Assertive leadership is a communication style in which people express their thoughts, ideas and expectations with their teams in a self-assured, considerate way. This type of leadership involves collaboration with people at all levels of the organisation. Assertive leaders are people who bring self-awareness and awareness of difference to their leadership. With this awareness, they are able to choose to behave with integrity in all that they do. According to a page called Strength Scape, assertiveness is a confident behaviour. A person who is assertive is not afraid of saying what he wants or believes. Being assertive means putting across one’s viewpoint in a composed or positive way, without being offensive or accepting wrong. Assertive people are capable of proving their point of view without upsetting themselves or others, which is a key attribute of an effective leader. Aimerance Uwase a member of Orators Africa, a fountain of elite leaders and speakers of Africa says that leadership is not commanding people what to do and then observing, it is about communicating with your followers, understanding them and working together as a team. “A good leader is one who shows his or her followers how to do it and does it with them. An assertive leader understands, sets goals and commits to them and is open to his or her followers,” she says. Bertrand Mahire, a managing director says that for a leader to effectively lead his or her team, assertiveness is essential. “Assertiveness assists a leader in earning the respect of his subordinates, making it easier for him to communicate feedback to his peers without complications. When a leader is assertive, everyone in the team respects him and pays attention to his input in all situations. This means that when a leader is assertive, communicating feedback on what needs to be improved within a team is efficiently considered and applied which contributes to an organisation’s success,” he says. Advantages of an assertive leader An assertive management style has many advantages for organisations, one of which is that it fosters strong relationships as well as simple conflict resolution at the workplace. When an organisation’s leadership employs an assertive management style, it strengthens employee relationships and makes every individual within the organisation feel important, says Mahire. According to Strength Scape, assertiveness is a highly valuable characteristic of a leader. Leaders who are identified as being more assertive have higher integrity than those who are less assertive. Your leadership style sets the tone for the team and the results you will yield. Here are some advantages of an assertive leader as per their page: Connects and communicates with everyone – Successful and assertive leaders take care to connect with everyone at all levels of the organisation. They make themselves available to everyone. Gives honest feedback – Assertive leaders deliver feedback with sensitivity and in a helpful way, which can encourage people to succeed. It is important for leaders to give honest feedback to their followers. Values himself and his rights – Assertive leaders need to gain a good understanding of themselves. They should have a strong belief in their inherent value which is the basis of self – confidence and assertive behaviour. Uses good judgement to make decisions – Leaders who are assertive are perceived as having good judgement and have more chances of being successful.
