Growing into a successful EMS Leader

Do you have the passion to inspire and guide your organisation to take better responsibility for its environmental impact? Growing into an EMS leader doesn’t have to be daunting – it should be full of excitement and possibilities for both you and your team.

What qualities does a good EMS leader have?

Being a leader is to be willing to bring the best out in others. Therefore, being an EMS leader means you will be able to inspire, motivate and empower those around you. To achieve this, you will need to:

Develop relationships

Building trust within your team and creating a safe space for people to share ideas and provide feedback is essential. Your projects will have a higher chance of success if your team both enjoy and want to work with you. Allowing them the opportunity to contribute their ideas, without fear, will enhance your relationship and therefore the success of any projects you implement.

Have a vision

Having a vision for the future is the best way to lead your team to success. Your team will want to know where they are headed and as you develop your relationships, the team will be motivated to reach that goal and follow your lead. 

Make decisions

Effective EMS leaders must have solid decision making skills. However, being able to come to decisions in a timely manner does not always mean you have to make the right decisions. In some cases, making an incorrect choice based on the data available is better than making a right decision that took a lot of unnecessary energy. After all, if you make an incorrect decision quickly, the sooner it can be rectified and you will most likely earn respect for your judgement call.

Be humble

As a leader, you are only as good as your team. Therefore, when you are successful, it is down to teamwork and not necessarily down to any individual. You also need to be able to listen to feedback and accept responsibility for failures rather than putting the blame onto others. Remember, people leave managers, not teams and so if you are going to retain talent, you need to create an environment where people feel valued and recognised.

How we can help you

While making the move from EMS manager to leader will feel out of your comfort zone, it is also a great opportunity and one that YouTree can help with. 

Our course is the only  UK & International course providing a practical guide with 1:1 support for EMS professionals. 

Designed specifically for environmental & Q/HSE managers or advisors holding operational responsibility for maintaining and advancing the business’s EMS certification, the course is designed to challenge you to be the very best EMS leader you can be.   Find out more here  https://www.youtree.uk/ems-leadership-challenge/ 

You will be coached, provided with peer feedback and challenged to undertake a leadership influencing project within your own organisation.

What you’ll take away:

• An understanding of what ‘leadership’ means in the context of ISO 14001:2015
• An overview of what it takes to move to a higher level of EMS management/leadership
• An understanding of key internal stakeholders and how best to engage their support
• Communication tools to help you inspire, motivate and empower others
• Useful techniques to engage your colleagues and senior management in a shared vision
• A practical Action Plan that develops an EMS leadership auditable outcome

For more about my professional and personal coaching packages, get in touch today and book your no obligation  coffee and connect session: hello@youtree.uk

This article was written by: YouTree