As with pretty much anything, the way to improve a situation is by comparing the current state of affairs to what the ideal version would be. By definition, the word ideal means something that satisfies one's conception of what is perfect or most suitable. And while some versions of this may only exist in the imagination as being desirable or perfect but not likely to become a reality, it is nonetheless something to strive toward.
In a work environment, it is also important to align with certain ideals, which are principles or values that an entity actively pursues as a goal and holds above other, less meaningful concerns in a company. But this should be differentiated from how a company’s culture and workplace falls short of its ideal environment.
Leadership plays an enormous role in creating this environment, and in no small way does it not only set the tone, but also the example of how things should go in an office or workplace. It can’t be understated the impact of an executive’s approach and behavior when it comes to treating their colleagues.
Leadership at its highest level could be seen as empowering others. An individual has been placed in a position and has been asked to lead a group. As part of that, the end result of leading a group is to accomplish some task or thing. Getting something done, being productive as a group is the goal.
As one works backwards from that end goal of something accomplished or done, just before that is all the tasks and individual component parts that make up getting that thing done and all the people involved in that process and really making certain that they are in a position to be successful and effective in doing that.
Success in doing all those tasks and achieving the end result ultimately comes down to empowering others — empowering members of the group to contribute in a meaningful way as individuals toward the greater goals of your business.
With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at how someone in a leadership position can set the table for a workplace that more closely resembles an ideal version of itself.
Lou Holtz, a famous football coach, once said, “Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it.”
Attitude is the great equalizer, and determines so much of your success, not only in work, but in all aspects of life. Your attitudes either help, speed up, and assist you in your career or they hinder, slow down, and hurt your progress.
Attitudes are how we think, feel, or act. They are reflected in how we choose to behave as we do things in our career. Attitude is a choice. An attitude can translate into how you have chosen to practice and embody your thoughts, feelings and choices — so that it becomes part of how you act; how we act as we progress in our career.
Quite possibly the most important attitude of all is a “positive attitude.” It is simply a decision to make the best of things in order to succeed. A Positive Attitude is a decision to make the best of things. With a positive attitude as your foundation you can be effective in your own work and empower others and put them in a position to succeed as well.
Don’t confuse a positive attitude with something it is not. We are not talking about “being happy” or “being nice” or even “being friendly” all the time. And while none of those things are bad things necessarily, that isn’t what we’re talking about here.
We are talking about how we act and how that impacts our success in the workplace. A positive attitude is a determination to never give up. A positive attitude is shaking off failure or confusion because you are focused on succeeding. A positive attitude is believing something can be done even when you don’t yet know how. It’s something that motivates and inspires those around you to be solution-minded and effective.
Leaders are the shepherds of the company’s culture. Every professional has a hand in creating the culture at their place of work, but it is the responsibility of leadership to guide that creation to the right place. Leaders must understand and embody the mission statement and the attitudes and culture, whether it be a company, a household, a group of friends, or a nation.
A leader’s success and effectiveness are measured in how much the group can accomplish. A leader’s victories belong to the team, and the team’s losses belong solely to the leader. A leader makes the work environment safe, is willing to listen and learn, communicates clearly, makes sure things get done, and makes sure his or her people are having fun and that morale is high and productivity is running smoothly and effectively.
Above all, the improvement of the lives of the professionals in your care should be one of the highest priorities of a leader. If a leader can improve the lives of the people, then the rest will naturally fall into place.