In just about every walk of life it seems that the whole area of mindset and attitude is becoming more and more of an issue. Leadership is no different. The attitude of the leader really can stifle or accelerate progress and achievements.
Reason 1: The Leader Sets The Tone
There is a saying that the tone of any organisation is set at the top. If the leader is generally upbeat, supportive and embraces challenges, it sets the tone for the rest of the team. If on the other hand they are highly negative, it has the completely opposite impact.
Reason 2: People Want To Be Led
While people might be reluctant to be managed or directed, they do want to be led. A leader who inspires others to act and move forward is clearly going to be someone who others want to follow.
Reason 3: People Lack Self-Confidence
I bet we can all recall times when we knew that we should have taken action and moved forward on something but did not have the confidence to do it. Having the encouragement and self-belief of a leader in your ability to deliver can get you moving forward rather than being stuck.
Reason 4: People Want To Be Treated Fairly
No-one likes the school playground bully and no-one likes the workplace bully either. If you try to throw your weight around and treat people badly, they will fall into compliant mode. When this happens you simply stifle creativity.
Reason 5: People Want Autonomy And Safety
No-one wants to be told what to do all the time but at the same they want safety and reassurance. The challenge is to get the balance right.
Reason 6: People Want Support
If you want people to take balanced risks, they need to know that they have the support of their leader if things don’t turn out as expected. If the attitude is to learn, rather than blame, it will make a huge difference.
Reason 7: People Will Go Further For The Right Leader
I know that when I look back on my own career there were some leaders that you did the minimum for and others for whom nothing was too much trouble. The reality is that in most cases an upbeat and proactive leader will result in you going much more further to deliver what is required.
The Bottom Line: A leader and their attitude can make a huge difference to the results, achievements and progress that is being made.