Introduction to Charity Leadership

Lead the way to success

The role of a leader is to nurture the talent and strengths of others. As in our own work it is about providing individuals opportunities to succeed and grow. It’s difficult to outline the character of a good leader, as every individual has their own way of working. Yet, there are a few traits they must possess – passion, commitment, courage, and ambition to deliver.

However, there are three pieces of advice we would swear by to improve the success of your leadership.

1. Communication

It’s one thing to have a vision for success, but that vision cannot grow within your head. A good leader must share a vision with their team. This allows everyone involved to understand the direction in which the organisation is moving and play a part in the success.

2. Inspiration

It’s important to instil inspiration and innovation into your team. Encourage thinking outside of the box and the challenging of the ‘norm’. More importantly, don’t forget to celebrate successes. One of the most common grumbles within team performance is a lack of acknowledgment. With all the pressures and challenges that come with being a leader it’s easy to focus on what’s gone wrong. But in fact, it’s more important to encourage what has gone well.

3. Support

Compassion and personability go a long way towards creating a positive working environment. A supported team is more likely to take pride in the work they do. Running regular check-ins are all it takes to show your support. This also doubles as a great way of pre-empting potentially harmful surprises.

As a leader it’s important you take the time to reflect on your successes and your negatives. Be honest with yourself. It’s this reflection where you can learn and improve your future leadership capabilities.

For further Information on Leadership please click on these links below and don’t hesitate to contact Inspiring Scotland directly.

• McGregor – Theory X and Theory Y
• Brenee Brown – Sympathy v Empathy
• Coaching and The GROW model – John Whitmore – Coaching For Performance
• The AID model of feedback