Leadership is always a hot topic and one we all look for in the workplace and in our communities. We have great leaders throughout our community and there’s no doubt many people know those leaders in their community but for some reason those leaders don’t get the recognition they deserve. They build relationships and have the respect within their communities. They look at problems as opportunities.

It’s similar in the workplace where we all know those leaders who demonstrate leadership traits. What makes a great leader? From my perspective it’s all about values (Empathy, Kindness, Honesty, Integrity) and delivery. I’ve been fortunate to work some amazing people who deliver time and time again. Passion to help others within their community plays a huge part. A high work ethic is a crucial factor. People respond to the behaviours of their peers and leaders. Empowerment and encouragement are key areas often overlooked.

When we bring values into the workplace by working with honesty and integrity you will see results. Another area often overlooked is encouragement and mentoring. Good leaders create more leaders and have no fear of sharing knowledge and experience. Sharing your experience and expertise is important and we should encourage this practice and support those who demonstrate these actions.

For me we’re beginning to see a new dynamic in leadership – out is the old way of dictating and ordering from above. A circular structure that values open sharing within the workplace will thrive. By supporting colleagues and working together we can find solutions to any problem. Companies now recognise the value of working within communities and we’re seeing CSR become more prominent in our society. We can expect this to continue to rise and we’ll see the future of business moving towards social value.

Hungry for knowledge, encouraging questions and learning from past mistakes will all feature in the future. Social media will play a huge part in knowledge transfer and we’ll see this grow rapidly over the next 12 months. Every sector will be moving into that space as that’s where people are, they’re online and learning all the time. Be open and transparent and look to collaborate and you’ll find success – it won’t come over night and the journey will be difficult but in the end it’ll be worth it.

To summarise – collaborate, build relationships, value people and their skills, see solutions rather than problems, share openly, work with honesty and integrity as Trust is the Oil of the Future. #togetherweinspire

#hellomynameis Gareth Presch