Leadership development. It seems like the buzzword of the year, along with synergy, which this will be the one and only time I’ll ever say that – it’s a good thing it’s Halloween, because that word gives me the shivers.
If you spend your time on LinkedIn, you’ll hear the term leadership development a lot (we’re looking at you, GaryVee). Despite the slight overindulgence, our American pal is absolutely spot on. Gone are the days of bosses, hierarchy, office-based dictatorship… we’re here for progression. Progressions starts with the people at the top stepping down a little to help us out.
Jobseekers are looking for someone who can stand on deck to watch out for ice bergs, while also leading the way to doing things right.
It comes down to “we” instead of “I”, the knowledge that a boss isn’t what people want or need, it’s a leader. Someone who can get their hands dirty and lead the way with encouragement, prompts and example, not by saying what to do, when and how perfect it must be. The leader position really lies in the hands of the employees.
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When it comes to the hospitality industry, there’s no denying that people are the focal point. You want to look after people in your hotel, make sure they had an amazing experience in your shop, or to ensure they’re leaving your restaurant with smiles on their faces. So, why not give these feelings to the people in your business? Because as much as you can be at the top, the staff will usually be with the market a lot more and will understand their needs (depending on structure and size of the business). Therefore, leadership development is critically important.
So, what do you need in order to gain the leadership status?
Know Yourself
It seems obvious, but it really comes down to knowing the management style you have vs the one you want. How you react to the good, bad and the ugly.
As a leader, employees need to trust that your intentions are always well and knowing how you run the workplace is vital for that. Learn about your behaviour and internal motivators and flip it; would you want the staff interacting with your consumers to behave the same way? Would people be scared or encouraged?
Know the Business
There’s no point running around like headless chickens, figure out where you want to grow as a business and share that with your staff. Let people progress internally, experience the business you’re proud to be leading in; whether you’re the company owner or running a department. Make the most of everything you have!
Know the Market
You can’t run a ship without knowing the destination, but there’s no point going if nobody’s there! Find out if you’re in line with the trends and desires – and the best thing is you have that information all around you! Front of house will know what consumers are happy and unhappy with, housekeepers will know what amenities people like and dislike, chefs will know food like you know the back of your hand – and they may even have ideas that you haven’t even tried yet. A good leader will see this and encourage ideas internally to test and roll out externally. Let people have a voice and opinion; both positive and negative comments will help you and the business grow.
And lastly just be open. Be open to the idea that things take time, people will change values and opinions, but if you have your employees as one of your top priorities, then there’s a leader in you already!
Want to develop as a leader? Check out leadershipfactory.co.uk today!