Organizational leadership combines specific skills and qualities applied to the work environment and work teams. As you may already know, it is a managerial approach that positively influences a team’s performance in an organization with a specific strategy and objectives.
When establishing a strategy, it is vital to consider both the company and the individual’s mission and vision to develop and achieve the goals set. Different leaders have different leadership styles. However, the end goal should not only focus on overall company success, which is undoubtedly essential, but also on employees’ mental health and emotional well-being.
Why is organizational leadership important?
Organizational leadership is a key factor in developing healthy companies made up of healthy employees. Compared to traditional management styles, organizational leadership is people-oriented to achieve maximum productivity but also emotional well-being. Organizational leadership is pivotal for modern companies because:
- It helps processes run smoothly. As an effective leader, the person in charge should know their employees’ strengths and weaknesses. By analyzing this information beforehand, they know what should be assigned to each individual. This will help the process be as efficient as posbbile and enhance employees’ strong points and skills.
- Having strong organizational leadership skills is also a great way to motivate employees. They don’t need a boss; they need approachable leaders who healthily stimulate their team members, which will increase their commitment to the organization and improve talent retention while reducing employee turnover rates.
- Fosters performance and success. As mentioned earlier, top leaders boost employee morale and motivation. They foster a positive work environment where they encourage employees to do better and perform at their optimum level. When employees sense this, they know they are being taken care of in their company, leading to better emotional well-being. Healthy employees tend to perform better, which leads to successful results, both for the individual and the company. Moreover, this gives the employee a sense of belonging as they are part of the company’s success.
Skills and qualities
So, how do we differentiate organizational leadership from conventional leadership? Leaders have many skills and qualities to perform two of their main tasks successfully: leading teams and focusing on their individual needs. If you’re interested in improving this methodology, keep reading and consider the following aspects when examining organizational leadership:
1. Effective communicator
Organizational leadership requires smooth communication from all parties involved. Being clear and concise when communicating helps create a shared vision, leading to team cohesion and healthy relationships in teams. Giving employees the chance to speak and be heard helps build a trusting environment where employees feel integrated. Creating a space where people can share their ideas comfortably gives rise to empowered and confident employees. This is crucial as motivated employees achieve better results.
On the other hand, poor communication between leaders and their teams entails adverse effects. Lousy communication can disrupt a team’s strategy, leading to misunderstandings and misinterpretation of ideas and messages. Moreover, if employees can’t communicate, there is a higher chance of processes slowing downs and, ultimately, hindering their performance.
2. Problem-solver
Leading various individuals isn’t an easy task. Different opinions, handling multiple tasks, and working relationships can cause conflicts. Poor relations can cause a toxic work environment which is harmful to everyone and their duties. A key skill of organizational leadership is to know how to solve problems from a solutions-focused point of view, always looking out for team members and taking their well-being into account, inside and outside of work.
Leaders should create a strategic framework for both decision-making and problem-solving. This can be done with specialized programs such as the one ifeel offers its partners with tailored advice and specific goals.
3. Goal-oriented
As mentioned earlier, organizational leadership is based on people-oriented strategies to make the most out of teams’ capacities. Being goal-oriented is a pivotal aspect every leader should develop. Morevoer, constant performance analysis is also important as it will lead to practical results and success for the whole company.
Having a structured set of goals helps employees understand what they have to achieve and by when. If this is clear from the beginning, employees’ won’t have to keep consulting their leaders constantly. This saves time and resources, and encourages job autonomy. In addition, organizational leadership also paves the way for future leaders. By passing on their knowledge and taking the time to help them grow in the work environment, leaders foster employees’ professional and personal development.
4. Prioritize employee well-being
When considering the above points, it is crucial to understand that the basis of organizational leadership is the prioritization of employee well-being. It is hard enough for employees to balance both their personal and professional lives, especially if they are dealing with mental health issues (which can be triggered both inside and outside the workplace). If a company aims to be healthy with proper organizational leadership, they need to rely on professional help to align their employees’ well-being and company performance.
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Emotional well-being program for companies
We hope this post about organizational leadership has provided you with interesting ideas that you can start applying straight away with your team. If you would like more information about our emotional well-being program for companies, simply request it, and we will contact your team as soon as possible.
At ifeel, we strive to ensure that our professional life is at the service of our health. Our team of psychologists, experts in well-being at work, has created an emotional well-being program for companies that improves talent retention, reduces absenteeism, and tackles employee stress.
Take a look at our Resources section: we have added valuable material such as Podcasts, HR Guides, and Interviews with HR leaders. In addition, you have at your disposal a Psychosocial Risk Factors Template, which you can use to comply with the requirements of the Labor Inspectorate.
Thanks to our emotional well-being program, your HR managers can receive personalized, data-driven advice on improving the psychological well-being of their teams. This program offers employees a 360° mental health care service structured at different levels according to their needs. Try our program today to see how it could help you.