know how to awaken the fire of progress, something that can be achieved through a great communication strategy.

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS:

Critical thinking is the ability to rationally build the thought process, which includes the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. Setting up visions for a common goal needs clarity in thought thinking through the implications of a potential scenario, evaluating options that one can face, or even detect a flaw in someone else's logic. Hence, a leader needs to be equipped with astute critical thinking skills. Leaders with such skills can understand the logical associations amongst ideas, identify the relevance of a well-placed argument, and detect inconsistencies, all of which assist them to execute proper decisions.

Alongside above skills, leaders need to nurture fields of inclusion, commitment and selflessness to an augmented level. They should promote the common belief towards stronger mission accomplishment, anchored within the deep-roots of team potential. One has to nurture people with progressive outlook, instilling the seed of growth in their minds.Promoting an environment where individual teammates are urged to grow is beneficial for themselves and the organisation. Each of these steps are seeds with the potential to stimulate those around them to stretch farther, reach higher, and grow stronger than they previously thought possible. Seeding leadership potential within the team reaps a bountiful harvest of returns that lasts beyond a small scale of time.

ALKA GUPTA

The author is founder & managing director, BAFEL

ET15MAR17