Leadership comes down to the ability to motivate the people around you to a higher level of performance through strong interpersonal relationships. It is an important management function which helps maximise productivity and efficiency and ultimately achieve company goals.
This role is often put onto a designated individual or leadership team in the property industry, but its important to acknowledge and understand, that employees can be a leader at any level throughout the business, from the receptionist all the way through to the business owner.
The skill of leadership does not magically appear when you promote an employee into a management position. For example, a Department Head in property management is not automatically a great leader when promoted from Property Manager. When you are trying to cultivate the next generation of leaders, you need to start at entry level.
All staff like to provide input and make a difference in their organisation, but if they are prevented from doing so, they will stop taking initiative. It is up to you to build a culture of leadership, even if this only means your employees taking the lead on their own projects and tasks.
So here are our top 3 tips on how to create a culture of leadership in your agency.
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS & ONGOING CHALLENGES
This can be as simple as creating a space for an employee to contribute. Give a project or challenge that is meaningful and allow your employees to take ownership of the project or learn new skills. Provide support with checks and balances but don’t micromanage, then acknowledge the success once completed. By assigning this challenge you will have a growth-focused employee and other team members will also follow suit when they see this kind of approach and attitude.
DON’T MICROMANAGE
Giving direction with clear instructions and micromanagement are two very different things. Giving more junior staff the opportunity to develop and demonstrate leadership capabilities is trusting them and stepping aside. People learn and grow from both successes and failures, but they don’t learn when you are the sole source for ideas, planning, execution and decisions. Be open to empowering your team.
GIVE THEM A VOICE & PROVIDE MENTORSHIP
Whether in a formal setting or not, seeking input and ideas from junior staff creates an environment of value and accountability and, ultimately, an environment that fosters leadership growth. Aligning team members with more senior employees to be mentored helps navigate the intricacies of a company while giving them guidance and confidence to take ownership of their work.
Ultimately; we often equate leadership with management, but true leaders don’t wait for permission or promotion to start leading – they just do it. Foster an environment where employees can lead from where they are and take initiative, and watch your business reap the benefits in the long term.
