Mangement Cousel Newsletter: Issue 3
Organization Confidence

Leadership enables the confidence that is so essential to an organization's success. Good leaders know that once confidence is shaken, employee effectiveness drops.

Lowered confidence results when the directions chosen by leaders are unclear or weak; when leaders make apparently arbitrary or inconsistent decisions; and, when the individuals' interests are seen as secondary to the organization.

We hear about the impact of organizational confidence when it is said that "morale is good" or "morale is poor", for without confidence, morale cannot be good.

Leaders can take concrete steps to build and maintain confidence within the organization:
- describe the organization's direction and act consistent to it
- get people working on real work
- rely on the people in the organization -- let them do what their skills allow, even with risk
- communicate: both ways
- acknowledge peoples' interests
- make the physical environment consistent with the direction
- cut out jargon -- describe real issues in real terms
- link accountability and rewards.

Many other elements can be used -- good leaders innovate and create new ways to encourage confidence, to create followers. All leaders must accept that this is a major part of their role.