What it means be a leader at all levels

Whatever your role in social care you can be a leader. As we round off our #EverydayLeadership campaign we look at what it really means to be a leader at all levels.

You don’t need a managerial job title in order to be a leader. Anyone can lead, and good leadership skills are important in any role.

Leadership isn't just about managing people and performance. Frontline workers can, and often do, exhibit leadership skills every day and everywhere.

Our #EverydayLeadership campaign has focused on what it means to be a leader at all levels, and how you can help to lead your team and service – from promoting a culture of inclusion, to leading with compassion and driving for continuous improvement.

There are things we can do every day at work that make us a leader. This can include:

• making decisions;
• using your initiative to make things happen;
• not waiting to be told what to do;
• identifying where you can make a positive difference;
• taking responsibility for your own actions;
• inspiring others to do the best job possible;
• supporting others and working together;
• speaking out about how things can be improved.

For managers there are many advantages to encouraging your team to take on more everyday leadership roles – from team members feeling more engaged and valued in their roles to reduced time spent managing staff performance and ultimately better care for the people you support.

To help promote everyday leadership with your team you can offer recognition such as awards or a team member of the month scheme; help staff to take on additional responsibilities through developing championing or mentoring elements into their role, and continue to provide a range of professional development opportunities.

Our ‘Leadership starts with me’ resource is a really handy tool to help managers and care teams thinks about everyday leadership.

The tool includes five videos covering key elements of everyday leadership – making things happen; inspiring others; taking responsibility; making improvements and working together.

Leaders and managers can use these resources with groups of workers to discuss what ‘everyday leadership’ is, why leadership skills in frontline workers are so important, and how they can improve these skills.

Find out more about our ‘Leadership starts with me’ tool.

Discover more information and advice with our #EverydayLeadership spotlight.

Print this page