LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES : ITS IMPORTANCE

Organisational leadership has a critical impact on organisations as it provides direction, fosters growth and ensures alignment between people, processes and organisational goals. Leadership drives strategy and execution, inspires people to go beyond the ordinary, facilitates change, and builds the desired organisational culture and trust.

In this context, leadership principles provide direction for the practice of leadership, as per the needs of the organisation.

Leadership Principles

Leadership principles are the values that guide a leader's actions, decisions, and behaviours. They are the standards by which leaders make decisions and act on their responsibilities. They help leaders to inspire others, navigate challenges, and achieve goals. They guide leaders in deciding what is right and wrong, what should be done or not, and how to deal with people who fall short of those standards.

Thus, leadership principles provide a framework for actions that inspire employees to collaborate to achieve a common goal.

Leadership principles are critical for the following reasons:

·         They provide clear guidelines for making decisions.

·         They have a substantial Influence on organizational culture.

·         They enable teams to align to a common vision.

·         They help build trust and credibility.

·         They foster adaptability and resilience.

·         They serve to enhance employee engagement. 

·         They engender consistency in decision making.

·         They promote innovation and risk taking.

·         They can strengthen accountability.

A company's performance often hinges on how well its leaders motivate and guide their employees. Since leadership styles vary, what works for one leader may not work for another. Therefore, each leader needs a tailored set of principles that fits their unique situation, while also meeting the goals of the organisation. 

A few examples of leadership principles are :

-          Building Collaboration

-          Driving Accountability

-          Growing People

-          Participative Management

-          Empowerment

In order to ensure that the approach to organisational leadership is consistent and standardised , it will be good if companies laid down a set of operating principles and aligned their leadership to adhere to the same.