According to Forbes reports, experts argue that leadership is the ability to translate vision and ideas into practical and attainable realities. Further reports suggest that leaders are individuals who can influence and empower others. Therefore, the essence of leadership is to ensure maximum effort is directed toward attaining both short- and long-term organizational objectives. At its core, leadership is designed to create systems and structures that essentially elevate the overall functionality of the company.
In this article, we will look at how different leadership methods can boost employee morale while improving engagement and productivity. Additionally, we will look at how transformative leadership methods and higher education help leaders and employees achieve success within organizations.
The essence of higher education for leaders
Higher education is fundamental for leaders in a number of ways. It enables leaders to improve their critical thinking skills, which are essential for proper communication and effective decision-making. This is important as leaders are likely to handle complex and unique environments. Also, higher education offers the knowledge and tools required by an individual to guide their team toward fulfilling both short- and long-term goals. A leader’s perspective must be dependable to make a difference, bring about changes, solve challenges, motivate team members, and understand their responsibilities.
Higher education equips leaders with an extensive academic background that subsequently improves their professionalism. By obtaining a higher education, a leader can make well-informed and well-researched decisions to lead wisely.
Furthermore, higher education instills critical thinking and self-reflection in leaders, enabling them to identify their own weaknesses and strengths. This means that leaders will continue to pursue knowledge and improve themselves. In addition, higher education produces leaders who are adaptable and resilient when facing the ever-changing world.
Finally, leaders who incorporate education as the basis of their leadership gain transformative potential. This means they can nurture community-oriented, intellectual, curious-minded, socially responsible, and morally principled individuals who can also lead others. A transformative leader will also motivate others, foster creativity, stimulate innovation, and make meaningful connections within their organization and society. In this way, the essence of higher education for leaders is centered on boosting morale among employees and increasing productivity within the organization.
For students who want to improve their leadership skills, it is sensible to consider higher education. An Ed.D. online at Marymount University with no GRE requirement, for instance, is an online program that seeks to improve students’ educational leadership skills. The Doctorate of Education helps students to upskill through a curriculum that focuses on research and application, and the 100% online coursework makes it easier for students to study while navigating other responsibilities, promoting a diverse student cohort through accessibility.
Transformative leadership methods learned in higher education
A transformative leader is an individual whose primary interest is to act as a servant to their subordinates. They actively and willingly contribute to the development and improvement of their team. In addition, they successfully pose a clear vision of the long- and short-term objectives for their team or group. Therefore, this helps transformational leaders seize control of situations. These leaders can provide the rest of the group with renewed energy and enthusiasm because of their genuine passion for what they do. That means transformational leadership encourages employees or subordinates to make beneficial changes. There are several transformative methods leaders can learn in higher education that can be used to boost the morale of their employees and improve their engagement and productivity.
Inspirational motivation
This comes from a transformational leader’s ability to effectively communicate, through writing and speaking, with their employees. Good communication skills are a requirement for every leader. A leader with strong communication skills can use different ways to encourage and inspire their team. Also, they can easily share their compelling visions for change, and plans for the future, and offer solutions to challenges within an organization or community. Inspirational motivation facilitates a shared meaning between a leader and their staff, which brings excitement and improves morale among employees. Furthermore, employees are more likely to engage with the leader, discuss plans, and make goals for the future.
Individualized consideration
A transformative leader focuses on the needs, challenges, talents, and other aspects of every individual within an organization. Such individualized consideration usually creates a productive team that appreciates the efforts of its leaders and is inspired to work diligently. Leaders will use different methods, such as open dialogue among team members, to allow employees to share information and knowledge with their peers. Another aspect used is the empathy demonstration. Empathetic leaders support their employees, correct instead of judge, and are sympathetic during difficult situations. This improves the working environment as employees feel appreciated, which boosts both morale and company productivity.
Intellectual stimulation
Intellectual stimulation entails a transformative leader encouraging their followers or workforce to think on their feet and handle every situation differently. Whether it is to think of a new idea or think differently about a situation, intellectual stimulation allows employees to feel that their opinions matter and are appreciated. This is because their outputs are being requested and considered for the benefit of the company. Leaders can use different techniques to achieve intellectual stimulation. These include teaching new ideas and concepts, sharing knowledge about different topics, challenging assumptions, introducing new theories, allowing experimentation with various solutions to problems, promoting risk-taking, offering training and development classes, providing information to be used for better decision-making at work, and creating excitement about the organization.
Idealized influence
Finally, transformational leadership also involves being a role model for employees. The idea is to inspire trust, loyalty, respect, and admiration among them. This can be achieved through handling situations ethically and with moral conduct. Such leaders learn to demonstrate idealized influence by adhering to the ethical standards of their organization, upholding its values, and working towards achieving a shared vision. This sets a positive environment for employees and eliminates the need for a reward and punishment system. By committing to the ideologies of their organization, transformative leaders display integrity, credibility, and authenticity. This creates a sense of loyalty, trust, and confidence between the leader and their employees, which improves engagement and productivity.
How higher education helps leaders and employees to succeed
In this era, advancing academically is essential, especially if one wants to make an impact and succeed in an organizational setting. Higher education is designed to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to innovate and solve complex and unexpected challenges. A knowledgeable, educated, and skilled workforce allows companies to gain a competitive advantage in their industry. A good leader should always lead by example. Besides developing a qualified team and setting standards, a leader should gently guide subordinates on how to handle both simple and complex organizational assignments.
Improves one’s leadership skills and capabilities
Leaders who are lifelong learners acquire new skills and hone their current ones, which enhances their capacity for decision-making and finding solutions. Being up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of leadership may be avoided with continuous learning. Furthermore, ongoing education makes it easier for leaders to adjust to change, handle challenging circumstances with more skill, and lead by example for the rest of their team. Each of these elements helps leaders be more effective in their positions. Ongoing learning helps leaders adapt their approach, methods for problem-solving, and decision-making procedures to the changing demands of the business as they come across new possibilities and difficulties. Lastly, by emphasizing ongoing learning, leaders foster a culture of growth and development, which raises employee retention, engagement, and team success, all of which translate into success in the workplace. Leaders set an example for their team members.
Education increases retention
Preserving current talent is much more crucial than bringing in new staff. It might easily cost up to half of an employee’s yearly compensation to replace them. Additionally, when an employee departs, they take with them a substantial portion of the business’s morale as well as important knowledge about the organization. Great workers might leave with terrible ripple effects that cause attrition to increase even more. Notably, an educated employee or leader is a great asset to any company; as a result, companies always fight to keep them or get their services. This is because their insights play a fundamental role in propelling the company toward success.
Improves one’s skills and knowledge
Employees’ skills and expertise are enhanced by higher education, enabling them to keep up with changing industry trends. These enhancements will have a favorable impact on employees’ productivity, which can raise the company’s revenue and productivity. Training may teach staff members about a variety of topics, such as safety, human relations, and work ethics.
Improves the awareness of a leader
Business executives nowadays face a plethora of obligations, such as overseeing distant teams, conducting virtual meetings, managing supply chain interruptions worldwide, resolving environmental issues, and a host of other seemingly incompatible requirements. Leaders who engage in constant improvement can gain expertise in a variety of fields, giving them a broad perspective on all of the stakeholders involved and how to arrive at win-win solutions. An open-minded leader will not only listen and take into consideration the insights of their employees but also strive to learn from other experienced leaders. With such experience, it is easy for such a leader to make an impact in the industry.
Improves one’s decision-making abilities
Leaders’ decisions have a significant effect on the companies they run. With the advantage of ongoing education, executives may make decisions based on the most recent findings, standard operating procedures, and an improved understanding of the complexities of their sector. Making educated selections might be the difference between a team succeeding and encountering unexpected hurdles. A culture driven by information has rendered decisions obsolete.
Education improves employees’ ability to connect with others
Connections among colleagues have a significant influence on a team’s general dynamics, staff satisfaction, and corporate performance. Working together, participation, and job happiness are all enhanced in workplaces where employees develop close relationships with one another. Connected workplaces help workers grow in their careers. Team members who establish close bonds with their coworkers frequently get mentoring, direction, and helpful criticism, all of which may be crucial for their development on a professional as well as personal level. One’s professional connections expand through these relationships, which can lead to new projects, partnerships, and even job advancements.
Continuous education breeds good leadership
Leaders and workers must be up to date with the constantly evolving industrial setting, trends in the market, and, above all, the requirements of their team. As a result, someone who doesn’t continue to study might quickly fall back. Notably, adopting a development attitude and continuing education are fundamental to good leadership since they allow leaders to continuously enhance their abilities. Seeking out mentorship or coaching from experienced colleagues, attending conferences, seminars, and workshops to learn from industry experts, and reading books and articles on new trends are all ways to stay updated and hone one’s knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Leaders and staff members may also continue to advance their careers by thinking over previous experiences and getting input to pinpoint areas that need work. Remaining competitive and relevant in a constantly evolving environment can be achieved through embracing continuous learning in leadership and the workplace. Remember that becoming a leader is a continuous process rather than a one-time accomplishment. Therefore, avoiding obstacles to ongoing education and incorporating methods that fit your company culture are essential. You can be confident you’re on track by tracking your achievements and growth in a constant learning environment.
Leave a Reply