Education and migration business is complicated, dynamic, and fast-changing. No matter how big or small your agency is, it is not enough to plan, organize, and operate well. Leadership is the prime factor that makes a team productive and makes everything work together seamlessly. To steer the agency towards success, you need to be an effective leader.
So, what does it take to have good leadership? There is no perfect formula for that. However, there are some of the practices and habits which you can incorporate in your agency for having good leadership.
1. Set goals for your team
Each individual goal helps achieve the company’s vision. So, you as a leader should be able to set the goals for your team aligned with the company’s mission, vision, and objectives. It is the responsibility of a good leader to create a balance between each individual focus and organizational vision. When the team members understand the strategic business goals, they are more likely to be productive and committed to achieving the common goal.
It is important to set goals that are appropriate for the team you are leading. This will allow you to measure their success and know if they are on track with what they need to do. What’s more, the team will be able to know what is expected of them and will be able to use their strengths in order to achieve their objectives.
2. Be adaptable
As mentioned earlier, the education and migration business is dynamic. Things are ever-changing here. Whether it’s change in the legislation, or change in the course conditions and structures, or change in the work environment, every new change brings new challenges for a leader. However, an effective leader needs to step out of the comfort one and change and adapt in any situation.
The ability to be adaptable is an important skill for any person, but it is particularly important for leadership positions. Leaders are the ones who have the responsibility of developing a plan of action and then executing that plan. That being said, new situations will always arise that require changes to the original plan. As a result, it’s important for leaders to stay open-minded and not completely opposed to changes. This can be done by being flexible in their thinking so they are able to work through different solutions with their team members.
3. Embrace challenges
Good leaders are always open to accepting new challenges that come their way in the course of their careers. Things may go wrong sometimes. But whenever you or your team hit a challenge, always be ready to back them up. As much as you delegate the tasks and authority to the team members, you need to take responsibility as well. Being responsible for your team and being ready for embracing challenges is what differentiates between a boss and an effective leader.
We should always embrace challenges as they bring out the best in us. They test our leadership skills and make us more adaptive to future changes.
4. Listen to your team
When you are directing too much, you often forget to listen. Listen closely to your team members on what they have to say. Let people know that you expect them to think beyond the task to contribute to the organization as a whole. Let them to speak their minds and let them know this as often as possible.
When you take the time to listen and communicate with your team, you show that they are valued and respected. This helps not just in forming a healthy working environment, but also in improving productivity and efficiency.
5. Invest in employee wellbeing
Employee mental health and wellbeing have become the biggest concerns for leaders and human resources professionals in 2021. This year of change, uncertainty, and disruption has brought many new sources of stress and anxiety to our employees. A key component for achieving a healthy work environment is leadership.
Investing in employee wellbeing is a little more nuanced than one might think. It’s not all about providing employees with benefits such as gym membership or free lunch; there are also things like company culture, work-life balance, performance reviews and accountability that affect how employees feel within the organisation.
Employee wellness is an important aspect of the employer-employee relationship that will continue to grow in importance as we see more employees seeking work-life balance and increased flexibility in the office.
Final Thoughts
Leadership is not just about the CEO of a company. It is about empowering all the members of the team to make decisions and make their voices heard.
It is important to listen to your team and understand what they need. That way, you can empower them and make sure that they feel like their voice matters.
