Want to be a leader? 6 things to avoid

A bossy manager with underdog employees is a scenario that's long gone.

As they say, change is the only constant in life, and one must embrace it as it comes.

With the growth of the modern workplace through innovation and technology, companies are trying different approaches to increase productivity.

The traditional leadership style of top-down management has drastically changed into a collaborative approach that blurs the lines between a boss and worker.

More and more companies have adapted the new style of leadership.

Team building has replaced traditional hierarchy.

Gone are the days where leaders in the corporate world believed that power is derived from a position of authority. 

Today, power is greatest in a collective team.

Equal participation across all levels encourages the co-workers to grow in harmony.

Leadership, at a fundamental level, is really about who is being led.

Through time, people have come to realise that work atmosphere has a direct impact on productivity.

As a leader, the most important job is creating an environment in which people are happy to work.

If you want to be a great leader, here are six major leadership tactics you must know are obsolete.

1. Centralisation of decision-making

Centralised management solely relies on one individual to take decisions and direct the company.

Through time, this has completely faded away and we see people slowly making collective decisions in a company.

Since the decision affects every member of the team, the team as a whole gets to choose what they want.

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change -- Charles Darvin

2. The authoritarian rule

Since authority is the crux in a company, it is positional but commands fear.

A bossy manager with underdog employees is a scenario that's long gone.

In the generation of start-ups, the CEO takes on a million roles.

The gap between the higher and lower positions have been bridged. Flexibility and empathy are a must these days.

The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them -- Ralph Nichols

3. Approach to solving problems

In traditional corporate culture, decisions are made in the boardroom, approved and then passed on to the employees.

Today, solutions are usually brainstormed by the entire team collectively, and is then given to the management.

Leaders have slowly recognised the power of a 'group approach' to problem-solving and how beneficial it can be.

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. -- John F Kennedy

4. The rules

Earlier, companies used to rely on a series of set rules and regulations.

The timing, number of leaves, responsibility -- used to be given to you on paper or sent through mail even before you join in.

Today, the culture is such that the employee sets his/her own terms and conditions, and chooses the role based on his/her convenience.

Individuals play the game, but teams beat the odds.

5. Performance and feedback

Corporations usually follow a semi-annual or annual review process.

This sometimes acts detrimental to an employee's morale since missing a single deadline would result in a negative performance review.

Job satisfaction rates usually dropped by the end of this. More companies are opting for monthly review systems that track down the employee's potentials, and gives more scope for better performance.

A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better. -- Jim Rohn

6. Open-ended communication

The traditional belief was to educate the employees in such a manner that they understand the market and work based on information provided to them.

As we're entering the digital age, the management gives room for employees to do their own research and work according to the new age way.

At the end of the day, all they seek is new paths to growth.

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. -- John Quincy Adams

A collaborative environment is not only creative and innovative but also beneficial to an organisation.

Change is difficult, but is turning out to be a smart business decision.

Today's bosses not only listen to team members but also encourage them with their work. The time invested, in turn, positively affects the success of the organisation.

Lead illustration by Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com