When thinking about leadership, 3 factors must be present: a leader is someone who can influence people, in a certain direction, in order to achieve a common goal.
The concept of a leader has been the same for many years: the person capable of uniting, inspiring and influencing a group of individuals towards something in common. What has changed over time is the way he performs this role and the expected emphasis on his action, on his way of acting.
A few years ago, being a good leader was no longer associated with winning people over through being too authoritarian. The new ways of exercising leadership are healthier, helping to build more productive, empathetic and pleasant work environments.
An expected posture today is for a leader to be assertive. Professional assertiveness is a behavioral attitude towards people and everyday situations.
An assertive leader is firm and direct in their positions, without feeling or causing embarrassment. Use soft words and strong arguments, get straight to the point, but tactfully. Resists manipulation attempts, and stands firmly, decisively and convincingly, without being authoritarian or harming relationships.
He knows how to listen to employees, give each one a voice, and takes a firm and clear stand. Thus, everyone feels more confident to follow your guidelines. In this way, teamwork is significantly strengthened and everyone wins.
Assertiveness, authenticity and transparency go together, but they must always be guided by a deep respect for other people. An assertive leader demonstrates credibility, as his or her authenticity, objectivity, and ability to argue are perceived as highly significant. Assertiveness is a personal virtue that demonstrates maturity and security.
To be more assertive, it is essential that the leader develops self-confidence and security. For this he must:
raise self-esteem
Develop self-confidence
practice empathy
Try to be more objective with your words
The latter must be sought every day. For assertive leadership has as one of its main pillars efficient, clear and objective communication. No detours and noises that interfere with the transmission of the message. This type of professional gets straight to the point. At the same time, it is firm and conveys credibility in relation to what it is communicating.
Assertive leadership is not only concerned with communicating firmly and calmly, but is also aware of the importance of feedback, which is essential for maintaining interpersonal relationships in the day-to-day work.
The positive point of this type of leadership is that, whether positive or negative feedback, it will be very well worked to be conveyed with clarity and tranquility. No aggression, manipulation or even indifference — this type of leader knows how to position himself without fear and with a genuine interest in the employee's growth, not feeling cornered in the face of a complex task.
In addition to improving team communication, an assertive leader reduces the tensions in the environment, as he is a firm professional capable of mediating conflicts with maturity.
He knows that the efficiency in solving a problem depends, in many cases, on a good conduct of the process. Therefore, from the beginning, the diagnosis, consequences and possibilities must be clearly exposed to those involved and even to the entire team, when necessary. Thus, it contributes positively to the search for ways to solve the problematic issue.
Finally, assertive leadership is able to lead your team members very well and, consequently, increase productivity and focus. He seeks out the best in each team member. Build a high quality team. It seeks to bring together the best employees in the right place, according to their abilities, and knows how to delegate, discuss, put what is known on the table, share and add knowledge. Thus, it creates synergy and a team with collaborative intelligence.
What do you need to improve to have a more assertive leadership?
Édila Souza, Executive Educator and Columnist Gente Mais
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