Within organizations it is important to have a department that enhances behavioral and organizational competencies, helping them to become leaders rather than managers. [24]7.ai GUA´s, Organizational Department motivates, teaches, and leads our leaders to the next level through career training that helps them understand the difference between being a boss and being a leader.
Leadership involves establishing a clear vision, sharing the vision with your teams and them following willingly and providing the knowledge, information, and methods have it come to fruition. Today, our employees are increasingly recognizing the importance of leadership in OD. Leaders take ownership of the organization combined with an intrinsic urge to do what is best for the organization.
Caring for and understanding the employees´ personal and professional needs especially important when attracting and retaining talent. Focusing only on work-related outcomes is not sufficient anymore, that is why as an organization, we do our best to create a balance though engagement activities to keep our employees committed while building meaningful connections; these are important dimensions of anyone’s life, and people expect work organizations to contribute to them.
The organizational development department motivates the people to a higher level of performance through their strong human relationships and interactions. It is an important function of management which helps to maximize efficiency and to achieve organizational goals resulting in managers having leadership traits.
Our leaders have the ability and presence to bring out the absolute best in our team members. They have a natural demeanor that garners respect while pushing the organization in a positive direction.
The impact that proper management has on a business can be calculated by increases in profit, growth, or other measures. However, an inspiring leader can make an immeasurable impression in a workplace that drives intrinsic growth.
For a business to survive, it must have managers who are able to keep teams focused, and organized on tasks. However, if a business is looking to thrive and grow, it requires leaders who can inspire teams to come together and push towards unified visions.
KEY ASPECTS THAT OD teaches to be a leader
1. Provide Concise and Consistent Communication
As they say, communication is key. Leaders have impeccable communication skills. It’s important to communicate clearly with others: say what you mean without being passive-aggressive. Clear communication also means communicating in a way that other people will understand (in this part you can take into consideration Learning Styles, Behavioral styles and Johari Window that will help leaders to understand relationships with themselves and others); therefore, making sure you know your audience and how you can adapt your message in a way that helps them learn.
2. Give Feedback Freely
Even if you’re not in a supervisor, manager, or in an executive role, you can still provide feedback. If you have a suggestion for another team member regarding something they can improve or work on, make sure you can support your point and know how to deliver the feedback in a respectful manner. Positive feedback is also beneficial, in turn making those around you realize that people are paying attention to their work and it is appreciated.
3. Be Flexible
Be a nimble leader and try to eliminate micromanaging others. Something you may think is important may not be so important to those around you. To be flexible, focus on the end results. Maybe someone else will find a better path to get to the outcome. If the situation calls for it, be flexible, open-minded, and support other’s paths.
4. Remain Responsive to Others
If someone asks/requests something of you, be responsive – even if the response is, “I’ll get back to you soon.” Individuals like to be acknowledged and know that you hear what they say. Being responsive will show others that you care and are engaged in what they’re doing.
5. Invest in Personal Growth and Development
Think about what it is you have to offer, and how you can offer that to team members across your organization.
Lara Hogan wrote a great post about the difference between mentorship and sponsorship, where she argues that what underrepresented folks really need isn’t advice mentorship but opportunity and visibility sponsorship. She says that to sponsor someone, what you need to do is:
• Learn the opportunities you have to raise people’s names each week.
• Find a person to sponsor.
• Listen to their experiences, learn about their skills and how they want to grow.
• Raise your sponsee’s name in those opportunities.
6. Listen More
Listen more, talk less. Make sure to listen to what others have to say, as they may come up with better ideas or different solutions to problems. As you listen, think of some meaningful questions to ask the speaker. Show that you do have an interest in what they’re saying and show you care.
7. Apologize publicly and gloat privately
True leaders don’t just praise publicly and criticize privately. They are also humble enough to apologize publicly and gloat privately. You don’t see leaders bragging about their success, they talk about their team and their team’s contributions. And if they feel really good about themselves, they do it at home or with a close friend but not publicly. A leader will apologize and take accountability for their actions.
8. Leaders take into consideration both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
Everyone’s different and that includes what motivates us and our perspectives of rewards. Some people are more intrinsically motivated by a task while another person sees the same activity extrinsically.
Both can be effective; however, research suggests that extrinsic rewards should be used sparingly due to the over justification effect. Extrinsic rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation when used in certain situations or used too often. The rewards may lose their value when you reward behavior that was already intrinsically motivating. Some people also perceive extrinsic reinforcement as coercion or bribery.
Researchers examined how reward timing influenced intrinsic motivation. They found that giving an immediate bonus for working on a task, rather than waiting until the task was completed, increased interest and enjoyment in it. Getting an earlier bonus increased motivation and persistence in the activity that continued even after the award was removed.
Understanding the factors that promote intrinsic motivation can help you see how it works and why it can be beneficial. These factors include:
• Curiosity. Curiosity pushes us to explore and learn for the sole pleasure of learning and mastering.
• Challenge. Being challenged helps us work at a continuously optimal level working towards meaningful goals.
• Control. This comes from our basic desire to control what happens and make decisions that affect the outcome.
• Recognition. We have an innate need to be appreciated and satisfaction when our efforts are recognized and appreciated by others.
• Cooperation. Cooperating with others satisfies our need for belonging. We also feel personal satisfaction when we help others and work together to achieve a shared goal.
• Competition. Competition poses a challenge and increases the importance we place on doing well.
• Fantasy. Fantasy involves using mental or virtual images to stimulate your behavior. An example is a virtual game that requires you to answer a question or solve a problem to move to the next level.
Leadership can be a struggle to develop, as there are intrinsic qualities that are tough to cultivate. It might seem like it's a thin line between manager and business leader, but in reality, it takes a lot to grow from one to the other. Becoming a leader means rethinking the way we conduct day-to-day business, as well as what we have to offer our employees.
Being a leader means you're prepared to take your team forward.
If you’re willing to face the challenge, and follow these guidelines, then you’ll be on the right path to becoming the leader your business needs to succeed.