SAFETY4SEA Soft Skills - Issue 01

4 SAFETY4SEA SOFT SKILLS | ISSUE 1 | Q1 2020 T he world needs more good leaders! In this article, we discuss a few valuable points to ensure good leadership through a three-step process; setting the goals direction; communicate often and briefly; be inspiring and inspired. 1. Setting the Goals’ Direction Being a leader without a goal or destination is like being a captain sail- ing without a navigation plan. Having a direction always helps confirm that you are on track but also keeping your personnel abreast of those goals over time is maybe the most important task a leader must serve. Interestingly, the Path-Goal model theory identifies three leader behaviors: ● ● The achievement-oriented leader behavior which refers to the leader who sets challenging goals for em- ployees, expects them to perform at their highest level, and shows confidence in their ability to meet this expectation. ● ● The participative leader behavior which refers to leaders consulting with employees and asking for their input before the decision-making process. ● ● The supportive leader behavior which refers to the leader who shows concern for the employees, focusing on the satisfaction of their needs and preferences. On the other hand, tyrannical lead- ership styles usually lack a destina- tion and they lead to low self-esteem and performance as they eat away team cohesiveness, increase stress and helplessness, according to “Petty Tyranny in Organizations,” an inter- temporal paper written nearly a quarter century ago by psychologist Blake Ashforth, who is now an Arizona State University professor. 2. Communicate Often - Communicate Brief Many leaders out there are com- municating their employees on how to get the loads of work done, how to set a successful meeting or even how to hand in a gorgeous power point. But rarely, they will communicate how to use their voice and body more effec- tively or acknowledge their failures. Certainly, communicating is not only about talking but also about listening. Did you know that listening to a five-minute presentation produces a relatively small amount of cognitive backlog; an 18-minute presentation produces a little more, while a 60-min- ute presentation produces so much cognitive backlog that you as a leader risk seriously upsetting your employ- ees? 3. Be Inspiring and Inspired Employees get genuinely ticked off if you communicate long. “Bad leaders” use their power to get things done instead of using them to benefit others. However, leaders who deliver performance, use their power mindfully by embodying leadership presence, cultivating focus, clarity, creativity and compassion in the service of others. Part of the inspiration is also re- ceiving inspiration. Receiving inspira- tion is linked with embracing learn- ability, which is of utmost importance. Leaders should be able to unlearn, learn and relearn soft or technical skills, be inspired, be open-minded and flexible, gain cultural interest and sensitivity, deal with complexity, and be resilient while embracing integrity. Leaders face common challenges like situations that test their skills, mindset but also their patience and consistency. Many of them strive to deliver performance, while others just enjoy the director’s position and sadly destroy their team’s perfor- mance. So, are there any tips to ensure a good leadership? Of course there are, and this article presents the process to acquire them. A three-step process to ensure good leadership s a f e t y4 s ea . c om For informative, in depth maritime content, news, insights and opinions, subscribe to our newsletters: It’s FREE! safety4sea.com/subscribe 40 Articles daily 160,000 Monthly Visitors 30,000 Newsletter subscribers #5 Global rank in shipping portals Leading vo i ce in regu l atory updates, safety, smart & green news • Noon Report (daily) • Regulatory Update (monthly) • Safety Roundup (monthly) • Green Roundup (monthly) • Smart Roundup (monthly) C E L E B R A T I N G Years 10 Learn more at about.safety4sea.com