Effective leadership is an elusive quality. We all want to be able to lead people, but it can be hard. How do you go about becoming an effective leader? How do you know if you’re doing a good job leading others? How can you learn how to become an effective leader in 5 easy steps? This article will offer 5 ways for you to become a leader.
These are leadership qualities that all successful leaders should possess.
Be a nice person
Be a nice person. How obvious does that sound? Well, it’s important to think about the kind of leader you are trying to be. Do you want to be feared or do you want people who work for you to like working with and for you? It is probably better if they do not fear having their head cut off at any moment!
So lead by being friendly, approachable, understanding… all those good things. People should know where they stand with an effective leader without too much hassle – what can go wrong when your team members feel secure enough in their role but also comfortable asking questions and knowing that nothing will happen unless rules are broken?
Make everyone on your team happy
If someone isn’t doing well then maybe there is something you can do to help them? Are they lacking in communication skills? Test out your leadership abilities and help them to improve. Encourage them to be more effective at communication.
Listen to your employees and be open to their ideas
People want to feel like they are part of what is going on, and if you’re not willing to listen to them then how can they do that? How can people be happy with their work when it seems as though no-one cares about what they think or have to say?
Let everyone know where they stand – even let them see your goals for the team. This way, employees will have a better idea on why certain things need doing in order for those goals to be reached by being included in discussions surrounding this topic.
Provide lots of feedback!
There’s nothing worse than an empty inbox… nobody wants one because it means there was probably some bad news delivered at some point during the day/week/month depending on the size of the team you’re in charge of. How can people improve if they don’t know what they’re doing wrong? So provide feedback, and not just on work performance either.
Make sure your employees have a good idea about their future with your company. Good leaders are transparent. Leaders are able to sell their vision to those they work with. New ideas are always welcome.
People experience many different things throughout their career and this gives them the ability to potentially bring great ideas to you.
Any employee that has the confidence to speak up and give you their ideas should be listened to and carefully. Develop a rapport with your employees. Make sure that management isn’t elitist. If you see these issues, address them immediately. Don’t delegate the responsibility to anyone else.
This doesn’t mean that it’s all going to be plain sailing from here onwards but it will definitely result in improvements. Your ability to distill ideas from what your employees tell you is going to increase the success of your business.
Encourage everyone in the company to voice their opinions
Just as we discussed above, don’t be that boss who gets angry when people say what they think. How can you show everyone where they stand if no-one is willing to open their mouth? How will people know how well or badly some decisions have been received unless someone says something?
Your team should feel comfortable enough talking about everything with you – even the things which might seem trivial at first glance! A successful leader knows it’s not just about making good on promises, but also listening and responding in a way that benefits every member of staff for years to come.
Effective leadership means being able to see from other perspectives as well as your own, so get used to switching up roles once in a while and finding out exactly how (or easy) certain tasks are done.
Encourage this type of communication. Employees become more effective when you act like a leader to them. They begin to trust you and think of your ideas as effective. When they know one of your values is to listen to other’s ideas they will develop the confidence to speak up when required.
Don’t micromanage
How many times have you heard that one before? How can someone manage something if they’re right there next to everyone else, breathing down their necks and making sure every single thing is done in the correct manner… even though it doesn’t look as though this micromanaging boss has any idea about what’s going on half of the time!
How important do people think their work really is when a leader feels like they need to be involved at such close proximity all day long? It will probably feel more like an added pressure rather than anything which helps improve quality.
Work with your employees, not against them
This might seem like common sense but how effective would you say you are as a leader compared to others around you – including those who don’t agree with you. Subscribe to the idea that you get amazing insights from letting others just do their jobs. Inspire confidence in your staff and you won’t be tempted to be a micromanager. Nobody likes the micromanagement leadership style.
Give credit where it’s due
Always give credit where it is due and take responsibility when mistakes happen. As a good leader, you must accept that the buck stops at your desk. The integrity this attitude displays will help you recruit great leaders. People like to be recognized. A good leader will see this and make sure s/he recognizes those who have done well.
How can your employees show that they care about what you’re trying to achieve if no one is willing to own up and admit where things have gone wrong? How many people in the team will be quick to point out exactly who was at fault – even though it might not always be them! How effective do you think a leader would look if this sort of behavior continued happening on an ongoing basis, or how long could someone keep everyone’s respect for failing to accept blame so readily.
Be consistent with everything which goes on in the company (including bad news)
For example: set rules and stick by them… unless there are exceptional circumstances outside of anyone’s control then why should these moments mean that rules need to be followed.
Wrapping it All Up
You might be a great manager, but if you’re not a good person to work for it’s going to hurt your company. If this sounds like you and you want some help, Top Tier Coaching Services are here to provide that help. We’ll teach you how to become an effective leader with people skills that make employees happy and promote innovation in your business.
Our methods have helped small businesses grow into thriving enterprises thanks in large part to our team of experts who know what they’re talking about when it comes down to making everyone feel appreciated, respected, and heard (even when we don’t agree). It may sound clichéd but being nice really does pay off time after time! Does this describe where your leadership style is lacking? Let us help you build your skills. Schedule a call today!
