Tag Archives: margaret smith leadership
June 5, 2019 The Importance Of Transformational Leadership In An Organization
A guest post by Karoline Gore
With the right strategies and motivation among employees, the potential of an organization is limitless. Transformational leaders strive toward improving the productivity of the company by inspiring their staff through effective communication and creating an environment for intellectual stimulation. By doing so, they influence their followers to exhibit outstanding performance geared toward the wellness of the company and not selfish gains. These leaders also transform workers into potential leaders through continuous motivation and development. Steve Jobs is an iconic transformational leader whose passion and simplicity made Apple what it is today. He constantly challenged his employees to think beyond the obvious, prompting them to create some of the best products that the world has ever seen, according to Marketing91.
It makes work meaningful and empowers workers
Among the different forms of leadership, transformational management is among the best when it comes to employee involvement. There is evidence of a positive relationship between transformational leadership and employee-related results, as found by meta-analytic research. These findings prove that transformational leaders make work meaningful by advocating for self-governance. Their followers continuously feel a sense of belonging and appreciation for their work.
Contrary to initial research that found cynicism and Intentions To Quit (ITQ) as general traits of employees, recent studies have found them to be a reflection of workers’ perception of management. Transformational leaders make employees want to stay by eliminating barriers and letting them know that they are mindful of their personal success. Take the example of N.R Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys. By inspiring people through his excellent leadership and personal values, he has attained worldwide recognition and immense success.
A company can handle change and challenges
Change is inevitable, and the biggest challenge that management faces is how to handle it. When governed poorly, it can wound a company’s performance and output, hurting its position on the competitive map. The impact of transformational leadership regarding change reaches all levels of the company. Such leaders educate followers on the importance of change and let them adopt the same through inspiration rather than control. They also handle unethical conduct in a stern yet down-to-earth way that upholds justice. At a team level, you will find employees that motivate and inspire each other to work better. This particularly helps a company to meet these challenges that are brought by strategic redirections.
Transformational leadership is universal and widely accepted as one of the best types of leadership and is applicable in all kinds of organizations. It involves driving for exceptional performance through intellectual stimulation, team-building, and inspiring selfless behavior among workers. As a result, employees support all company’s undertakings without remorse or hesitation. If you are practicing leadership or aspiring to be a leader in the future, many experts advise that you adopt this form of administration for optimal productivity.
Tags: importance of leadership, leadership in the workplace, margaret smith career coach, margaret smith leadership, transformational leadership, transformational leadership workplace
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- Posted under Guest post, Leadership, Organization
May 15, 2019 Introducing my *NEW* Online Leadership Course
Hello readers! I am beyond excited to introduce my online leadership course, The Ten-Minute Leadership Challenge!
It’s based off my book, but is packed with a ton of great additional information that is meant to guide leaders of all levels and backgrounds. The course includes ten, go-at-your-own-pace lessons, each one focusing on a specific leadership attribute. You can choose to go through the lessons in order or focus on the ones that need your attention most.
Expected course outcomes include learning to…
- Focus and hone self-awareness
- Define career goals and your “living legacy”
- Create a business case to ignite real change
- Gain respect and recognition
- Improve your office community
- Navigate tough conversations
- Earn the confidence of your colleagues and superiors
- And much more
I’ve pulled out all the stops with this course and I’m confident you’ll find it valuable. Check it out today and step into your leadership!
Margaret Smith is a career coach, author, Insights® Discovery (and Deeper Discovery) Licensed Practitioner, and founder of UXL. She hosts WORKSHOPS for people who need career or personal guidance.
NOW LIVE: Check out Margaret’s NEW online Leadership Course.
Tags: leadership coach Margaret Smith, leadership in the workplace, leadership lessons, margaret smith leadership, Margaret Smith Minneapolis career coach, online leadership course
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- Posted under Changing Your Life, Goals, Leadership
March 13, 2019 How to Have a Productive Debate at Work
Team dynamics can’t always be 100% collaborative. When an office encounters external challenges, like a change in size or shift in industry focus, argument and individual vision can become important points of engagement to keep a team productive and cooperating as a whole unit.
Productive debate is a form of healthy communication, and making sure everyone understands the same ground rules for conducting those debates is important. When there is a problem that can’t be solved with a short conversation, co-workers need to be prepared to present their viewpoints in a way that remains approachable and non-combative. Shane Snow talks about some of these strategies in a recent article in the Harvard Business Review.
So what are the ways to have a productive debate at work?
Having a facilitator who remains fair and impartial can provide a strong foundation for such events. Usually, a manager or supervisor can take on this role, but team members may find it appropriate to select a different candidate. There should be a consensus on who is directing the conversation.
No personal attacks. All debate stops the moment your team members begin to react defensively. It is impossible to weigh decisions with logic and reason when folks are emotionally threatened or wild. Keep talking points centered around the problem that is being discussed.
Reinforce to team members that you are sharing solutions. There may be information that is shared throughout the course of the debate that changes someone’s position or opinion, and that is okay. There are no sides that need to be taken. You are striving for an honest and meaningful solution to a problem. If somebody with an opposing viewpoint shares an idea that you agree with, be sure you acknowledge the position. Compromise or consensus is more likely when people feel heard.
Remain curious throughout the process. You’re likely to learn something new about your team members through uncomfortable or contentious subjects. Try to frame these lessons as positive incentives, and encourage your team to participate and act in good faith. A team’s real strength lies in the ability to navigate conflict.
The desire to avoid debate is easy to understand, but arguing productively is essential to any team’s growth and learning process. Keep a level head and you’ll go from 12 Angry Men to 12 Contented Team Members.
Tags: lead conversation at work, lead debate at work, Margaret Smith business coach, margaret smith leadership, productive debate at work, productive work disagreement, tough conversations at work
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- Posted under Better Business, Communication, Leadership
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