siliconindia | | December 20199Leading By ExampleThe role of a leader is of great respon-sibility and accountability, more so when their every action has the abil-ity to affect and influence. As a leader, one has to work harder than ever and not back-down when roadblocks hit. Having spent a considerable amount of time in the marketing and advertis-ing industry, I had my share of them and continue to tackle them. Leaders are often put on a pedestal; therefore, leading by example couldn't be more important in the context of an organi-zation. A leader who just plays into the title or position will inadvertently be unwilling to receive feedback and be close to the ideas and opinions of others. This attitude leads to friction between the leader and the employees, and hence affects the business in the long run. Good vs. BadA study by Firebrand Talent survey revealed a whopping 34 percent of employees leave due to poor leader-ship. A tell-tale sign of a bad leader is the lack of empathy. It makes leaders blind to the difficulties being faced by their teams. This can show-up as disre-garding their problems and dismissing them as trivial. Whether it's a lack of resources or lack of clarity towards any project, a good leader tries to eliminate obstacles being faced by the employ-ees. If a situation calls for quick action to be taken or requires changes to be implemented, a good leader tries to make the transition smoother for the employees. An effective leader sets a positive example from ways of com-municating, handling pressure situa-tions and dealing with unforeseen cir-cumstances.Effective Leadership But at the end of it, how does one measure effective leadership? Accord-ing to an employee engagement survey conducted by Gallup, a strong positive culture can enhance employee engage-ment by 30 percent, resulting in up to a 19 percent increase in operating income, and a 28 percent increase in earnings growth. An able leader drives and keeps the organisational culture in-tact and is the key to employee engage-ment and retention. The more satisfied employees are, lesser the attrition rate. Consequently, this results in saving on recruiting and training new hires.Role of Leadership Training Often times, it is readily assumed that a person in a position of leadership is already equipped to lead and that lead-ership qualities are inherent which can-not be learned. Nothing could be more away from the truth. While some as-pects are intuitive, leaders falter when it comes to implementing those in prac-tice. It's not surprising how over the past few years, companies have started realizing the importance of leadership, their impact on their business, and slowly but surely are opening-up to the idea of leadership training. Leaders especially benefit from programs that allow for conflict resolution, influence and persuasion as well as the ability to nurture individuals differently. While a leader's emotional quotient is very important, it's not just limited to this. There is also a need for training in spe-cific technologies, upcoming tools and trends. Such learning is increasingly necessary due to the digital transfor-mation that is already taking-over busi-nesses and will continue to affect them.Clearly, the impact of good lead-ership is both qualitative and quan-titative. From creating a holistic and healthy work culture and building an ecosystem of support, understanding and leading by example, to actual tan-gible increases in employee retention and productivity that ultimately lead to significant savings ­ the benefits of strong, capable leadership are far-reaching and manifold. Where there is a good leader, there is a motivated team, a strong organisation and an ad-mirable brand. Most important though is to always pass-on years of learning and experi-ence to the next generation of leaders, for they are the ones who will further the legacy. A tell-tale sign of a bad leader is the lack of empathy, which makes leaders blind to the difficulties being faced by their teams, and can show-up as disregarding their problems and dismissing them as trivial
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