There’s no one single formula for good leadership. A look at any bookshop’s groaning shelves of self-help manuals tells you that.
The choice of management styles out there is endless.
According to the book titles, leaders can do it by breaking all the rules, flying without a net or being a quiet leader at the back.
What’s not in the books, but common to every good leader, is people. Nobody is successful alone, they need great people.
There’s no sector that better exemplifies this than the care sector.
Here caring and compassion need to be in everyone’s DNA, from the council care manager making life-changing decisions, to social workers and support workers in the community, to the care home cleaners mopping the floors.
But leading those care workers – and interacting with often vulnerable users – does demand certain qualities.
Here at s1jobs we have five strengths all social care leaders need that can’t be learned from a book.
Selflessness
It sounds obvious – after all, putting others first is why you went into social care in the first place – but sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of this. It’s not only about the people you care for but the people you manage. Learn from the best around you and let them learn from you.
Passion
Having enthusiasm for your job is important but especially so in social care where you and your team really do make a difference. Budget pressures, rota issues, the ticking clock, and red tape are all very real challenges. The ability to keep your passion alive and show it is what counts.
Honesty
Being frank is essential. Don’t do an ostrich and bury your head in the sand – ignoring something uncomfortable won’t make it go away. Admitting difficulties makes them easier to deal with and shows co-workers you’re human. Integrity is the backbone of social care.
Determination
There’s nothing worse than a boss who never gets stuck in. Having a can-do attitude means you can set an example by tackling whatever needs doing. By tackling a common goal, your actions say much more than any cheerleading email or morale-boosting staff meeting.
Decisiveness
An indecisive manager quickly becomes an ineffective one and that can spread so other staff become uncertain themselves. Lack of consistency can cause issues for vulnerable users in the social care system so the ability to make well-informed decisions is crucial.
Check out s1jobs for managerial opportunities in Social Care