Not taking full responsibility in a single project may have a minor impact on your overall career, but it will be a significant factor for the healthy progress of the teams you lead and manage.
As we reach the midpoint of the summer season, this period marks a time when semi-finished leather product manufacturers are intensely focused on fulfilling pending orders. The emotional states evoked by summer—sometimes vibrant, other times calm—can become especially demanding when coupled with the tight delivery schedules characteristic of the industry.
In order to manage these far-from-easy processes in a seamless manner, several critical factors come into play: open and effective communication channels, the ability to continuously transfer experience between team members, and the leadership and sense of responsibility expected from each individual in the field.
The global economic slowdown, prolonged wars, and uncertainties surrounding interest-based investments are significantly affecting employers first, and subsequently, company employees. We are currently going through a period marked by ‘quiet departures’—including among senior personnel—as well as more vocal and disruptive resignations that follow in later stages.
Manufacturing companies understand well that there is no such thing as an unimportant task or position within a firm. Every cog in the system must be capable of driving the next, so that the final product meets the desired standards and efficiency. In this regard, each employee is as valuable as any other team member and is fully capable of creating value.
In this issue, our article will focus on employees who, by the nature of their roles, take on greater responsibilities, provide leadership to themselves and their teams, and choose to stand one step ahead.
Leaders Who Take Responsibility
Setting aside the fact that every employee in a company is valuable, as we mentioned in the introduction, I would like to take a closer look at the leaders who have been significantly worn down in recent years.
Just as companies have customers who act like locomotives driving their growth, they also have employees within the organization who fulfill the role of a locomotive by making risk-informed decisions without hesitation. These leaders are especially capable of confronting major potential challenges, believe in the continuity of processes to help the company survive during stagnant periods, and possess the ability to motivate and engage other team members in the process.
These leaders undertake long-term efforts to protect the company from external threats and prevent any harm to the organization.
As an example of external threats that may arise;
- A decline in demand worldwide,
- Increasing financial volatility
- Uncertainty in the medium and long term
- Unresolved production issues
- Company structures that fail to institutionalize over extended periods
These can be considered significant challenges that come to mind. Leaders who continuously face these issues over an extended period may fall into an emotional and cognitive void, potentially entering a path that is difficult to reverse.
At this point, two possible paths emerge:
- Continuing to work without goals and motivation,
- Seeking new paths and making a crossroads decision
Both options entail losses, affecting not only the company but also the employees who have dedicated themselves to its ideals.
So, what needs to be done?
Pause, Understand, Express
Remembering the past can be hard, but thinking about the challenges we faced, knowing the work helped many people get good jobs, and recalling some good moments can help us feel better.
Facing our feelings,
- What am I feeling right now?
- What does this feeling trigger in me?
- What should I take away from this situation?
Revealing the answers to these questions and discussing them with ourselves and those close to us will save us time in solving problems.
Changing Our Perspective
Constantly being at the forefront of events may not cause issues initially, but when this repeats endlessly in a continuous cycle, it creates a sense of despair. Unfortunately, the transformation of this despair into a persistent emotional state leads loyal employees to the breaking point.
Leaders going through such periods should be able to step back or choose not to succumb to excessive stress.
Not taking full responsibility in a single project may have a minor impact on your overall career, but it will be a significant factor for the healthy progress of the teams you lead and manage. Creating spaces where you can breathe will result in a much more beneficial process for both yourself and your company.
- Being able to disconnect from calls and emails after work hours
- Engaging in walking and light exercises
- Taking up a hobby unrelated to your work
- Increasing time periods during which you do not make promises to others or commit yourself
These and similar examples can be given.
Neither silent acceptance nor aggressive escape will bring us inner peace. It is evident that companies can only overcome such prolonged challenging periods with these exceptional leaders.
As ‘’Sinan Abi’’ says, ‘’Don’t mistreat your dream partners, because they may not be there when you need them most.’’
Until our next issue, take care…