Leadership And Management
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by Krishna Chodipilli | Dec 10, 2020 | Leadership And Management
Leadership traits are the personal qualities which help a person to shape himself or herself into an effective leader. The traits help you to work efficiently in different fields. For example, leaders in IT must deal with the rate of industrial change and different complexities like the cybersecurity threats, interaction of modern legacy systems and applications and compliance issues. Leaders help the employees to complete initiatives and meet business goals be it in business or government or education. Factors influencing Leadership traits are:
- Leader
- Subordinates or followers
- Situation
- Other possible factors
Some Leadership Traits are:
A leader should be strong, responsible, respected and should have a solid base. Leaders should be trustworthy, genuine and honest. They should be kind towards their subordinates and should have ethical conduct.
Demonstrating respect for others requires developing and refining:
Empathy. When a leader treats everyone in the organisation with consideration, shows genuine concern for others, listens with understanding and is respectful even if nothing is to be gained from the relationship, it helps the leader earn trust. Empathetic leaders create strong bonds and are seen as less political.
Emotional Mastery. For those in positions of formal power, the most important aspect of emotional mastery may be controlling anger. Outbursts of anger have no spot in the workplace, and can quickly destroy a sense of organisational equity and partnership. A person with this quality says what he or she thinks, but never berates others, and stays calm even in crises. Anxiety is not allowed to interfere with a public speaking or with other things that the leader needs to do. A leader with this quality thinks before reacting and can consciously choose an appropriate response.
Lack of Blame. People who don’t blame others are not defensive; they can reflect honestly on their behaviour and are willing to admit mistakes. When things go wrong, they don’t spend time assigning blame; they spend time fixing the problem. An individual, who demonstrates this core quality, admits fault when appropriate, and does not look for a scapegoat in a crisis.
Humility. Humility is a lack of pomposity and arrogance. It is the recognition that all people are fallible, that we are all combinations of strengths and weaknesses. Individuals who demonstrate humility, as someone has said, “don’t think less of themselves; they just think more of others.” Arrogance derails more leaders than any other factor. A person with the attribute of humility listens to others with an open mind; doesn’t brag or name drop; sees and admits their limitations and failings, and is not afraid to be vulnerable.
Responsibility, at the other end of the integrity base, is the acceptance of full responsibility for personal success and the success of the project, team and organisation. To become responsible requires development and refinement of the following:
Accountability. Leaders who are truly accountable expand their view of organisational responsibility and do what they can to get done what needs to get done, no matter where in the organisation they have to go. They NEVER say, “It’s not my job”. They also hold themselves accountable for making relationships work – they don’t say, “Well, I’ll go halfway if they will”. They take 100% responsibility for making any relationship work. An individual with this feature takes the initiative to get things done; is not afraid to hold others accountable; is willing to cross-departmental boundaries to help with a meaningful project, and takes personal responsibility for organisational success.
Self-Confidence. Self-confident folks feel that they are the equal of others, even when those others are in positions of much greater formal power. They also recognize the value of building the self-confidence of others and are not threatened by doing so. Self-confidence in everyone builds a sense of partnership and helps the organisation get maximum effort and ideas from everyone. A self-confident person has a self-assured bearing; is flexible and willing to change; easily gives others credit, and isn’t afraid, to tell the truth.
Courage. Courageous persons are assertive and willing to take risks. They ask forgiveness rather than permission and are willing to try even though they might fail. They are willing to risk conflict to have their ideas heard, balancing that with the respect that makes constructive conflict possible. These individuals often champion new or unpopular ideas. Further, they will talk to others, not about others, when there is a problem; accept feedback and hear what others say, as well as take the ball and run with it, even when there are obstacles. Focus on the whole. People who focus on the whole thing in terms of the good for the entire organisation, not in terms of what’s good for them or their team. Good leadership refers not only to compete but to ethics and transforming people as well. A leader is responsible for influencing followers to act, complete a task, or behave in a specific manner. Effective leaders influence process, stimulate change in attitudes and values of followers, enhance followers’ beliefs in their worth, and foster the leader’s vision by utilizing strategies of empowerment. Ethical leadership requires ethical leaders. If leaders are ethical, they can ensure that ethical practices are carried out throughout an organisation. Ethical leadership is leadership that is involved in leading in a manner that respects the rights and dignity of others. As leaders are by nature in a position of power, ethical leadership focuses on how leaders use their power in the decisions they make, actions they engage in, and ways they influence others. Ethical leaders demonstrate a level of integrity that is important for stimulating a sense of leader trustworthiness, which is important for followers to accept the vision of the leader. These are critical and direct components of leading ethically. The character and integrity of the leader provide the basis for personal characteristics that direct a leader’s ethical beliefs, values, and decisions. Individual values and beliefs impact the ethical decisions of a leader. Ethical leaders are people-oriented, aware of how their decisions impact others and use their power to serve the greater good instead of self-serving interests. In ethical leadership, the leader needs to consider how decisions impact others. Motivating followers to put the needs or interests of the group ahead of their own is another quality of ethical leaders. Motivating involves engaging others in an intellectual and emotional commitment between leaders and followers that make both parties equally responsible for the pursuit of a common goal. Ethical leaders assist followers in gaining a sense of personal competence that allows them to be self-sufficient by encouraging and empowering them.
Many leaders are competent, but few qualify as remarkable. If you want to join the ranks of the best of the best, make sure you embody all these qualities all the time. It isn’t easy, but the rewards can be truly phenomenal.
Awareness There is a difference between management and employees, bosses and workers. Leaders understand the nature of this difference and accept it; it informs their image, their actions, and their communication. They conduct themselves in a way that sets them apart from their employees–not in a manner that suggests they are better than others, but in a way that permits them to retain an objective perspective on everything that’s going on in their organisation.
Decisiveness All leaders must make tough decisions. It goes with the job. They understand that in certain situations, difficult and timely decisions must be made in the best interests of the entire organisation, decisions that require a firmness, authority, and finality that will not please everyone. Extraordinary leaders don’t hesitate in such situations. They also know when not to act unilaterally but instead foster collaborative decision making.
Empathy Extraordinary leaders praise in public and address problems in private, with genuine concern. The best leaders guide employees through challenges, always on the lookout for solutions to foster the long-term success of the organisation. Rather than making things personal when they encounter problems or assigning blame to individuals, leaders look for constructive solutions and focus on moving forward.
Accountability Extraordinary leaders take responsibility for everyone’s performance, including their own. They follow up on all outstanding issues, check in on employees, and monitor the effectiveness of company policies and procedures. When things are going well, they praise. When problems arise, they identify them quickly, seek solutions, and get things back on track.
Confidence Not only are the best leaders confident, but their confidence is contagious. Employees are naturally drawn to them, seek their advice, and feel more confident as a result. When challenged, they don’t give in too easily, because they know their ideas, opinions, and strategies are well-informed and the result of much hard work. But when proven wrong, they take responsibility and quickly act to improve the situations within their authority.
Optimism The very best leaders are a source of positive energy. They communicate easily. They are intrinsically helpful and genuinely concerned about other people’s welfare. They always seem to have a solution, and always know what to say to inspire and reassure. They avoid personal criticism and pessimistic thinking and look for ways to gain consensus and get people to work together efficiently and effectively as a team.
Honesty Strong leaders treat people the way they want to be treated. They are extremely ethical and believe that honesty, effort, and reliability form the foundation of success. They embody these values so overtly that no employee doubts their integrity for a minute. They share information openly and avoid spin control.
Focus Extraordinary leaders plan, and they are supremely organized. They think through multiple scenarios and the possible impacts of their decisions while considering viable alternatives and making plans and strategies–all targeted toward success. Once prepared, they establish strategies, processes, and routines so that high performance is tangible, easily defined, and monitored. They communicate their plans to key players and have contingency plans if last-minute changes require a new direction (which they often do).
Put it all together, and what emerges is a picture of the truly inspiring leader: someone who communicates, concisely, and often, and by doing so motivates everyone to give his or her best all the time. They challenge their people by setting high but attainable standards and expectations and then giving them the support, tools, training, and latitude to pursue those goals and become the best employees they can be.
by Krishna Chodipilli | Dec 10, 2020 | Leadership And Management
Leadership is a strategic management function, styles and traits of a leader play a critical role in the success or failure of an organisation. Leaders exercise their power at a different intensity in distinctive ways, and in doing so they display certain features and patterns. Several studies have been conducted to categorise leadership styles and decrypt the ‘success formula’ for the wider audience.
This article explores leadership styles at the broad level of how power is manifested and exercised in an organisation – whether it is centralised (Authoritarian Leadership), dismissed (Laissez-Faire Leadership) or shared (Democratic Leadership), as well as the benefits and drawbacks of these styles and their applications. There are a few other leadership styles which have gained popularity and been increasingly recognised in the recent years, they are highlighted at the end of this article and we shall explore in further attempts.
Authoritarian Leadership
An authoritarian leader is also known as an autocratic leader, it is exemplified when the leader is at the center of power who makes decisions with minimal or no consultation from the team, controls all activities in the team leaving little autonomy for members, and communicates only one-way top-down.
Authoritarian leadership can help to enhance performances and increase productivity where work is routine or require limited skills, especially in larger groups. It is considered one of the most effective leadership styles in case of the emergency where immediate decisions need to be taken – the leader has a goal to achieve and he/she can dictate people to work towards a single strategic direction. However, there is little room for creativity in problem-solving as the leader controls and dictates tasks, the team morale might be low along with high turnover due to employees’ ideas are not valued, and confusion and resentment may rise without proper communication in the long term
Laissez-Faire Leadership
Laissez-Faire in French means ‘let them do’. Laissez-Faire leaders are characterised by their ‘hands-off’ or ‘leave alone’ approach where minimal direction and supervision are provided and members of the team manage their work as they see appropriate.
As the leaders have minimum input to the daily decision-making, the laissez-faire leadership is often criticised for the indistinct role of a leader, lack of discipline and focus in fragmented teams, and little planning with limited achievement. Given said that, it is recognised as an effective way of leading mature teams with competent and experienced members, as the staff knows what they need to do and they are trusted to do their jobs, the delegation of power motivates them to take responsibilities and be innovative in finding solutions. The leaders must communicate expectations and monitor performance to warrant the quality of work.
Democratic Leadership
Democratic leadership (or participative leadership) is where members of the team share the responsibility of the leader and actively participate in the decision-making process. The power resides with the group and everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute their opinions. Whilst the democratic process focuses on group equality and the free flow of ideas, the leader offers guidance and makes the final decision.
Democratic leadership promotes communication within the team, encourages individuals to share ideas and opinions and values them. Members are more engaged and have a sense of belonging, they are committed to the success of the team, therefore, uplift the level of job satisfaction, productivity, and creativity. On the other side, democratic leadership may not respond well in workplaces where time is of essence or where members do not have the necessary knowledge or experience to contribute to the decision-making process.
Other Leadership Styles
Apart from the three categories of leadership styles, there are a few more leadership styles which are well-known, such as Bureaucratic Leadership where all rules, policies, and procedures of organisations are followed rigidly, Servant Leadership which prioritises the needs of the team, Charismatic Leadership where the success of the initiatives is closely linked to the presence of the leader, Transformational Leadershipwhich motivates staff by creating an environment of intellectual stimulation, Transactional Leadership which manages activities through a clear exchange of command and task implementation, and Situational Leadership where the leaders adopt different styles depending on the environment.
In summary, despite the different categories of leadership styles, there is a certain level of overlap between some of them. It doesn’t matter how we categorise them, it is important to remember that there is no “one-size-fits-all” leadership style, each type has its strengths and weaknesses and we need to mix-and-match and find what works for us and desirable for the team in that particular scenario. Besides, we need to keep on learning and progressing with the changing environment and evolving management theories, as Vince Lombardi has put it, “leaders aren’t born, they are made, and they are made just like anything else, through hard work.”
Find out how Leadership Tribe can help you to improve your leadership at both individual and corporate level, contact us now or find out more about our courses and coaching services.
by Krishna Chodipilli | Dec 10, 2020 | Agile Coaching, Leadership And Management
Handling impediments in an organisation could prove to be an arduous task as you have to sometime shake the hierarchy to make changes in practices that are causing the slowdown. However, being an Agile leader, you have to control and address such impediments in a highly efficient manner to avoid any discomfort or inconvenience to stakeholders. In this article, we will share the methods as to how a manager can effectively handle organisational impediments. Let us first focus on what an impediment is.
Organisational Impediments
An impediment is anything that hinders or disrupts the established pace of the team. It could be in any form and can occur anytime in an organisation.
How to handle Impediments
Handling impediments need constant surveillance and focus. However, new-age management technology has created a breakthrough process known as Scrum. Introduced in modern organisational culture, it has proved itself to be highly effective in handling unforeseen impediments that arise in the workspace. The following steps serve as checkpoints to address this organisational challenge.
Recognize the Impediment
The most important task in handling impediments is recognizing and mapping recurring impediments in the organisation. You have to be extremely careful while choosing the problems to get fixed. As most of the time, we do not pay attention to whether the issue is worth addressing or not. Recognition of the actual problem is extremely significant to find relevant solutions.
Understand the Issue
After recognizing the problems to address, the next step in to get a complete understanding of how the particular issue is affecting the overall working of a team. Usually, we do consider that a particular issue is slowing down the processes and overall efficiency of the organisation, however, fixing the exact cause would be most beneficial.
Finding Solutions
Finding the solution could prove to be an uphill task. It would always be wise to brainstorm the issue to elicit a variety of ideas and solution from within the team. Being an Agile Leader your task is to not only coach the Agile team but to also take everyone on board. Moreover, you have to keep this in mind that such solutions should not only effective but also efficient in the long run.
Implementing Solutions
By far the most difficult task of being an Agile coach is to implement solutions to address impediments. An Enterprise Agile coach tends to implement the solution in a manner which does not cause any kind of conflict or dysfunction in an organisation.
Most of the time the implementation of a sudden solution can draw adverse criticism from within the Agile group and thus cause dysfunction. Being a Leader and a Coach, it is your responsibility to handle such impediments and the affected people with due responsibility and utmost care.
Handling impediments need patience, expertise and experience. The organisation is expecting its Agile Leaders to deliver on this score by pointing out adverse situations and organisational loopholes and presenting practical solutions to mitigate and eradicate them from the system in the shortest time frame.
by Krishna Chodipilli | Dec 10, 2020 | Agile Coaching, Leadership And Management
Soon we shall be celebrating our nation’s Independence Day once again. A day to remember and commemorate the sacrifices made by our martyrs and the struggle thereon to liberate ourselves from a foreign rule.
While we remember our great leaders and pay homage to their astute contribution in giving us the freedom that we celebrate, let us also remember the countless others who supported the cause. Whose wholesome participation and selfless intent created the mass uprising the world shall ever witness. Faceless, unheard and unsung. Were they, not leaders? Were they not equally important in the outcome of the independent movement? Who were these people?
The answer to these questions is as simple as it is profound in its existence. They were simple, homely, peace-loving citizens. Mere farmers, bookkeepers, peons, traders and factory workers. Citizens with common dreams, aspirations and a passion to live a life free of subjugation and penury. Choosing to live a life of free will and individual choice. They detested their past and regretted their present, but that did not relent nor deter them from altering the future. They invested in a future that became our present. Creating a nation from their bold actions that boast itself as the largest surviving democracy today!
Leaders are not necessarily famous and popular. Leaders need not have followers who do what the leader says. Leaders are also not those who get to envision, influence and move masses. Leadership is an existential trait all humans possess. It is the essence of social life. Every human being is a leader, chartering his own story on the evolutionary journey of mankind. Just like our forefathers whose display of unflinching loyalty and commitment to the cause for ‘Poorna Swaraj ‘ brought forth a new nation on August 15, 1947, we too should realise that there lies a latent leader in all of us. A leader who shall rise to resist anarchy and social mayhem. A leader who stands for the preservation of his nation’s culture and heritage. A leader who protects himself and his people from the effects of a dysfunctional and threatened society.
Let us also believe just like those who lived before us, that we shall live a life of free will and abundance of choice. Where the mind is free to think and express. Where life is lived in opportunities and discovery. Let us believe in the leader in us, not bound by fear or doubt. Free from manipulated opinions and selfish agendas. Independent from biases and influence. We are all leaders. Leaders of a nation that was created from the cradle of Servant Leadership, where we live and let live.
Our country is truly independent when each Indian is independent in thought, aspiration and commitment. Free from the perils of a delinquent society. Free from the trappings of the fragmented cause. That will happen when every Indian realises that he is a leader within, someone who can make the difference that he wishes to see around him. The true torchbearer of a legacy earned by spilling blood, sweat and tears. Let us not wait to follow, let us not wait for leaders to show us the way. Instead, this Independence Day, let us bring forth the leader in each of us, to lead ourselves and our great nation into a more vibrant and enlightened tomorrow.
Unfortunately, there is no certification program in the world which can create or change a person into a leader overnight. As a Colonel from the Indian Army, I shall share with you a secret which will make the leader in you emerge.
Just take an Action which would help you and others around you.
Emerging the leader in us and creating leaders around us is the true essence of nation-building. There can be no other cause more patriotic than this. I have been part of Leadership-Tribe helping co-create leaders. What is stopping you from taking the first step in discovering the leader in you?
by Krishna Chodipilli | Dec 9, 2020 | Agile Coaching, Leadership And Management
WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE LEADER?
Corporate environments thrive on the bedrock of human behaviour. The total of the behaviour exhibited by the leaders while interacting with customers, communities, suppliers, employees and financers, defines the prevailing culture and disposition of the organisation. Leaders operate within this inner circle with an intent to create value and channelise such effort towards the organisational outcomes. This entails operating in a dynamic and unpredictable landscape of human relationships and at times blurred business outcomes. An essential function of corporate leadership is to shape, nurture and direct people towards a chosen shared purpose to achieve the objectives of the business in a manner that balances the scorecard.
The seven essential attributes for developing leadership traits that fulfil this function are:
Feet on Ground
Often, corporate culture creates an illusion of rank specialists and role superiority. Groups get formed based on specialisations and designated roles. An inherent hierarchy gets created within such groups thereby forming various rank and file structures. This rank and file become siloed into self-managing teams which work independently of each other. A leader should be aware of such eventualities and prevent himself from identifying within any of such groups. He should always have his feet firm on the ground and endeavour to integrate self-performing teams into a greater whole. The more ‘grounded’ a leader is, the greater the clarity in deciphering where teams are getting into autonomous self-fulfilling modes.
Habit Formation
Effective leaders understand the primary habits that generate people to act. He should instil habits that fulfil the purpose for which people work in the company. Habits create routine and routines enable clarity of purpose. For example, when an employee is made to imbibe a habit of giving candid feedback, he or she will get to know the purpose of shared communication and interpersonal relationships from the context of the work they perform. A leader should allow habits to emanate from the employees themselves to achieve ownership and participation in its existence.
Foster Candour
Candour is the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech. Leaders are not insecure about themselves or the people they interact with. High self-awareness results in high relationship management. Healthy relationships are irrigated by allowing candour and free self-expression. People should be given avenues and opportunities to speak up and express freely. Adequate space should be created at various levels of hierarchy to allow generation of free speech without repercussion or blowback. Candour also enables trust formation and a deep sense of respect for another point of view.
Be Curious
Corporate governance involves a continuous loop of learning and unlearning. Things happen frequently and impact the business without warning. Effective leaders should always have red flags to monitor prevailing perceptions and be ever curious to know the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of things happening around them. They should thirst for knowing where gaps exist and how they can be filled up. A good leader is always wanting to know more and should never be satisfied with just one single answer or solution. Effective corporate leaders can never stay in a zone of comfort, this would mean slipping into the toxic cesspools of ‘status quo’.
Understand the Human Being
Leaders should clearly understand the distinction between a human and a human being. The former is an entity, the latter is a personality. The ‘being’ is the persona. Each person is unique in his way of ‘being’ concerning expression, habit thought and conduct. Leaders should be mindful of this essential human trait and approach each human as a person, not a resource. A person with distinct capabilities and capacities. A person with an identity and sets of ideals and beliefs. Respecting and understanding the way of ‘being’ enables a leader to connect with the people he influences in a more empowered emotional context.
Explore and Discover
The corporate arena is a place to explore and discover. Leaders should uncover new ways of doing things and inspire people in this journey of exploration and new learning. Effective leaders are always in a mode of discovery and should share their experiences. One of the most essential attributes of an outstanding leader is one who is bold enough to take on new challenges and explore avenues seldom visited. Facets of courage, resilience and determination get moulded when a leader immerses himself in a life of self-discovery and exploration. A leader who is not eager to sail beyond the visible horizon is doomed to perish in the sea of inertia.
Cultivate Empathy
The most important and overriding step towards effective leadership is to cultivate a sustained and credible sense of empathy. A leader should be aware that he is not stepping on other’s toes while having an intent of stepping into their shoes! Respect, trust, commitment and loyalty emanate from deep-rooted empathy. Allowing the other to be what they are, how they are and why they are creating a zone of acceptance. An acceptance that is set in an emotional context and strengthens the relationship. Leaders need to empathize with another’s the view and remain steadfast with little or no bias, judgement or coloured consideration. He who accepts the other without conditions is the one who gets access into that person’s world. Leaders are not islands of excellence. They derive their leadership identity from the followers, the teams they lead and the new leaders they develop. The measure of the effectiveness of a leader is directly proportional to the degree of acceptance they enjoy from their leaders they develop. Hence, a leader is people dependent.
LEADERS JOURNEY STARTS WITH SELF AWARENESS
We at Leadership-Tribe have designed all our structures around the vital construct of ‘People Connect’. We believe it is all about the human context. Join us in our meetups and courses to delve deeper into these fundamentals and get to know more of how you can relate more with your own self and others, and in the process, develop the leader that resides in you.
by Krishna Chodipilli | Dec 9, 2020 | Agile Coaching, Leadership And Management
Many individuals in the present are striving to be entrepreneurs. They wish to create a company of their own and do their bit in serving the company with their unique ideologies. As such, most of them give more importance to being unique and standing out amongst competitors. While doing so is vital as far as marketing is concerned, many enterprises forget what matters the most in the long haul, say in 10-20 years after the establishment of the business. Over a long time, innovation, and culture and leadership promoting it, is what matters for a company, for it makes them an Agile enterprise.
Importance of an Agile enterprise, we are sure, is not lost on anyone with a mind for business. There are numerous cases where the inability to adapt to situations and time has led to the downfall of companies. For instance, Kodak, the famous technology company that produces photography paraphernalia, filed for bankruptcy in 2012 because it took too much time to change its business model to suit the digital camera and technology. Another great example would be former movie rental giant, Blockbuster. The Texas-based company refused to acknowledge the rise of demand for online streaming of movies and series, which ultimately led to the enterprise ceasing operations in 2013.
As observed from the examples above, whenever an enterprise refuses to go with the flow of time, it has signed the warranty of its downfall. As such, a company is likely to last longer when it is Agile, as innovation and strong leadership is its backbone and foundation stone. It should be a long-term goal for businesses to create an innovative culture that can lead it to be Agile. For all its positives, many companies do not know how to utilize leadership skills to be Agile and innovative. Let us, now, see how to achieve the same, effectively.
The way to innovative organizations
Innovation does not happen in a day, week, or even several months. Akin to a tree or a plant, it requires constant nurture; and above all, a seed. An effective way to ensure an organization’s survival, in the long run, is by inculcating an innovative culture from day one. As such, the process of bringing in innovation and creativity to be an Agile company includes two essential components. They are employees and their leaders. These elements need to work in harmony, and in such a way that they complement one another’s goals.
Let us, now see these two components in detail to understand how to bring about the culture of innovation in a company:
Giving and Sharing is the key
As a CEO or an executive or a leader, many expect effective and fast results from subordinates. However, the world runs on a barter system, and one cannot get anything without offering something in return. The same goes when it comes to creating a culture that promotes innovation. Enterprises, therefore, have to give the following to its employees to ensure creativity and productivity:
Trust
As a company with many employees, it is implausible to micro-manage everything. Which is why delegation and group leaders are essential. For a leader to do his job well, the management should have a level of trust in him or her. Similarly, a manager should entrust his or her subordinates to complete their respective tasks. Moreover, nitpicking on the work done by the staff can have negative impacts on their productivity. Additionally, setting restrictions can adversely affect their creativity.
As such, leaders should keep in mind to give subordinates their creative freedom while, also, educating them on the consequences of their actions.
Freedom
One of the best ways to ensure innovation and creativity is to give employees the liberty to break through the hierarchy and open up about their ideas. An established chain of command often intimidates the staff when they need to express their opinion. More often than not, the intermediaries discourage the employees from voicing out their ideas for fear of losing face. However, if as a leader, one establishes an open network and a conducive environment where staffs can share their thoughts with one another and with the management, the levels of creativity will go off charts.
Therefore, enterprises vying to be Agile should be ready to bend a few rules to let creativity and innovation flow through the cracks.
Encouragement
Many companies, in the past, failed to run longer because they refused to think out of the box. They limited themselves and discouraged their employees from breaking the limits they set; letting conventionality kill their organization. However, to be an Agile company, one needs to encourage not just the unconventional, but also the far-fetched ideas and proposals that may seem implausible. Such concepts may, virtually, be impossible; however, it makes one stretch their minds and think about things they might not have, otherwise.
Enterprises, therefore, let ideas run wild and encourage questioning their existing practices to ensure innovation and creativity.
Help
Many enterprises fail due to lack of innovation and agility. However, there are many whose downfall comes due to lack of support of staff. If one takes a careful look at the Research and Development (R&D) area of a company, one will see a scientist is either overworked or bored. Many a time, they do not get the support staff they desperately need. And other times, the researchers have too much time on their hands.
Therefore, leaders should delegate works in a manner that no one of their subordinates is overworked or idle. Assigning multiple tasks to each will ensure increased productivity and innovative culture.
Diversity
There is a reason behind clubbing of people from different backgrounds, and it is diversity. When minds that think differently meet, they can push each others’ boundaries, leading to innovative thinking. However, many companies fail to realize this and inhibit inter-departmental communications and discussions with other companies. They fear that their trade secrets will leak and cause them losses. Nonetheless, communication and sharing of ideas with staffs of other enterprises can lead to a collaboration of ideas. Which, can lead to the innovation of technologies that can change the world.
Therefore, companies that wish to be Agile need to encourage diversity within the organization, and encourage communications with third-parties that can lead to co-innovation.
Leadership that can inspire
Creating an innovative organization starts with a leader. It is his or her Agile mindset and leadership that inspire subordinates and staffs to follow the lead and be more creative and productive. From Agile Business Consortiums’ previous paper on Agile Leadership, one must glean how an able leader can change the face of a company. As such, there are some factors that good leadership can influence, leading to the formation of an innovative culture within the organization. Here are some ways leaders can achieve this:
Appreciate the efforts
One of the best ways to promote and encourage employees and subordinates to be creative and productive, thereby, innovative, is to appreciate their efforts in the past and present. This principle has been in use for decades, now. We see this in schools and colleges in the form of marks. Constantly rewarding staffs for their work and dedication will instil in them a positive image of the company. Which, will make them want to work hard to get praise in the future. Additionally, they will also think about the company’s growth and be inspired to be creative and innovative. Therefore, leaders should make it a point to acknowledge the efforts and ideas of the staffs.
Start at the bottom
Innovation may happen during a brainstorming session most times. However, it can happen elsewhere too; there are no limitations. Innovative ideas can stem out of the challenges and limitations of existing technologies. Moreover, the process of utilizing the new ideas need not be as complicated and time-consuming as one thinks. They can be tackled by dividing them into factors like profit models, processes, products, and policies. Therefore, it is essential for a leader and a company to focus on the basic, once in a while to become an agile organization. For, they will provide breathing space to handle things, while also giving a new perspective on everything.
Empower
Limitations and powerlessness can kill the creativity of an individual. It is the case in many organizations with strict hierarchy and chain of command. However, if a leader can empower his subordinates by giving them independence and a certain level of autonomy, creativity is bound to rise within the organization. It is so because the employees will feel a sense of responsibility for the freedom given to them. Moreover, leaders should also mentor them in making smart decisions in the future to maximize innovative thinking.
Accept failures
Many companies fail to innovate and survive in the cut-throat world of business because the leaders were afraid of failure and risks. However, risks are the cornerstone of business and failure an inevitable reality of innovation. Therefore, a leader must learn to accept that hurdles and crashes are part of the path leading to an Agile organization. As such, they shouldn’t crucify subordinates and staffs for failing. Instead, they should analyze the mistakes and encourage the employees to give it another shot.
Be decisive
There are instances where companies had to shut down because the executives and leaders were not Agile enough to come make pivotal business decision. Hence, decisiveness and an Agile mindset becomes essential characteristics of successful leadership and leader. When it comes to innovation, a head should make sure to take action instead of constant discussions on the same topics over and over again. Otherwise, it won’t take too long before a rival comes up with the same idea. However, this doesn’t mean that every proposal should be accepted. A leader should make an informed and Agile decision after considering the ideas without taking up too much time.
Learn from the past
Mistakes in the past can teach an organization a lot, that is, if they choose to learn from it. Many organizations look outside for innovative ideas without considering to improve the existing discrepancies within. A leader should, therefore, always choose to look at the mistakes that an organization made in the past to ensure innovation takes place. Moreover, they should fix the errors in the past before moving forward to anything new ideas or plans, for it will make an organization Agile.
Interact
It is often the case that leaders get swamped by their responsibilities and forget that sharing of ideas is the backbone of innovation. When that happens, an organization begins to shrivel and perish. However, when executives and staffs sit and discuss, the formation of new ideas takes place. That is why you will see many startups with fewer employees have a higher rate of creativity and innovation. However, a big company can achieve the same level. Leaders can make it happen by interacting more with the subordinates and employees, encouraging dialogue and sharing of ideas.
Be open
Similar to a lack of interaction, judgment and criticism can hinder the innovation within a company leading it to fail. Constant nitpicking can lead to decreased morale of the staff and discourage them from voicing their ideas. However, if leaders make a conscious effort to not shoot down an idea the instant it was proposed, and instead keep an open mind, and guide them, employees would be encouraged to be innovative.
Business is akin to a bicycle. Without constant peddling, it will cease to move after a point. Similarly, companies without steady growth and innovation leading to it, can stagnate in terms of profits and cease operations in no time. However, being Agile through strong leadership and work culture that promotes innovation can make the difference between loss and profit. Like a bicycle, one needs to constantly peddle in creativity and new ideas to ensure the continued survival of the enterprise amongst the competition.
Business Agility, however, helps achieve the same with an Agile mindset and approach to commerce and trading. Therefore, organizations should cultivate an Agile leadership and work culture with the help of institutions like Leadership-Tribe (LT), that provides training to organizations, so they can become Agile through their Business Agility Program. LT, moreover, offers ICP BAF courses that enable enterprises to be more innovative in its approach to business, increasing innovation within a company and leading to overall growth.
