Leadership hinges on one's work ethos, style

A leader should use work ethos and the powers invested in her to create an enabling environment for her team.

You might have been asked to lead your football team, your friends' group when travelling or even your work department. Be it at work or at any other place in which we participate in a collective activity, we have been confronted with the idea of leadership. There have been a rising number of writers whose interest in describing the perfect leadership figure led to a sudden surge in literature surrounding the subject. With such unprecedented exposure to the topic and its rising trendiness, people started to aspire to become leaders. Concretely speaking, who is the leader? What makes her special? What gives her this appeal?
From a cognitive point of view, many of us have developed a subtle definition of the term "leader" using the cognitive elements that we can systematically identify in people who fit this category. Yet, as these are intangible characteristics, there lies a difficulty in discerning this figure: if we speak of leaders as opposed to managers, we will notice a difference in the values, qualities and attitude that they display.
The basic definition of leadership is the "action of leading a group of people or an organisation, or the ability to do this". This definition implies a certain nuance, since the "ability to lead" can only be qualitatively measured, which means that we are looking at the impact of one's leadership on one's peers. This is primarily derived from one's work ethos and style.
Work ethos: By work ethos, we mean the values that guide a person's actions and decisions. As Bill George and Peter Sims put it, these constitute one's moral compass or, in other words, their "true north". They argued that it is vital to develop a sense of direction based on inner beliefs. In fact, George and Sims claim that "when you follow your internal compass, your leadership will be authentic and people will naturally want to associate with you". This means that the basis of your authority will not stem from people's fear, but rather the respect they have for you.
One of the ethics that will inevitably grant any leader respect is her integrity. In fact, her capacity to treat her team members with consistency and impartiality automatically creates an atmosphere of trust and peace. In addition, her ability to acknowledge her team members' efforts, value their time, give them credit for their success allows them to feel appreciated and consequently makes them happier. In such an environment, dedication becomes the norm.
Similarly, a leader's loyalty to the team and the willingness to protect them adds trust to the employees. This later facilitates growth. In fact, as there is room for mistake, there is room for experience, knowledge and development. It is all the more important and impactful when this employee is a in a junior position. In this case they affect their notions of what's acceptable or not in the workplace. In addition, it will give them an insight on the leadership style that they would like to grow into.
Leadership style: Principles go hand-in-hand with the way a leader enacts them. Even though they guide the decision making of a leader, it is necessary to be able to enact those values. The way they are used determine the leadership style.
That being said, a leader should use her work ethos and the powers invested in her to create an enabling environment for her team. In fact, she should be pushing them to take more responsibility and participate more actively in the decision making. Greater employee empowerment here signifies greater autonomy as well as professional development. Delegating power will not only enhance the employees' experience and foster growth, but also allows the leader to share responsibilities with others.
Along with nurturing an environment of growth, a leader has to champion transparency and communication. One of the most common causes of conflict at the workplace is poor communication. From experience, the way someone delivers a message can affect the receiving party's interpretation and create room for misunderstanding. Another intrinsic part is listening: a leader needs to be able to listen and understand her team's concerns.
Principled, loyal, trustworthy, respectful, enabling and transparent are all the qualities a leader should have to differentiate herself from being a manager. It is not just about giving orders and getting the work done. It is about creating an enriching culture where personal development and constant improvement are the norm. I would go as far as to say that it lies in the ability to bridge the gap between productivity or effectiveness and ultimate growth. 
On this note, I would like to make a small wish: May we know them. May we raise them. May we be them.
The writer is senior executive officer and head of DIFC Branch at The Access Bank UK. Views expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the newspaper's policy.