You Can Be a Demanding and a Supportive Leader

Leadership is all about making sure that the task is done on time and with a satisfied rating. Leadership isn’t necessarily about inspiring the troops or making sure that the ground is perfect to execute on. There is no single agreed upon definition of leadership and there are a lot of mythological creatures that we confuse leaders to be.

Many consider Elon Musk as a leader in space and transportation, but that’s not what he tells himself on a daily basis. Neither did he choose to become one suddenly. We only truly see the merits of being a leader when we understand that they are well-demanding in the labour force by entrepreneurs who want things done.

We don’t want a leader who does what he/she wants to do, but a leader that does what they want to do. That’s the key difference between leadership and being a leader in the company.

Therefore, you can be a demanding and supportive leader at the same time. How you ask? By choosing the middle way. By keeping the expectations very clear from the beginning. The game that you’re playing in the organization is that of task and objective achievement. Those that help you do that, can stay on and get promoted.

Those that don’t, won’t get the support they need in the organization. However, there are points in the organization’s lifetime where a talent comes along that just needs direction and they can flourish beyond expectations. As a leader, its important then to use both demanding and supportive skills to polish that talent into becoming something bigger and better.  

There is also a feeling of being over joyous as the whole team achieves a certain objective and goes nuts. That feeling of community is big, and it’s a great way to retain good talent that doesn’t want to only go because of the money.

Here are 3 ways through which you can develop a more deeper connection with your employees on the basis of demands and support –

#1 Interconnectivity

When everyone is connected to everybody else, it’s a beautiful feeling.

This is because there is a shared network of information and everyone can focus on enhancing a project instead of completing it.

There is a great sense of pride in each other’s’ accomplishments and there is an unwritten understanding that everyone is there to help each other out. When that feeling comes about, there is no need for overtime or looking at the clock.

You can work for as long as you want because your work friends are your real-life friends too. A great leader can instil that sense of accomplishment and connection, which every person craves deep down. We all want to grow, but we need direction and stability in which we can prosper.

#2 Meritocracy but humanity

It’s not as simple as saying “you move up or you move out”. It’s a bit more complex than that. When you have a merit-based system in your organization, you must be able to take control over situations that go out of hand.

These include new employees that aren’t connected yet to the corporate culture, or older ones that may be taking the situation for granted or playing politics. This is the perfect time to rethink your strategy and become a bit more human again. This is a great opportunity to also reconnect with some of the lost employees who aren’t feeling the system 100%.

When you reconnect with them and take genuine interest in their likes and dislikes, you become more connected to them as a whole. When meritocracy seems too harsh, you can leverage humanity and empathy. When empathy appears to be too weak, you can start leveraging meritocracy and bring the employee back in line.

#3 Openness and frank-conversations

A direct consequence of having more inter-connectivity, a path may arrive for both leader and employee where they feel like they’re drifting apart.

And even when they both communicate for days on end, nothing really feels right.

This is the perfect time to have an open conversation outside of work hours. It's also the perfect time to have a great conversation about where the employee wants to go and what they want to do in the near future. Whether they want to be a part of the organization or need help in moving out, a frank leader can guide the way. Who knows?

Maybe they’ll move on to do great things and eventually work with you again. It's always good to have a pleasant departure than an unpleasant one. Being open and frank is a great way to show that you care about the person and you empathize with their situation as well.

Otherwise, it’s all corporate-speak all the time. When you break character and look at the real person behind the label, you can get a real sense of where they should be in their career. Whether that’s with you or without you is a tough call that they need to make but supporting them is an easy one that you can make right away.

You can help them with references, make a few calls and help them get connected ahead with something they like to do. You can even be frank about it and say that they weren’t a great fit.

Frankness is all about taking the chance on the person and hoping that they’ll reciprocate. This takes time, but if you set the culture for frankness early on it’s a better way ahead for everyone.

Conclusion

When you connect with someone and you tell them that you have their backs – it’s a beautiful feeling. It’s a feeling like no other, where the employee finally feels like they’re part of a tribe and they have objectives to meet.

If they don’t achieve them, they know that they can talk to the leaders of the company for help and assistance. Employees that feel a connection with their leaders tend to stay with them for longer periods of time, primarily because of the supportive environment that they get to participate in.