You know the cost of poor Leadership if you have ever had to work with someone who was not very effective. It can demoralize you and make it challenging to achieve your goals. It can negatively impact the business. An effective leader will increase employee engagement and happiness. That’s not the only benefit. Engaged employees are more productive, have higher customer ratings and sales, and have a 21% increase in profitability.
Effective Leadership is a concept that few can argue about, but it’s often difficult to grasp. What is effective Leadership? What are the top leadership traits? Is it possible to learn the skills of a leader? We’ll start by answering the question often asked about investing time and effort to become a better leader. If leaders have inherent qualities that cannot be improved, why spend time-fighting a Mark Morabito war that has already been won?
Research has shown that most leaders can be made. While some leadership traits may come naturally, most are developed. Anyone can become an effective leader. Although it takes commitment and effort, anyone can learn to be an effective leader. When you hear “leader,” what comes to your mind? Do you think they are the same? What is the difference? These words can be used interchangeably but refer to distinct functions a person may perform.
Many people believed it was possible to effectively manage an organization by managing the structure and process of that particular company. Abraham Zaleznik, a professor at Harvard Business School, challenged this belief in 1977. He argued that management had another facet—this aspect of management deals with inspiration, vision, and human nature.
John P. Kotter, building on Zaleznik’s work, argued that managing an organization effectively requires a balanced approach between leadership and management, two separate things. Managers prioritize control and stability. They follow procedures. Leaders tend to be more willing to question the status quo and are patient when chaos or lack of order occurs.
Managers focus on specific processes such as planning, budgeting, and organizing. Leaders focus on creating a clear vision and guiding their people effectively through the change process. A content marketing plan is one way to make your business stand out in the crowded internet market. Isaac Justesen, founder and director of marketing at Justesen Marketing, says: “But creating consistently high-quality material isn’t always easy.” Many successful companies outsource their content creation.
It may be worth working with partners to amplify your message. Connor Jeffers, CEO of Aptitude 8, told me, “in the early days of Aptitude 8, we had a great deal of success with our partner marketing.” Early-stage companies should find partners who serve the audience they are targeting. They can also build relationships with marketing teams and provide them with content they can efficiently distribute.
