What makes the best in HR really the best?

Human Resources is a complex, multifaceted field that requires professionals to have the ability to juggle priorities and excel at a number of tasks from the sometimes tedious to the often strategic.  It takes knowing what to hone in on and what to delegate, staying on top of the latest trends in compensation and always having a finger on the pulse of employee relations. And, often, with so many misconceptions about HR, it involves staying ahead of the curve through continuous education in an attempt to drive what the role will entail for the company.  

Being in HR requires having a number of talents and is not for the faint of heart.  The role brings with it the potential to make a big impact on the lives of individuals working for the company its most important assets and, simultaneously, can leave managers feeling less than appreciated when contributions to the bottom line are questioned. 

Bass' Theory of Leadership

Bass' theory of leadership states that there are three basic ways to explain how people become leaders . The first two explain the leadership development for a small number of people. These theories are:

• Some personality traits may lead people naturally into leadership roles. This is the Trait Theory.
• A crisis or important event may cause a person to rise to the occasion, which brings out extraordinary leadership qualities in an ordinary person. This is the Great Events Theory.
• People can choose to become leaders. People can learn leadership skills. This is the Transformational or Process Leadership Theory. It is the most widely accepted theory today and the premise on which this guide is based.

Harness the Power of CHANGE

Jack Welch Rules:
➤ Accept change. Business leaders who treat change like
the enemy will fail at their jobs. Change is the one
constant, and successful business leaders must be able
to read the ever-changing business environment.
➤ Let your employees know that change never ends.
Teach your colleagues to see change as an opportunity—
a challenge that can be met through hard work
and smarts.
➤ Be ready to rewrite your agenda. Welch always encouraged
his managers and employees to be prepared
to reexamine their agenda and to make changes when
necessary.

Effective Leadership Styles

Today good leadership skills and effective leadership styles are based more on the principle of servant leadership—serving the needs of others—making their path straight and their way easy. The leader’s role today is to make employees want to follow and to make it easy for them to follow their leader. A leader’s role is to enable the followers to do their jobs.
In our society, everyone from the customer to colleagues to employees wants to believe they are “first.” The leader who can adequately show genuine interest in the welfare of others and make each of them feel as if they are “first” is one the most likely to be successful in leadership.
Effective leadership styles in the 21st Century have the fundamental themes of collaboration and service. Nice guys DON’T finish last in leadership. Remember that!!!