What makes a Good leader ?
- David Wood
- Oct 15, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 16, 2019

Modern leadership is a game of strategy. Books, films and biopics perpetuate the myth that leaders are born rather than created, but in reality, possessing authority has much more to do with technique than genetics. Leadership is a language, and one that can be taught to any individual with the desire to learn. All it takes is a little understanding of how to train and develop the muscles of communication.
The single most important aspect of becoming a successful leader is opening up dialogue within your team. Without inviting open exchange of information, morale and ideas, you will struggle to understand, motivate or optimise your human resources. I believe that whatever your management style, one simple, daily email is the modern way of leading teams of every shape and size. Luckily I discovered an excellent little tool called Wundamail.
Wundamail is designed to start powerful conversations within your business, because great things happen when we talk.
Get to know your team
Leadership is about unlocking others’ potential to become better. The best way of encouraging and influencing others is to make an effort to get to know your team, and understand exactly what drives them. Employees in junior positions, or those within large teams can often struggle to make their voice heard, which is why it’s important to encourage open feedback.
People tend to assume that strong leadership relies on authoritative speaking, or powerful oration skills. While good projection is important, many forget that listening is a key aspect of becoming a commanding speaker. Whatever your leadership style, connecting with your audience and getting in touch with your team demographic will prove essential if you wish to grow your influence. It’s a good idea to set up specific channel for communication, so that younger or less experienced members of your team feel relaxed about coming forward. Modern technology can also help encourage honesty and cut through the noise, as it eliminates interruptions and affords everyone the chance to speak up.
Choose the Right Channel
With so many workplace communication options available, it can be difficult to decide which is right for your business. Real-time communication apps such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Yammer have grown in popularity over the last decade, but the ‘always-on’ working culture enabled by instant messaging makes it difficult to cut through the noise. Part of becoming a good leader is about understanding what will (and won’t) work within your team.
If you want a quick answer, or instant access to a file, real-time communication platforms work really well. Ideas get thrown around quickly and easily, but unfortunately older messages get lost, or buried just as fast- the second you take your eyes off your screen you are instantly out of the loop. The ideas are there, but it is near impossible to plan, prioritise and streamline before the conversation has hurtled on to the next topic. Impossible.
Nowadays, businesses are taking a step back from the impenetrable whirl of information offered by real-time messengers. What makes Wundamail different is that it condenses team activity into a simple, daily email. More than just a chat, it structures the conversation so that words become actions, and ideas become solutions. Each day, you get a report of your team’s activity, and so does everyone else. Just like that, a simple compilation email makes leading teams simple- no apps, usernames or passwords needed.
If you would like to find out more or simply have a go at how easy Wundamail is to use, and the immediate feedback you will get then head along to :
Comments