Issac Qureshi

Leadership Expert

business

What is Leadership and How Can You Find the Best Leader for your Business?

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No business can be successful without a good leader. If your organisation lacks a clear vision or doesn’t have strong guidance, you’ll struggle to keep your business on track and won’t be able to achieve the goals and aspirations you’ve set yourself. As an entrepreneur, you might be wondering how to find a suitable leader for your business, someone who you can hand the reins over to. The good news is that such candidates are easier to find than you might have thought. We’ve outlined tips on finding a leader for your business below…

What is leadership?

Before we delve deeper into finding a candidate with the right leadership qualities, a quick word on leadership itself. The ultimate aim of a leader is to help themselves and others do the right thing. A good leader will set up direction, build a vision that inspires and motivates your team, and map out an action plan that’s engaging, inspiring, and dynamic. Leadership is more than just having a vision and executing it – it involves management skills to guide a team to the right destination smoothly and efficiently, overcoming any obstacles in the way.

See also: What is leadership? 

What to look for in a good leader

More often than not, entrepreneurs hire managers and leaders internally. A good candidate for a leadership role will already know the strengths and weaknesses of their team, having worked with them for many years already, and be able to give credit where it’s due. A good leader will recognise a job well done, whereas a great leader will appreciate a job well done.

A good manager will be inspirational, encouraging others to achieve their potential within your organisation. In this regard, hiring internally for a senior management role will inspire others to give their all. If one of their peers climbs the ranks, they can, too. Compassion is also important – leaders who genuinely care about their teams, products, and customers will perform far greater than those who are simply in it for the paycheck. Look out for employees who go the extra mile and are committed to your organisation; they’re management material. 

Communication is vital in leadership, and communication and transparency go hand in hand. A good leader will reach out to their workforce, talk to them about what they’re working on, and explain why it’s important. Transparency won’t always make them a popular leader – especially during times of uncertainty – but it’s vital for building trust and fostering an open, honest workplace, where everyone can express themselves without fear of punishment. 

Finally, a good leader won’t micromanage their team and instead will delegate tasks. It’s vital that your manager has confidence in their employees and understands their capabilities. If they micromanage, they’ll face communication problems, deceit, conflict, and disloyalty. 

Other skills required to become a good leader include curiosity, positivity, the ability to listen, empathy, resourcefulness, and a willingness to change. Confidence and conviction are vital, and good leaders also understand the importance of building and maintaining relationships with employees and stakeholders. No one member of staff is more important than another.

Leadership training could help you

Whether you’re looking to enhance your own career or you’re taking the leap and hiring a manager to oversee the day-to-day running of your organisation, leadership training in the UK could be an option to consider. Issac Qureshi and the team can help your organisation achieve better results by implementing a single organisational practice and introducing the latest leadership techniques and theories to maximise performance and deliver real results.

To find out more and get started, reach out to Issac today for a free leadership consultation.

If you are wondering “What is leadership?” Then contact Issac Qureshi.

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What is leadership?

That might not be a question we ask ourselves very often. Most people have some idea of what a good leader is, or at least who they see as a good leader. But when it comes to becoming the best leader you can possibly be, it pays to be a little clearer of the qualities that constitutes great leadership. The same is true for developing the leadership potential among your managers and supervisors. 

When we think of the great leaders in the world right now, or indeed throughout history, many had incredible charisma, some were authoritative while others let their own actions show the way. In short, there is not one blue print that fits all great leaders. Instead, there’s a lot of different leadership styles that can be effective for leading an organisation, team or country. 

Some of the qualities and character traits that define good leaders can be learned or nurtured. These include being honest, transparent, committed, empowering, empathic, a good communicator, etc. All the things that are an active choice or that can be achieved by building good habits can in principle be “learned” by all leaders. 

Other qualities like being charismatic, creative, or naturally commanding authority is a matter of personality that some leaders happen to possess. But don’t worry, if those character traits don’t come natural to you, there are plenty of effective leadership styles that don’t require you to try to change your personality. 

When you look for leadership training in the UK, it is important to find a coach who will help you determine your strengths as a leader. Once you know your strengths, a mentor will be able to help you find the leadership style that suits your skills and personality. 

Remember, there’s no ‘perfect’ when it comes to leading a team or an organisation. If you happen to be naturally authoritative, then you can use that to become a commanding leader, one who can lead any organisation through a crisis by making the right decisions — fast and decisive. 

If you are less comfortable being the decisive and commanding leader, you might very well thrive as a democratic leader. The democratic leader is one who allows his or her team to be involved in the decision making process. This allows every employee to feel included and take ownership of your organisations success, which can be highly effective during times of growth. 

The reason to look for UK based leadership training is that you want to meet with a coach who can discover your strengths with you. That is much easier to do in person, which gives the coach the best foundation to help you define and hone your unique leadership skills.  

If you are curious to find your ideal leadership style, contact Issac Qureshi leadership expert for a consultation about how you can become the best leader you can possibly be. 

Learn about business leadership with Issac Qureshi

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What is leadership?

We all have a vague idea about what makes a great leader or maybe specific individuals and historical figures we think embody excellent leadership. 

But in reality, a great leader is simply the right person for the right situation. Strong charismatic leaders like Weston Churchill and Nelson Mandela, might seem like born leaders. But they where simple the leaders Britain needed to get through the war, and the South African people needed to overcome the repression of the Apartheid regime. Outside those historical events, neither might have been the right person to lead their respective countries.  

Why am I talking about these historical leaders? Because great leaders come in many forms, and just because you are not a Churchill, Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., or Abraham Lincoln, doesn’t mean that you cannot be exactly the kind of leader your business needs. 

The leaders mentioned above were all leaders in time of crisis, whether it was WWII, fighting a repressive system or the American Civil War. They had the charisma to get people to listen to them and follow their lead. If you have the charisma to lead people through difficult situations, you should hone those qualities. That way you can become the leader your organisation needs to lead them through times of e.g. economic instability, market fluctuations, etc. 

However, those qualities might not be ideal in times of stability. Here a more democratic approach might be what your business needs. Being able to motivate and include your team or staff might very well be a much more productive. Getting people to feel included and responsible for your company’s success, can make for a very successful corporate culture. 

If you do not thrive as an authoritarian leader, you might develop a more laissez faire approach. This means give your team the freedom and responsibility to figure things out on their own. If you lead a team of seasoned professionals, might be extremely counterproductive. Instead the best way to lead specialist is to let them find the best solution to the highly specific problems they face. All you have to do is step in when more general or administrative problems occur. Otherwise let the professionals do their job the way its done best. 

When looking for leadership training in the UK, find a business coach willing to help you or your managers find and develop their personal leadership type. Your organisation will be strongest if you have leaders who embody all of the core leadership traits; authority, charisma, democratic, motivating, and encouraging. But no one needs to embody all of those qualities to be a great leader. 

To learn more about how to get the best leadership training in UK and implement strategies leading to business and career growth, contact Issac Qureshi, UK Leadership Expert.

Improving Remote Work Productivity

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With so many people working remotely these days, it is more important than ever to make it a productive experience. There are a few ways that this can be accomplished that will help improve the flow of the workday.

Management tools should be integrated with those used to communicate with co-workers effectively. This makes it easier for everyone to connect and gets work done as efficiently as possible. Virtual offices are now being created so that those in different locations can collaborate just as they would if they were all working in the same office. This is especially effective when not everyone is in the same time zone. Slack and Microsoft teams are increasingly being used to accomplish the same tasks that would be accomplished in a central office.

Setting goals for each employee to meet is easier when this type of communication is facilitated. By making organizations transparent, each employee will have a clear picture of what he or she is expected to do.

Breakdowns in communication are never a good thing. They can be avoided by using organizational management software. It provides a dashboard that supplies each employee with the information they need to do their job. Collecting and sharing data in a clear and concise way benefits everyone equally. It is especially effective in helping managers keep track of any performance problems or issues that come up over the course of a workday.

Nothing leads to remote work productivity faster than communication in which employees connect with each other and their manager as human beings. By keeping employees engaged, even when working from home, everyone is more productive. Understanding the written word can cause difficulties that understanding words expressed verbally don’t. This is why communication is so important to productivity.

Managers can keep their employees motivated and productive by offering them personal encouragement. It can be something as simple as a complimentary email, or something valuable such as an e-gift that the employee can redeem at his or her convenience.

Adjusting to working remotely can be a struggle for some. By using the right tools, the process is made easier and gains more value. When managers can bring their employees together virtually, remote working can become a breeze.

Issac Qureshi Will Give You All The Advice To Grow Your Business In London

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Are you looking to grow your business in the UK? 

Businesses across the UK are looking for quality leadership training for their managers, directors and executives right now. Effective leadership is one of the most stable predictors of success. While most other factors change, good leadership will remain a stable foundation to keep your organisation afloat. 

“Invest in your leadership skills and lead your business to growth and bottom line results.” 

— Issac Qureshi, Leadership Expert 

Your organisations productivity rely on the ability of your leaders to motivate and empower your employees. The leaders are the ones who make sure your 

strategy, corporate identity and culture is communicated to all divisions, departments, team and employees in your organisation, no matter what their official job title is. 

The single most effective way to improve your business’ annual result is to have exceptional leaders whose mindset trickles down to the rest of your organisation. So if you want to stay competitive as your business faces new challenges, then training your leaders to be their most motivating, empowering selves. 

The Surprising Financial Gain of Expert Leadership 

While in an ideal world, all businesses would offer training and up-qualification to their entire workforce regularly. However, in the real world, that is just not feasible most organisations. A much more manageable approach is to spend your organisations resources where it gives the highest return on your investment. 

Improving your leadership requires much fewer resources than training all your employees and gives a much better result in shorter time. It is your short cut to attain sustainable results and build a corporate culture on transparency, accountability and high employee satisfaction. 

Another benefit is that the money you invest in training your employees will be lost whenever an employee choose to find work elsewhere. So by focusing on training your leaders, you focus on the longterm financial gains. 

Partner with Issac Qureshi Leadership, to offer your managers, executives or directors one-on-one coaching with one of the UK’s top leadership coaches. Qureshi will help each of your leaders discover their unique leadership type, and develop the leadership style that get the most out of their strengths. Qureshi has a unique ability to help clients focus and develop their strengths, while turning their weaknesses into advantages. Any leader has both strengths and weaknesses, by identifying what they are, you can get the most out of yours. 

To learn more about how a leadership skills and strategies can lead your business to growth and bottom line results, contact Issac Qureshi, Leadership Expert in London, below: 

Interviewing Mistakes: Avoid These for the Job of Your Dreams

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The job interviewing process can create anxiety. Many of us are unaware of why we don’t get a call back. Avoiding these four interviewing mistakes can help get you the job of your dreams.

A common interviewing mistake is repeatedly mentioning your resume. Being invited to interview validates your qualifications, so every answer should not be according to a resume they’ve already seen. They want to understand the person behind the experience, therefore show them who you are. Keep in mind, showing who you are expands beyond what you tell the interviewer. Oftentimes, we are unaware of our demeanor because we program ourselves to be “professional”, which usually translates to being stiff and unfortunately boring. Be present and showcase your personality throughout the interview. Don’t be afraid to show your quirks. In fact, relativity can make or break your chances of getting the job.

During the interview, it is normal to reflect on past work experience, but use discretion. For example, if the interviewer wants to know about your previous work at the local diner, mentioning every failure and negative trait will not make them hire you. Employers want to believe you can build yourself up after failure and focusing on how hard it is to overcome adversity is a red flag. They want to make sure you are an asset, so unless the details you give show how you’ve learned and transcended your past mistakes, it’s probably best to keep them to yourself.

One of the greatest mistakes made in interviews is the inability to pick up on the energy in the room. The awareness it takes to read the interviewer and mirror their energy is a way to form a connection that will most likely get you hired because it shows adaptability. You want the interview to flow, especially if the interviewer is in an anxious mood or irritated. Getting the interviewer to relax magnifies your chances of landing the job.

Following these tips can better your chances of impressing the employer. Remember, out of every applicant that applied, they called you. Therefore, be confident and go with the flow. One day, you may end up on the interviewer side one day.