The paramilitary nature of the police can be taken as a starting point 10 leadership lessons to be applied within companies. I believe there are many points of contact between law enforcement missions and the business objectives to be achieved.
There are many things that business leaders and co-workers can learn from members of the military within their own work environment. I would like to share with you these 10 lessons onart of leadership which I found very effective and applied to my business reality even though I was not a soldier.
Integrity and trust
During war missions, every little detail could mean the difference between life and death, in the true sense of the word. This is why it is essential that it is there trust between members of the same team: Peers, subordinates and superiors must be confident in each other’s words and actions. The same thing applies within companies.
This is not a real question of life or death obviously, but it could be the success or failure of a project or a delivery to a customer. The members of the same team must be able to rely on each other, they must know that the things said are respected and done correctly and within the established times. If deadlines are exceeded due to unforeseen events or emergencies, it is necessary to promptly communicate this to colleagues in order to do not compromise the work of others.
Trust must be cultivated and maintained, in fact just one lie or deception is enough to undermine the situation. If problems arise it is better to talk about them in time and resolve them together, because it is difficult to recover from a betrayal. Even just one lie in one area is enough to cast doubt on everything else. Also a bit like in relationships, if you have cheated once I will always have the doubt that you will be able to do it again.
So if you’re the leader of a company, Teach your collaborators to be aware and honest with each other and with you. It is always better to tell the truth and act correctly, even if sometimes it is difficult, than to be in the position of jeopardizing the work of others and losing the trust of your team.
The leader must set a good example
From the leadership lessons we understand that being a leader is hard work. Some may think that it is easy to be in a prestigious position, but maintaining it requires commitment and sacrifice. A leader must work harder, have more knowledge to be able to give answers to the questions his collaborators will ask him.
Because inevitably there will come a time when everyone will turn to you to solve their problems. You are the guide and to continue to be perceived as such you don’t have to never stop informing and learning. You must always be one step ahead and have a solution to all problems, or almost.
Being a leader is an honor, an achievement but also a great responsibility because many other things and people will depend on you. So, if your aspiration is to lead a team or a business, don’t be afraid to sweat, work hard and dedicate most of your time to your project.
Take care of your collaborators
AND responsibility of a leader ensure that his team is adequately prepared and equipped to go on a mission or perform a job. For good leadership, keep in mind that people are your most precious resource because without their contribution you will not be able to reach your final goal. It takes everyone’s work, each with their own qualities and skills, to achieve the desired result.
Just as a good leader in the military constantly monitors the well-being of his troops, so must the head of the company keep the emotional and working state of your collaborators under control. In a positive and stimulating environment you are more motivated to do your job well and this benefits the company itself.
-Read also Human leadership: why it matters in the workplace–
A good leader is attentive to the needs of his collaborators, also thinks about their training, their professional growth and helps them to improve and reach new goals.
If the people around you reach higher levels of preparation and experience, they will be satisfied and will always do their job better.
Lead your group
A good leader is always an example to follow and must proceed at the head of his group. He must be the one to aim for, who potentially has all the answers and who always puts himself at the forefront. Defend your collaborators “on the battlefield,” but teach them to fight well during training. Be strict but fair, don’t punish but test them by giving them responsibilities that they can handle.
The good leader grows together with his group and leads each member to improvement.
Listen to the opinions of your collaborators
In one of the above 10 leadership lessons I said that a good boss must be the point of reference and provide solutions to potentially all questions. However, he must never be too proud to accept feedback and opinions even from his collaborators.
Other people can see and perceive different things than us and comparison leads to the birth of new ideas and opportunities. Furthermore, you never know enough about the people around you and you can’t know which of them could give you the answer you need.
As a leader, create an atmosphere around you that encourages others to give their opinion and share experiences and ideas.
Treat everyone with respect
A valid leadership lesson The thing to learn is to always treat everyone with respect, regardless of their rank. If you are not respectful first, you cannot expect others to be respectful to you. Or rather, they will apparently be given your job position but they probably won’t speak well of you behind your back. This situation causes discomfort and discrepancies and is not conducive to the trust and integrity I talked about earlier.
Focus on people
As a good leader recognize the specific qualities of those who work with you. Each time, set higher goals to achieve but which are within their reach so as to contribute to their training and give them the chance to get a promotion. Your collaborators will feel taken into consideration, even if it will then be up to them to do their utmost to achieve the result.
Put everyone in a position to do their job well and pay attention to the climate in your work team. You have to be ready to notice if there is something that doesn’t work and improves for your business.
Look to the best
An important lesson is to be able to learn from your mistakes or from the mistakes others have made before us. Take note of what works or doesn’t work so you know how to react in the future and adjust your strategy ad hoc. Teach the same to the people who work with you so that they are increasingly autonomous and relieve you of the work. The more self-sufficient your collaborators are, even if always under your supervision, the more you will have the time and concentration to be able to take care of other things.
Stay calm
I told you before that a leader must also be attentive to the emotional states of his collaborators, therefore he must have a certain degree of sensitivity. In any case for good leadership you must learn to don’t lose your temper and not to be overwhelmed by your moods. Even if you are angry, stressed or frustrated, try not to convey these emotions to those around you because this will create negativity.
A leader must maintain his composure to have a positive influence on others, because if he is angry or panicked he causes chaos around him and the same kind of reaction.
As he wrote Kipling at the beginning of the letter to his son:
“If you can keep your cool when everyone else is losing theirs…you will be a Man, my son!”
Keep a sense of humor
Among these 10 leadership lessons we see the importance of keeping a smile. You don’t have to be the clown of the situation but, to return to the concept of creating a pleasant and productive working environment, show serenity and lower the tension. I know that being the boss causes a high degree of stress, but be careful not to pass it on to your collaborators so as not to compromise their work.
The happier people are to work with you, the more active they will be and will complete their duties while trying to give their best.
Leadership and running a company are serious matters, but with a smile you will convey a whole other energy.