Building Strong Leaders through Organizational Psychology
Leading a team towards success may look easy when you are viewing it externally, with leaders doing the thinking and their members engaging in the grunt work. However, it is not that simple. Being a leader often means understanding the strengths, weaknesses, and potential of each member of the team and knowing how to make all these factors work together to solve current issues and achieve the goals of the business.
While many businesses usually apply transactional and transformational leadership, certain businesses find organizational leadership more beneficial based on the goals of the business and the skills and personality of the staff. Unlike traditional management where leaders only focus on the overall goal, applying organizational psychology and leadership involves communicating the business’ mission and vision, establishing a strategic plan, and motivating individuals to utilize their talents to fulfill the goals aligned with the strategic plan and the mission/vision.
To become a capable leader, you must:
- Continuously look for opportunities to build your expertise. This may be achieved through formal education, mentorship and/or internal training programs.
- Establish good working relationships and maintain a positive work environment. However, if you or an individual feels overwhelmed, seeking the help of a mental health counselor can help in processing what’s going on and how the situation can be improved.
- Whenever possible, express your desire to lead and establish the image that you are the type of person who takes the initiative in getting things done, while communicating effectively with the team and utilizing and developing their skills and talents.
- Seek opportunities for professional development. Whether it’s learning a new skill or polishing an existing skill, look for ways on how you can improve and share your experience with the team, especially if this can help the business’ goals. Since it is a complicated role, the leader must be boundaried and willing to work on their shortcomings without affecting theirs and the team’s output. When it comes to dealing with these tough moments, doing relaxation techniques for stress management may be beneficial.
If you are having difficulties with your current leadership style or wish to understand what needs to be done to improve, you may visit a psychotherapy clinic to seek the advice of a mental health therapist to help you understand the issues and guide you in working things out. Human Relations Institute and Clinics are a psychology-based practice based in Dubai, UAE, providing mental health and psychological services to individuals and businesses in the Middle East and abroad.