Jola Cloud Solutions' Blog

5 ways to inspire leadership

According to the Tech Nation report, the digital economy grew 32 percent faster than the rest of the economy between 2011 and 2014. The sector accounts for 1.56m jobs across the UK, with the workforce growing by more than 10 percent over the three-year period - three times faster than the wider UK job market.

App and software development is the fastest-growing niche in the digital economy, growing by 17 percent overall in 2015. Data companies and hardware manufacturers also posted growth of more than 10 percent.

When a sector experiences ‘super-growth’ it attracts more entrants and with barriers to entry in the local supplier market now lower than ever, management and leadership become the key to continued success. 

5 ways to inspire leadership

They say bosses tell people what to do and leaders inspire them to believe in what they can do. Are you looking to inspire your team to help grow your company? Review our tips below;

1 – Face challenges head on

Great leaders are brave enough to face up to challenging situations and deal with them honestly. Whether steering through a business downturn or getting struggling employees back on track, effective leaders meet challenges openly. Regular communications with staff, keeping them informed of business performance and challenges, helps to build trust and engage and motivate staff.

2 – Win trust

Employees are more loyal and enthusiastic when they work in an environment run by people they trust. Take an interest in employees beyond the workplace. Great leaders let their employees know that they are interested in their success and discuss career paths with them regularly. Support and encourage your team to develop their career in-house and benefit from home-grown talent.

When employees, vendors or others make mistakes, calmly explain the situation, what the issue was and suggest ways to resolve it, as well covering off expectations moving forwards. When people know that you aren't going to berate them and that you have their best interests at heart, they are more likely to trust you. 

3 – Reward and recognise

Great leaders build a successful and motivated team around them to help them meet their goals. Consider starting with market-rate salaries and then build in KPI bonuses to reward employees achieving targets. Recognising and rewarding staff with occasional treats and employee awards for great performance, especially in difficult circumstances, can have a positive effect on team morale. Put someone in charge of more organised social events such as drinks after work or staff BBQs.

4 - Earn respect

When you conduct yourself in an ethical way and model the traits you want to see in others, you earn the respect of those around you. Leaders don’t just write the values, they live them. This contributes to employees and other stakeholders having pride in the company, which is an essential part of engagement. Also, customers are less likely to do business with a company if they don't respect its values or leadership.

5 - Stay curious

Good leaders remain intellectually curious and committed to learning. They are inquisitive and always looking for new ideas, insights and information. The best leaders understand that innovation and new approaches can come from many places and are always on the lookout for knowledge or people who might inform them and give them an advantage.

If you are curious about adding connectivity and cloud voice products to your portfolio, ask Jola….