In any organisation, from the highest rung to the lowest, one thing is common — everyone wants to be a leader. Being a leader sounds powerful and exciting. However, being a leader is easier said than done. Reaching that powerful position may seem to be daunting at first but it eases out as time goes. The fact is that for many it stays intimidating if they do not tackle the responsibility head-on.

The leadership style is all about the way a person uses to lead his subordinates. This varies widely from person to person. Some leaders are the be-all and end-all of every decision while some are all about delegation. The right kind of leadership is all about striking a balance.

When you take up the role of a business administrator in any organisation, you are basically addressing the roles of both — a manager and a leader, and balancing between these two can be sensitive.

To strike the perfect balance between all styles of leadership, the following are the top questions that you need to ask yourself:

• Can the work get done with my interventionij If the answer is yes, then remove yourself from simply interfering and concentrate on motivating the team. Donning the hat of authority is only necessary when you need to implement changes to help the team perform better.
• How much do you focus on the resultsij The focus should be more on the process. In that way you will be able to find more alternatives to reach the same or better results.
• Are you the first person that people come to for adviceij If the answer to this is yes, then you are truly a leader. If not, look at the changes that you need to bring.
• What is the most discussed topic in your teamij Is it the tasks at hand, the processes, the deadlines, or the strategy and big pictureij Make sure that the discussions are balanced.
• Do you ask the team to complete the tasks without feeling the need to explain the objectiveij Your team will only be motivated to go that extra mile if they understand the reasons behind accomplishing the task.
• Who is held responsible when things go wrongij Do you blame yourself or the teamij A great leader understands that the failure or success of the team is his responsibility.

At the base of all the questions lies the ability to comprehend yourself and your team’s desires and motivations. A manager, who can balance the goals of the company and the aspirations of the team and keep them driven towards excellence is a true leader.

Achieving a balanced leadership style is necessary to ensure long-term success, for the company and personally. The energy and the attitude of the leader are channelised through the team that he handles. Top three methods used by leaders.

Communicate Ideas

The essence of balanced leadership is that you need to start with a vision. However, it has to be a vision that you can articulate. Blowing an uncertain trumpet is never an option when you want to deliver effective leadership. Clear and honest communication is the key to getting the work done. Whether you are conducting a performance review or communicating your aim for the quarter, the subordinates need to know what you require, where they stand, and how can they get to the end.

You can’t just hope to be commanding to set the goals, give the outlines and be done with it to let them figure it all out on their own. Set milestones, have a vision and communicate the ideas and strategies well within the group towards the achievement of their goals and yours.

Know When to let Go

You show your trust towards your team when you delegate responsibilities. You have given them the direction that they require and now you need to let them follow it through. Don’t forget to reward them when it becomes a reality.

Think of it as the teachings in your MBA class. Give the outlines and the academic know-how but at the same time also ensure that you have enough freedom to come up with your own interpretations and ideas in the assignments that you are asked to do.

Free thinking and creative ideas should be encouraged with the aim that you will continue the tradition when you are a leader.

Be the Mentor

A big part of the job of a leader is being a mentor and not just another authoritative figure in the company. Put aside all the day-to-day distractions and schedule one-on-one time with the staff, take in their input, and listen to their grievances. The team will either listen to you out of fear or out of respect and you know which works in the long-term. Be the mentor that understands the subordinates and their viewpoints and not the boss who orders them to get on with their task at hand. Engaging with the team encourages inputs and presents the opportunity to maintain a balance between your ideas and their views for the greater good.

The authoritative style is getting increasingly redundant in the modern business scenario where the corporate environment is more open and cordial than ever before as even the authorities understand that this brings in more efficiency and dedication.

The key point in all of the discussion above is that every business administrator needs to remember that he was once the person taking the orders from the superiors. When the positions are changed and you start giving the orders, you need to aim to be the leader that you ever hoped to have. Balanced leadership can be summed up as taking up a middle ground between being autocratic and the democratic and knowing which side to lean on and when.

The writer is senior director at the Institute of Management Studies, Noida