5 Secrets For Effective Leadership
By Kola Isiaq, Managing Partner
Once a company has found success, it is vital for leaders to keep that momentum going and drive onward to an even higher tier of excellence. To take a company from good to great, a leader must apply their knowledge in 5 key areas: Culture, People, Strategy, Technology, and Relationships.
Culture: Fostering a vibrant corporate culture informed by Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is an essential step for both ensuring a company’s strength in the present and building its legacy of success for future generations. Treating everyone in the firm equally and respectfully demonstrates that they are valued team members and encourages enthusiastic engagement with the firm’s mission, allowing leaders to benefit from the full breadth of knowledge and talent that diverse teams have to offer. Not only do firms become stronger by embracing differences and unique perspectives, they also gain an immense reputation boost—and competitive advantage—by creating a culture that welcomes people of all backgrounds and enables them to perform to their maximum potential.
People: Our people are our greatest asset, and creating an effective culture goes hand in hand with hiring and continuously investing in your people. Recruiting a first-class team is crucial, but you then must deliver ongoing training and professional development to cultivate their inherent talents and keep your team positioned at the forefront of their field. Furthermore, providing your team with career advancement opportunities will ensure they have room to grow and become truly unmatched assets for your firm’s success. Rather than simply dictating to your team, recognizing the responsibility and contributions of each team member, valuing their perspectives, and earning their trust through open-door communication will keep your team aligned with the goals of your firm and ready achieve peerless performance.
Strategy: Never settle or become complacent, but instead embrace and actively seek out change and innovation. Keeping abreast of the cutting edge in business practices, carefully assessing which changes are a good fit for your firm, and then implementing those changes deliberately will allow you to tailor each advancement in the industry to maximize your efficiency. By allowing data to drive our decision making and continually seeking feedback, we are able to improve constantly and stay ahead of the competition. Finally, trimming out excess bureaucracy can keep your firm agile and ready to act on critical decisions at a moment’s notice.
Technology: Technology can be a decisive factor in securing contracts, and it can be leveraged to differentiate your firm from the competition. As government contractors we must utilize technology that is up to government standards, but we must also fully harness the power of technology to optimize processes and streamline communication with our clients, employees, and partners. By taking full advantage of technology and adhering to cybersecurity best practices, we are able to store and retrieve data securely, equipping us to manage and analyze big data for our clients and affording them peace of mind.
Relationships: Propelling your firm forward means building robust business networks that include not just your clients and partners, but also your competitors. By staying in tune with your client’s needs—their goals, fears, and anxieties—and keeping a keen eye on your competition, you can stay clued in to new information as it breaks and ready act swiftly on new opportunities. Building connections and lasting relationships will keep you well informed, and it will provide a foundation for partnerships and joint ventures that facilitate expansion and give you access to new avenues for growth. Take time to sit down and break bread with those in your network—the most meaningful relationships are also the most genuine ones.