There are a lot of qualities that make a great leader or manager, from their ability to inspire and motivate others to their values, their communication skills and their ability to see the bigger picture. A lot of time, coaching and money is spent not only on acquiring great managers and leaders, but also on continually supporting their development in these areas. But these are all personal qualities that revolve around the nature and skills of a leader as an individual person – what about external factors? After all, a great leader is ineffective without a great team behind them.
There’s a lot of concern about teams in this week’s news cycle – from President Ramaphosa’s upcoming cabinet selections that have the South African economy holding its breath to the moment on the 31st of May when the SA cricket team takes to the pitch to battle old rivals in the ICC World Cup. There are countless articles about who should make the team, what would happen if they’re chosen, the social and economic impact of different people in different roles, and what our chances are of finally breaking our so-called World Cup curse.
All these articles, countless hours of interviews and analysis, and market jitters show one thing – that no matter how supported a leader is and what their credentials, skills or experience is, they have to have the right team at their fingertips if they want to get results. Their ability to be an effective leader, just like the ability of any manager or supervisor, will succeed or fail based on who they choose to lead and how they invest in their development and talent.
While the SA cricket team’s performance and the cabinet appointments will receive plenty of attention, this is an issue that every leader needs to face. It’s your job to build your team, retain top talent and ensure that these people reach their full potential if you want to shine as a leader. They’re your foundation – you need to be able to trust them with the details, to rely on them to give you valuable feedback and insights that can improve your projects, and to deliver results without cracking under pressure. You’re not trying to win a World Cup – you’re doing something much more important; building the future of this country.
Invest in Your Team as Well as Your Own Personal Growth
For organisations to succeed, South African leaders need to start fostering skills within their own companies and businesses, creating a talent funnel that ensures that they can access skilled employees from within as their organisations change and grow. One way to do this is to invest in your employees the way that you invest in your managers, supervisors and leaders – through expertly delivered training and skills development targeted to your organisational needs.
Personal mastery and EQ training is at the forefront of leader and employee growth and development. It is about knowing yourself and knowing others in order to make a strong, personal connection with your team. It’s about understanding different values and where they arise from, it’s about developing new perspectives and relationships to ultimately direct people more effectively.
By developing a purpose and vision grounded in better self-knowledge, leaders and their teams are positioned to act with authority and authenticity, and to solve conflict rather than adding fuel to the fire. Through this training, each person is able to better understand themselves and others, communicate more effectively and become empowered to take on a more active, engaged and meaningful role in the team. These employees are ideally positioned to move up the corporate ladder and become tomorrow’s leaders. This increases organisational agility, morale, unity and innovation – and I think we can all agree that our cricket team and our cabinet could both do with a good dose of that!
Achieve Meaningful Growth for Leaders and Teams Through Personal Mastery and EQ Training
Book your seat at our upcoming Personal Mastery & EQ training course.
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To find out more about the training courses offered by Maurice Kerrigan Africa or to arrange an appointment, simply call +27 11 794 1251 or email info@mauricekerrigan.com.
