There is little doubt about the importance of a good environment in the company as a fundamental strategic element, both at the level of security, productivity, image and leadership of our company. Promoting health is a seemingly simple task, but it requires a powerful obstacle: resistance to change. This resistance can bring down all our effort if we do not have adequate leadership.
There are innumerable coaching courses in the market where you are taught to be a good leader. Formations that do not always get positive ratings: There is an example on LinkedIn that proposes how to be a good leader and not a typical corny of leadership courses, questioning the “goodness” of coaching courses and influencing the importance of the attitude from the workers. This example led me to analyse why leadership as we understand those who work in Health and Safety can generate such hard opinions:
As you can see by reading the cited example, even the most opposite comments express the need for excellence in attitude. Attitude is disposition of mood manifested in some way, also defined as a nervous and mental disposition and, therefore, a social motivation rather than a biological motivation. Attitude is also a component of our determining behaviour.
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There is little room for doubt, a positive attitude is more secure and productive. The question is summarised in how to get a team with a positive attitude. The first option may be to hire only personnel with a positive attitude, which may work at the time of hiring; But if we take into account that attitude is a social motivation, this solution can hardly work on its own over time.
Another option, exposed in some circles, proposes to start the meetings with phrases like: “Let’s see, as I see or find out that you don’t treat clients well, don’t last here for five minutes.” Some psychologist may take me down, but this phrase is very scary, it is very offensive, or both; both clearly negative and therefore impossible to generate a positive attitude.
What differentiates a leader from the rest?
Both options have a common trait, are authoritarian and lack leadership: a leader must have certain characteristics: he must be able to generate enthusiasm, he must trust his team, recognize his merits, he must involve them in the project; For this he needs to be empathetic, able to listen and be humble. All incompatible with authoritarian options.
Becoming able to generate enthusiasm with empathy and humility is not possible to achieve in a single Coaching course; It is necessary as the first factor to want. If the boss wants to continue being boss, he will continue to have teams with a negative attitude to which he will have to “motivate” with phrases such as the one shown above; Only by being convinced of the importance and benefit of becoming a leader will you become one. A good way to start is with a training in coaching, but being clear that it is the first step of a long road.
For this it is necessary to leave the comfort zone, it is easier to be an authoritarian boss than a leader and it takes less time. In addition, an authoritarian attitude avoids facing challenges such as convincing workers whose comfort zone is to endure an authoritarian boss and they are impervious to the change of having a leader in the advantages of leadership.
Good leadership helps you achieve better results
Good leadership gets much better results than authoritarianism. If some has learned something as a trainer is that when you show yourself on a pedestal and download your “power,” you reap boredom, hostility and your message is automatically discarded; However, if you approach with humility, questions and you are interested in the opinion of others, your message penetrates people, it is more easily accepted and applied and, in addition, you also get learning in your person. It is a continuous process started years ago and in which you will continue to evolve until my retirement.
Leadership is exactly the same, only the one who is willing to learn and start a convinced path that will always learn something and that will be a better leader will no longer be a boss.
Determine your position with your work team as a leader or authoritarian? and value what are the best practices according to your vision and business mission:
You are a leader when:
- The members of your team feel identified with you
- Your team is confident to inform you about a problem in the company
- They present their doubts or suggestions in order to improve in the company
- Each member strives to do a better job
- The team feels satisfied with business achievements and takes them as part of their individual development.
- You prepare your people and take them into account to make decisions
You are authoritarian when:
- The feeling of fear or distrust prevails among your work team
- No one is responsible for conflicts or errors in the company
- Your team refrains from expressing its opinion even when you ask for it
- The only thing that matters is to produce
- You have not wondered if the person doing the job feels satisfied or does it with a simple economic interest
- You are the one who commands and makes the decisions
To be a leader is to train people, not only business, to give your company a reason for being but also to each one of those who integrate it. A leader knows that a more humane treatment will get him further than an economic interest. We invite you to learn more about the subject in our article “What makes a person a leader”.
Here at Universal Skills you will find a top team of experts willing to train your employees and ensure they can perform their work excellently.