Leadership in business: More than a title

BUSINESS leadership skills generally centre around the ability to communicate effectively, the ability to focus on the big picture and the ability to gather and analyse information.

Effective communication is a foundational requirement for any business. Effective leaders are effective communicators. They make sure that employees know what they need to know about their jobs and how those jobs help impact company's goals as well as about the company and how it is doing. Effective communication is not just one-time communication. Business leaders need to communicate with employees regularly in many ways in person, one-on-one, in group meetings, online, through print publications, through video and audio.

Business leadership depends on effective strategy. Leaders build strategy to help guide the organisation toward specific goals and objectives. Strategy is focused on achieving the company's overall mission and vision and designed to move the company forward in some agreed-upon direction through the support of all staff members.

Business leaders do not just do things, they attempt to do the right things. Although it is difficult to be 100 per cent certain that a decision will be the right one, using data to guide decisions can help get closer and closer to that goal. Internal data (sales data, employee data) as well as external data (about competitors, about the industry, about economic changes) can provide important insights for business leaders.

Faria Hoque

East West University

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