FREEPHONE 
International Leadership Week (ILW) is back for 2023. Monday 20th March to Friday 24th March is dedicated to those who are passionate about raising the standards of leadership. Anyone can get involved, regardless of your level of experience in management. No matter what stage you are at in your career, this is the perfect time to show your support for great leadership.
The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) is the host for ILW 2023. They have provided some great ideas for ways to get involved:
Internal Discussion
Hold a discussion with your team about the current trends and issues in leadership.
Interactive Workshop
Plan an interactive workshop with your team. This could involve a leadership quiz, or an interactive webinar.
External Webinar
Hold your own webinar to discuss great examples of leadership and current issues. You could invite prominent figures in leadership to feature as a guest speaker.
Write a Blog
Write a blog which demonstrates your expertise in leadership. You could offer your own advice on issues may leaders are facing currently. You could also write about some experiences that were key to your leadership development.
Spend Time Working on Your Own Leadership Skills
Dedicate some time to working on your own leadership skills. You could catch up on some webinars, read some key insights or do some training. Although you may already be a great leader, there is always room for improvement.
In recognition of ILW, we have highlighted eight key factors that determine your ability as a leader. This includes:
- Self-awareness
- Relationship building
- Authenticity
- Long-term thinking
- Trust building
- Taking responsibility
- Collaboration
- Communication
Self-Awareness
By becoming more self aware, you are much more likely to understand your own strengths and weaknesses. It also improves your interpersonal skills, which means you are likely to build much better relationships with your team.
‘Self-awareness is a never-ending journey. There is no quota for self-awareness. It’s a tank that can always be filled up more. The key is knowing with confidence where you are, where you’re going and how you’re improving with every opportunity that presents itself’. Lee Eisenstaedt
Relationship Building
Building a relationship with individual team members is essential. When you build strong connections with your team, they are more likely to come to you when they need guidance. You can build on relationships by making time for each employee and active listening. You can also show gratitude for their work, and have an open-door policy with all your team.
Authenticity
Authenticity can build trust, acceptance, and respect. Some steps you can take to be more authentic include taking a general interest in others, as well as being true to your needs and values.
Long-Term Thinking
Long-term thinking will provide your team with clear goals to work towards. Over a certain period of time employees can start to feel stuck in a rut. By giving them clear goals to work towards, this can make them feel more motivated and give them a new sense of purpose.
Building Trust
A successful leader will be trustworthy, and you can do this by being consistent and honest with your team. You should also be accountable for your team and their performance. Once trust is lost it can be difficult to regain, so it’s important to always be honest, not matter the situation.
‘The essence of leadership is building bonds of trust in your organisation.’ Colin Powell
Taking Responsibility
Good leaders have no fear when it comes to taking ownership for decisions. By taking responsibility you will learn from your mistakes and successes. As you learn, you will also grow and be able to adapt to difficult situations more easily.
Collaboration
Collaboration may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about leadership. However, your ability to work well with others will have major implications on your ability as a leader. Understanding others and being sensitive to their needs is key to successful collaboration. You should also consider your own role as a team player.
Communication
Being able to communicate effectively with your team members is essential for good leadership. Communication extends beyond your words, you should also be aware of the tone you’re using and your body language.
‘Great leaders communicate and great communicators lead’. Simon Sinek
Find out more about International Leadership Week here. If you’d like to speak with a members of a our team about leadership and management courses, call 0800 012 6770.