Effective leadership in today’s workplace is one of the single most crucial drivers for development, innovation, and growth. When we talk about effective leadership, it is essential to understand that this is a profound concept that should be learned and worked for. There is no secret formula to success; rather, a step-by-step plan must be developed to impart this value into the organization’s DNA. Ethos and how it guides interactions both inside and outside the organization is what differentiates an average workplace from a happy and successful one.

There are many traits that make a leader lovable. However, successful companies around the world have teams that develop their values, skills, and acquisition of qualities to build a strong leadership backbone. These past 15 years in the industry have been enriching for me. Initially, when I started my journey in 2007, the number of women working in leadership roles was low, partially due to the labor-intensive nature of the business. Hence, there was an irrefutable importance of not only having a vision and undying passion, but also a role model to sustain the journey from ordinary to extraordinary.

Today, leadership is much more than seniority and extends further to attributes such as decisiveness, entrepreneurial drive, conduct, and passion-driven vision. For organizations large and small, leaders have great impact and the potential to be seen as role models. They need to make choices each day as a part of their work, and having values to guide their decisions increases not only their focus but also productivity. Therefore, for faster and more effective decision making, it is essential to be guided by the right set of values in order to connect with the team clearly.

Some of the key values to determine the growth mindset and attitude amidst the team and set them as conquerors for success are below.

Equate Responsibility with Accountability and Take Ownership

Accountability is an intrinsic sense of ownership of the task and willingness to face the consequences that come with success or failure. Leaders strike the right balance and harness the power of both responsibility and accountability. It is important for leaders to know how to effectively delegate power to other team members for an amplified impact in return. This delegation of work creates a stronger team and also builds future leaders. I have been fortunate to have a wonderful leader and guide, my father Rajeev Bhargava, MD (PMR). He is the one who has taught everyone about the essence of responsibility and holding accountability in the business. I strongly feel that nurturing the team early on determines how the leadership is executed, the environment one builds for the teams, and the long-term success of the organization.

Never Say ‘No’ to New Tasks and Learning

Every day comes with new tasks and challenges, and every task teaches you something. Building an organizational infrastructure which provides one with the opportunity to learn and grow is the key to the overall growth of an employee. A value-based leader not only looks at getting their day-to-day task accomplished but also provides opportunities to individuals for them to learn and enhance their knowledge and skills.

Earn Trust

In order to be an effective leader, one needs to possess a high level of honesty and transparency. For any team, a leader’s actions matching their words is the key to earn trust and be established as a dependable leader. Authentic and trustworthy leaders are self-aware and mission-driven, and establish their organization on the core values of authenticity, continuous improvement, and innovation in order to succeed.

Accomplish with ‘We’ and Improve on ‘I’

Every organization grows with the collective efforts of the team, and every person accomplishes their goals with team effort. Alongside the growth of the organization, one also needs to improve and work upon their own skills and meet personal growth targets. A value-driven leader is one who encourages the team to grow on a personal level and accomplish the collective tasks. This further amplifies the sense of belonging for an individual and helps them feel more connected to the organization.

Value-driven leadership thus inspires others to not just follow a leader but also encourages others to be inspired deeply and adopt the values as their own, building stronger bonds and relationships.