Leadership

What is leadership?

Leadership is a non-violent style of leading people. A leader sets the vision or goals and others naturally follow. While a leader leads by using vision and fostering inner motivation in the team, a manager is more oriented towards planning, organizing work tasks and making profits. Managerial skills can be learned; personal maturity is also important for a leader. A manager can become a leader.

How to lead people well?

Both a leader and a good manager set goals, listen to people and encourage intrinsic motivation. They care about the growth and development of team members, select capable people for the team and are not afraid of outgrowing them. They focus on positive results, looking for ways and solutions to challenging situations, not the culprits. They provide feedback while being open to it themselves. Good leaders are also authentic and readable to others. On top of all this, a leader also needs to understand themselves, knowing their strengths as well as their weaknesses and problem areas. Psychotherapy can help him to do this too.

How to motivate employees?

It is essential, especially in non-working professions, to promote intrinsic motivation among employees. Setting goals and letting them work within their limits in their own way, encouraging their learning, involving them in events and co-decisions. Along with tasks, hand over responsibility. Appreciate people's work and provide fair and development-oriented feedback instead of negative criticism.

How to give feedback?

Effective feedback is future-oriented and shows opportunities for further development, and is given individually and in a timely manner. It is a good idea to ask the employee to evaluate his/her work at the beginning and to give him/her plenty of space and attention. Constructive feedback specifically describes observable behaviours or work outcomes and their consequences, both positive and negative. Managers are sometimes afraid to give feedback, fearing resistance or conflict, but if they stick to the ground rules and take a genuine interest in the other, the result can be a meaningful dialogue that supports the employee's development. Being able to separate facts from one's own feelings and being able to describe both makes giving feedback much easier. Psychotherapy can help with this too.

How to influence management style?

Every manager has his own style of working with people, whether he is authoritative or democratic, whether he trusts people or constantly controls them. The style is influenced by upbringing, personality and culture. Many managers use, often unconsciously, the same style as their supervisor. Psychotherapy can reveal how a person really feels as a manager, whether he or she is trying to engage in behaviors that are contrary to his or her setting. At the same time, authenticity is promoted, which is important for a manager and increases his or her credibility.

How can online psychotherapy help with leadership?

Managers and leaders of companies are exposed to challenging work situations, including conflicts, while often complaining that they have no one to share them with and feel alone. It is therefore helpful to turn to a professional who will listen to them and offer a safe space to share emotions. Managers are also often busy, so online psychotherapy can be an option to save time with commuting or to combine a psychological consultation with a walk-in, for example.