Many people define leadership as something very critical to the organization. Some may think that companies have 100% succeeded in finding the right leaders and some are still struggling to find the cream of the crop. Top management has always been on the lookout for the best people who can best represent the organization, but what most organizations fail to see is its role in keeping and growing its leaders.
It is true that some leaders are born, but if not taken care of and not given the proper tools, they fade into the crowd. For example, when their skills arenu2019t cultivated, their leadership skill sets drain because it is not being applied and/or practiced. In the event that these skills are honed over a certain period of time, only then will the companies experience good leadership.
Another thing that needs to be considered is that leadership is something that includes other people and letting go of being the individual contributor concept. Itu2019s about reaching out to everyone to ensure productivity for the company. Moving from being an individual contributor to taking the lead takes a lot of support from the organization itself.
It is sad that some companies are facing difficulty in attracting good leaders because they have sacrificed the following major components of the working life and these are: salary, benefits, training, the work and life balance, purpose, and communication.
Leaders should still be led.
Some companies promote their loyal employees, but suffer later on because these promoted people arenu2019t trained to be people managers. There should be proper and adequate training beforehand so that everything will go smoothly. Processes are learned, so as people. With the use of proper mentoring by the top leaders of organizations, transfer of knowledge is very possible.
Salary and benefits still matter.
Salary goes hand-in-hand with benefits. Most leaders are looking for the whole package. Yes, they want the title, role, and responsibilities, but they also need the compensation they deserve, rather than taking a basic and not minding the benefits part.
Leaders still look for work-life balance.
As for the work and life balance, it has something to do with the company culture in which it greatly affects everyone in the organization. If a company has poor culture meaning standards or protocols arenu2019t defined, then employees will feel it, and as a result everyone will be demotivated. Some may render overtime and some might not show up at work. In the event that employees go beyond their working schedule, this will mean sacrifice of not being with their family. This is a tough situation and might result to burn out eventually.
Leaders are motivated by shared purpose.
There should be a shared purpose and this has to go hand-in-hand with the objectives set forward by the top executives. A purpose shall be considered blind if it wasnu2019t explained and not clear. This should be done before any strategies are made or executed.
Clear communication fuels Great Leadership.
By the use of communication everyone can have a sense of belongingness to the organization and leaders embrace this aspect wholeheartedly. Leaders need to know the overall direction, the current challenges and goals to be able to drive their team. Leaders know that employees tend to get frustrated when they do not have a clear picture of what they are working on.
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Having said all of the above, both top down and bottom up strategic management are really valuable for every organization. Good leaders should be mentored by the top executives of the company and they need to invest on them so that information and right processes are set. Once these management protocols are defined, it should be relayed and or passed on to the team members. Once it has reached the employees, the mentored leaders now take a vital role in which it is their responsibility to make sure that these employees know and understand the processes in their organization. When we involve the workforce, we will build their morale and sense of ownership and this will greatly benefit the company. Leaders are therefore visible and companies will surely not look out to hire new members, but instead promote from within, people who clearly understood and placed importance on the companyu2019s goal.
The TDS Difference
TeleDevelopment Services, Inc. knows both ends: the struggle of the organization to develop and keep leaders, and the need of leaders to be supported to fulfill their roles. TDSu2019 management and leadership development programs have been created specifically for the BPO sector to focus on the fundamentals of managing in a fast-paced, results-driven, constantly changing workplace. Our Recruitment Team is also highly trained and equipped to spot these leaders who have the qualities that match an organizationu2019s needs, and will have a ripple effect on the people they work with. Our extensive network and reach across all sectors of our industry has helped some of the worldu2019s best known brands leverage our executive recruitment services to hire the best BPO talent available.
Dianne Peregrin–Calma is the Specialized Recruitment Manager of TeleDevelopment Services, Inc. She is a Certified Recruitment Analyst whose expertise is in client relationship management, and end-to-end Recruitment.
