Practical Leadership Tips for Success in Today’s World

Leadership is defined as;

“The action of leading a group of people or an organisation”

A responsibility that many desire, yet those who have it often see it as a massive burden. I often define good leadership as saying, 'I’m going over there, come with me,' rather than just commanding, 'You, go over there.'

In this article, I am attempting to demonstrate to my team that we are heading in a direction and I want them to come with me. This latest piece of mine is sharing my leadership experiences and jump-starting my team into creating valuable content. Let’s see how it goes, I promise I haven’t ChatGPT’d it!! 

Like all good stories, you have to have a beginning, a place where you provide context to the readers. My leadership journey began in retail. Motivating sales colleagues to deliver on an extensive array of KPIs cut a hundred ways and unfortunately, every single one of them is as important as the next. My journey began with firsthand experiences of both good and bad leadership.

During the time I wasn’t a leader, I found it easy to observe and critique others. I remember often stating, ‘I wouldn’t do it like that’. One of my mentors and great friend once suggested I spend time with a Senior Manager, “His numbers are rubbish” I reacted. “What will I learn from him?” To which my mentor replied, “How NOT to do things.” I fell silent and took a step back, realising how much I still had to learn. 

Fast forward fifteen years and I had the opportunity to implement my leadership experience not within a big organisation, but with my very own team, within my own business. Leadership is like parenting, you try your best and hope your flexible, modern approach doesn’t come back and bite you. I do admit, at Trickle Up we are always looking for ways to do things differently, stand out from the crowd and push age-old methods aside for modern, fresh ways to engage, deliver and grow both individually and as a business. 

This is Chapter 1 of our new initiative, and I hope you like the articles my team will be writing in the coming weeks and months. Every week, someone from Trickle Up will write about something that they are passionate about and hopefully create valuable content that will help UK businesses. If nothing else, it should be entertaining and an opportunity for our growth. So, back to leadership: here are my top leadership principles that I have encountered and strive to implement in my day-to-day role leading the Trickle Up team.

1.        Autonomy with trust and responsibility

Trust is an element that influences many aspects of our lives, from deciding where to buy from to the confidence we place in our colleagues. Trusting your team to deliver is one of the most empowering characteristics a Leader can have. 

Micromanagement is a common pitfall when starting a new business, which is why it is crucial to avoid it to scale and grow your business. Setting clear goals and aspirations while involving your team in decision-making, gives them a sense of responsibility and in turn leads to greater engagement and productivity. I remember a time when I would delegate tasks and monitor progress. While things get done, delegating responsibility and watching someone grow and succeed is far more satisfying.

2.        Constructive feedback

Any successful relationship, whether personal or professional, thrives when we can express what’s on our minds; leaders should be able to provide feedback and support their team, for collective growth. A time when we can’t say what we want leads to an essential breakdown and lack of growth. It is essential when creating a culture of feedback that we strip out the emotion and deliver factual comments that genuinely help the receiver. As important as the role of the leader delivering the feedback, it is also essential that the receiver is in a position to take the feedback on board, not be ‘hurt’ and look to improve the said area without any undue drama. 

At Trickle Up we have had many sessions where we actively encourage ‘Constructive feedback’ (to be fair, all feedback should be constructive), encouraging an environment where everyone can express their feelings, allowing us to improve as a group.

3.        Learning and development

There are many times in our lives when we think, 'I know what I’m doing.' However, the issue is that, in the following month or year, the environment, the market, and other circumstances may have evolved. If we are not constantly evolving and adapting, we risk being left behind. Team Trickle Up often discusses 'Growth Mindsets vs. Fixed Mindsets,' and it's essential to foster an environment that encourages continuous learning and growth. 

Learning has many cognitive benefits, such as improving our memory, attention and problem-solving. When we learn relevant skills then we increase our value both personally and collectively. Successful leaders will put their teams into uncomfortable situations that work wonders for team members. For example, if someone wants to improve their public speaking, nominate them for the next presentation. If someone seeks to become more responsible, give them a set of keys. We know our team members, and it is essential to have a personal development plan that gives confidence to the team members and you as the conductor of your business. 

4.        Innovation and setting direction

As the leader your primary role is to put out fires and set clear direction within the organisation. The same old ideas won’t cut it and will eventually uninterest the ambitious members of your team. New ideas, get the blood flowing and the cogs turning. You must keep an eye on upcoming trends, identify opportunities and determine how to avail these areas of growth. Rest assured, the responsibility of new ideas shouldn’t just sit with you as the leader, but your team members should be actively encouraged to chip in with some golden nuggets and help enhance great ideas. 

One of the things I learnt from the annual engagement surveys we did in my previous business was, that if you involve people in the decision-making process, then even a decision which adversely affects employees is accepted. Look to your team members as soundboards, a source for new innovations and ways how to improve your business. You will be pleasantly surprised at what you get back once asked. 

5.        Team well-being

An old boss once explained to me, 

“If you look after your team, they look after your customers, if your customers are happy then you make money.” 

Quite often we do not understand the relationship between team engagement and money in the bank. Yet if we focus on our team then ultimately your business will do great work. Team building exercises, celebrating birthdays and listening to your colleagues, seem like hard work and often are neglected. It doesn’t have to be difficult for aspiring leaders though. 

The key aspect of my experience as a leader is taking the time to listen to my colleagues. We all love to be heard, yet we often fall short when it comes to listening. Sprinkle a few team night outs and all will be well in the team. The banter in the office is unreal following our weekly football events, team night out or anniversary cakes. It’s not only about celebrating and having fun. Genuinely supporting team members when they need help is also a key part of being a Leader that people can rely on. 

Summary

There are many more lessons on leadership and in no way am I saying that I’m a great leader or that I know leadership. However, I am trying, and for many of us, that is all that matters for now. When we have people within our care and responsibility then we must balance their welfare along with all the other plates a leader must juggle. 

Thank you for reading. If we haven’t caught up in a while, then drop me a message, if you think Trickle Up can help you with Outsourced Team members or Digital Marketing services, then do not hesitate to drop us a message. I hand over the baton to my colleagues and look forward to reading about their interests and experiences.