The following is the second in a four-part series on leadership trends for 2012.  We hope that you will find the articles enlightening and that you will be able to apply these strategies to make your business more ‘sticky’ to your employees!

Leadership by example

Free State University vice-chancellor Jonathan Jansen, espouses spiritual and emotional qualities as key to exemplary leadership:

‘I have learned that leadership is not only technical and muscular; it is also spiritual and emotional. The textbooks are wrong. Strong leaders are in touch with their own emotions and the emotions of their followers. They know that the “bottom line” can only be achieved by relating to the spiritual and emotional lives of people.’

Empathy is an invaluable leadership trait in motivating and inspiring people. This sensitive and emotional quality never gained recognition in a hard masculine business environment but the advent of female leaders has changed that.

The following is the final in a four-part series on leadership trends for 2012.  We hope that you will find the articles enlightening and that you will be able to apply these strategies to make your business more ‘sticky’ to your employees!

Leadership and innovation

One of the hallmarks of a great leader is that he can inspire those under him to be innovative. He will strongly stimulate the creativity of each one so that they eventually maximise their potential – something most of them would find it difficult to achieve on their own.

What are these magical qualities?

• Courage – any aspect of fear is crippling for an innovative leader. Inviting criticism and getting honest feedback from others will galvanise the creative impulse and unite a team towards a common goal.

The following is the third in a four-part series on leadership trends for 2012.  We hope that you will find the articles enlightening and that you will be able to apply these strategies to make your business more ‘sticky’ to your employees!

Ethical leadership

Worldwide corruption in business and politics is rife. The focus on money, and its acquisition, has long been the norm in business and the term ‘cut-throat’ is often bandied about to describe fierce or relentless competition at the expense of decency.

While most managers and executives know how crucial personal branding may be in positioning themselves, they often don't know how to extend that concept to the web when presenting their profile. Being business savvy does not necessarily translate to competence in the online positioning of their professional image, which may put them at a disadvantage.

Lax presentation in social media

The approach many people have to social media is the "after five" attitude, with the tone of their discourse and the design of their profiles being too casual. This is in part influenced by the rise of social media and its encouragement of accessibility and interaction by members of a community. Top executives often present themselves more like a ‘beer buddy’ than a strategic thinker who can contribute a lot to an organization. It is recommended that professionals revamp their Facebook and Twitter pages and join LinkedIn as the first steps to building a professional online profile.

Poor business and personal websites

From ‘slap-dash’ design, to mediocre content, an ill-prepared web profile may give the impression that the individual lacks competence. This could translate into a bad impression for potential recruiters in that it suggests a careless nature and even poor decision-making abilities in the real world. It is thus advised that websites be created by web professionals.