Being a leader means much more than just going out from one meeting to another. Success evaluation spreads beyond the daily team management. To develop a leader takes a lifetime. There is always some potential for growth as a mentor, trainer, inspiration driver. You must have an open mind for the whims of modern times and base it – at the same time – on the eternal leadership pieces of advice.
- Hire the best, trust them and provide an open space for action. It is critical to have an eye for choosing talented, passionate and ambitious people. People who are competent to solve the issues they are hired to deal with. People who are proud to give their best. Then trust comes as a logical next step. The Danish company LogPoint, reports Forbes, believes its employees will work best when provided with flexibility. The focus on the tasks instead of working hours means that every employee in LogPoint can, in line with their manager, organize their working time and place in a way that supports best the completion of the task. Of course, if all this is thought out from the team perspective and the timeline. The CEO of GO VC Sean Brown tells entrepreneur.com the right people will reward the trust put in them and support the business to grow surprisingly.
- Follow a strong communication strategy. Almost every business goes through ups and downs. Crucial is to retain the foundation that keeps the team together and allow the employees to think and act beyond the strict boundaries of their formal job descriptions. Leaders must invest time, define a goal, values and set a clear corporate vision and plans. “Set the expectation that things will get worse before they get better. Mistakes will happen, things will fall through the cracks — and that is okay. It is expected and a natural part of the process”, so Katie Murphy, Founder & CEO of Expansion Group.
- Celebrate achievements even if they are small. That is not just unbiased progress but also an appreciation for the efforts of all involved. When a company creates a reputation of being grateful towards its employees, it takes the corporate image to the next level, writes Forbes. The people in the team feel proud, engaged and valued. In the competitive workforce market, it means they will be more willing to stay with you. At the same time, there is no such great risk of exhaustion and burnout. Michael Timmes, a senior Human Resource specialist, suggests: “Never underestimate the importance of the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. Using them demonstrates a level of respect that people desire and appreciate, which can help build trust.”
- Be ready to not get all the answers. Enjoy the idea that you do not know everything and that it is not necessary to pretend the other way round to get respected. One of your roles as a manager is to ask questions and find opportunities and solutions. The actor Ryan Reynolds says: “I always say that you can’t be good at something unless you’re willing to be bad. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten way more comfortable with not having the answers. I think it’s such a great tool of leadership to be able to say, “I don’t know.” The worst leaders I’ve ever worked with or been around are the ones who are steadfast and indignant in their righteousness and worried about their image. So I love saying, ‘I don’t know.’”
- Open for collaboration. More and more often the customers rely on different agencies to gather a team of professionals and companies to deliver the proper solutions for their marketing challenges – from research to planning to production and execution. They do not want and do not request solutions from one agency only, nor put reasonless resources in old-fashion retention contracts for a lead agency. According to the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), the agencies should move in the direction opposite to populism and share information openly, destroy the walls between business, think beyond their own agency and the current opportunities, to be open with the customers and not try to keep everything for themselves. The future of marketing agencies will rely on active collaboration, partnership building and gathering the best people for each task, add for IPA.
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