HELLO, MI neighbour! | The importance of good leadership

HELLO, MI neighbour! Trust you are doing well today. Tough times, eenh? But, that’s life. Don’t give up – “redemption coming”.

I was listening to a friend relate a workplace agony involving leadership and wondered why on earth she put up with all that nonsense. But then, bills must be paid and mouths must be fed. Ahh bway! Even though workers often find unheard-of leadership styles of some employers extremely stressful, they “grin and bear it” because “betta mus come”. Guh easy boss, guh easy, you’re dealing with real people. A little emotional intelligence could help. So much for that.

Talking this and talking that, for the success of any organisation, good leadership is paramount! A good leader is one who is au fait with the various styles of leadership, and when, how and where to apply which. A few of these styles are noted below.

COERCIVE

This style is characterised by top-down decision-making, and may be effective where swift, decisive action and a clear chain of command are needed.

AUTHORITATIVE

Not to be confused with authoritarian leadership, the authoritative style involves motivating team members by connecting their work to a larger organisational strategy.

PACESETTING

This leadership style involves holding yourself and others to high standards while striving for excellence.

AFFILIATIVE

This style involves building strong emotional bonds, creating a sense of camaraderie and team spirit, thus giving team members a sense of belonging as they freely share ideas and work together towards common goals.

DEMOCRATIC

The democratic leadership style involves empowering team members to have a voice in decision-making, thus giving them a sense of ownership and responsibility.

COACHING

The coaching style is focused on individual growth and involves dedicating time to understanding team members’ long-term goals for their personal and professional development. Here, leaders help their employees to feel valued and motivated.

So far, so good! As they say, along life’s journey, things happen. Do you know what often happens whenever a trusted leader becomes a misleader? GRIEF! Check yuhself! We have seen and heard so much about the grief caused by misleaders. Not many of you are old enough to remember a well-loved charismatic leader of a religious sect who, over 40 years ago, misled over 900 sect members to their death after coercing them to drink poison in one of our Caribbean countries. My, my!

Do you know the telltale signs of a misleader or a budding misleader? Followers, be vigilant and don’t become a victim! Know your stuff, watch your leaders carefully. Don’t be afraid to ask questions once you observe or discern that something is amiss. People, watch out! These are the last days, and we were warned about the many false prophets etc., who would arrive on the scene from north, east, west and south. Not pointing any fingers, mind you. Some of my friends are true prophets!

You know that you are about to be or being misled when a leader:

begins to prioritise personal gain or power over the well-being of the team or organisation.

fails to take responsibility for their actions, blames others, or covers up mistakes.

withholds or distorts the truth.

dismisses or ignores diverse perspectives, expertise, or concerns.

engages in or condones actions that violate moral principles, laws, or organisational values.

shows unfair preference or discrimination, creating a toxic environment.

lacks the necessary skills, knowledge, or ability to lead effectively.

exploits their position to the detriment of others.

makes decisions without clear communication or justification.

becomes out of touch with the needs of their team or organisation.

Yes, follow the leader, but be guarded: watch their steps and guard yours. At the end of the day, while the misleader may pay, you will ‘foot the bill’. Watch yuh steps!

Remember your neighbours who need your help with:

1. Stove

2. Refrigerator

3. Bed

4. Food

5. With medication

6. Financial assistance to start a little business.

To help, please call Silton Townsend @ 876 649-9636 or 876 884-3866, Contact email: helloneighbour@yahoo.com. Visit hellomineighbourja.blogspot.com. Townsend exclusively manages the collections and distributions mentioned in this column and is neither an employee nor agent of The Gleaner.