Time to Lead?

karlmontgomery • January 16, 2017

2016 was a bizarre year for politics, with shock results all round. Firstly, we had the unexpected decision to leave the EU, with Brexit becoming the hot topic for the majority of the year. Next up came the biggest surprise as Donald Trump won the American presidential race, it was clear to the world through these results that both Britain and America wanted change. For the greater population, this change is yet to become apparent, with 2017 being the year of entering the unknown. So, with Teresa May now in charge in Britain and Donald Trump about to start his first term as president stateside what makes a good leader?

Leaders come in all genders, shapes and sizes and there is no one size fits all mould. To be a great leader there are many desirable skills but several of these skills can be learnt or improved upon. Communication, the ability to listen and delegate are central skills to have when it comes to leading a team. Being a good motivator and having the ability to inspire your team is particularly important when deadlines approach. Personal skills such as patience, integrity and passion all help to instil confidence in your workforce, and thus will inspire them. The ability to focus and make clear decisions, even unpopular ones will help to cement your status as a leader and gain you respect.

For women in the workplace being a leader can bring more challenges, as terms such as bossy, diva and controlling get banded about. The comedian Amy Poehler goes on to say ‘To me. ‘bossy’ is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody’s passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn’t mind leading.” Many workplaces are now looking to actively hire women for more senior roles and to balance out the current male to female ratio. We hope that 2017 will see more females promoted to higher positions and that the gender balance divide will decline. At Recruit Mint we are enthusiastic about encouraging women to apply for jobs that will develop their careers.

If you are looking to progress your career and move further up the ladder to a more senior or leadership role we can help you find your next opportunity. We will provide you with a bespoke service that helps you unlock your potential.

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