Taking the Lead: How to Be an Effective Leader

If you are new to your leadership role, or you are trying to evolve and grow as a leader in your current position, then you are probably wondering where you should start.

Being a leader within your organization can be an amazing, affirming experience. You get to foster the creativity and growth of the people you lead.

But if you are wondering how to be an effective leader, this is a great place to start. Keep reading to find out what it means to be an effective leader and how you can get started on your leadership journey.

What Is a Leader?

At its most basic level, a leader is a person who leads or commands a group of people.

Many people are put into leadership positions, in their families, in their workplaces, in their countries. Leaders are the decision-makers, the movers, the motivators.

But there is a difference between being a leader and being an effective leader.

The Big Question: How to Be an Effective Leader?

Being in charge isn’t enough. If you aren’t an effective leader, then you won’t have an effective team. Here are some ways you can grow to become a more effective leader and take your team to the next level.

Knowing Your Leadership Style

Every leader is different! Among the five leadership styles, every person has one that stands out the most for them. Being an effective leader means knowing what your natural leadership style is. It also means knowing when you need to change to different types of leadership for unique situations. Discover your leadership style here by taking our free 6-minute behavioral assessment. 

As a leader, you can be more authoritative, which is great for time-sensitive situations. However, it might dissuade creativity and group participation at times.

You might be more participative, which creates strong, creative teams. But, leading with this style can sometimes be time-consuming.

You might be a more delegative leader, but be careful; this style works best when leading more experienced team members. A transactional leader is great at setting firm expectations and schedules. But, a strict system of rewards and punishments might not be the best for every workplace.

Finally, you might be a transformational leader, serving as a role model for your team. This kind of leader relies greatly on motivation and inspiration and might deviate from company protocols and systems.

Knowing Your Goals

What kind of leader do you want to become? What goals do you have for your team or your company for this year? What about five years from now?

Becoming an effective leader doesn’t happen overnight. The biggest changes happen over the long term, as you implement more habits and qualities that will make you an amazing leader.

You should know where you want to go and what your goals are. This way, you will have a destination in mind as you make changes to your team structures, workplace, and leadership style.

Understanding Your Team

If you focus on what kind of leader you want to be, but you don’t take into account the kind of leader your team may need, then you will not be as effective.

Does your team need a leader that fosters their creativity and ingenuity? Do they need someone to keep them on task and on schedule?

A leader is only as effective as the team they lead.

What Are the Qualities of an Effective Leader?

Now you have thought about your natural leadership style, your goals, and your team, it is time to start taking on the qualities of effective leaders! Here are some of the most important ones.

Fosters Open Communication

One of the most important skills an effective leader can have is the ability to communicate well. Communication doesn’t just involve talking to people. You should be a skilled writer and speaker, an attentive listener, and constantly aware of your body language and tone.

Being a skilled communicator will help you to convey your thoughts and expectations. Clarity can help you to avoid future confusion among your employees.

Being an attentive listener helps to foster better communication skills in your team members. If they feel that you are listening and willing to be in conversation with them, then they will grow as speakers and be more willing to voice their ideas in the workplace.

Being aware of body language and tone of voice will truly set you apart. These are vital forms of communication in the workplace. Learning to maintain an open posture while speaking to employees can greatly improve communication in your workplace.

Builds Trust in the Workplace

While communication is something that you can start working on at a sprint, building trust will be more of a marathon. Trust is built when honesty is prioritized and respectful workplace relationships are encouraged.

Honesty is key to building trust. You have to be willing to be forthright and honest with your team, even when what you have to say isn’t something they will like to hear. If your team knows that you are always honest with them and that you keep them in the loop about important issues in the workplace, then the trust you build with them will be strong.

Being honest also means being transparent. You should have nothing to hide, and you should always be willing to receive feedback and be open to conversations.

Delegates Tasks

While a good leader understands the inner workings of all of the teams and departments under their leadership, it is important that, as an effective leader, you don’t micromanage.

Micromanagement implies that you don’t trust your team. It also takes away precious time from more important tasks that you should focus on as a leader. You can spend that time providing feedback, streamlining your company's systems, and building trust within your team. 

By delegating tasks, you are showing confidence and trust in your team, and you are allowing some of your team members to step up as leaders themselves.

Inspires and Motivates

There are quite a few ways to inspire and motivate your team. The primary way starts from within yourself.

As a leader, you can inspire and motivate your team by setting an example. 

If you want your team to be more independent and have initiative, then you should lead by example by working on your self-confidence and creative thinking.

Everyone, including leaders, is a work in progress. By working on yourself and showing that you are improving, you can inspire your team to improve as well.

Creates an Effective and Creative Work Environment

While it is nice to have confidence and charisma as a leader, you also need to be willing to let go of your ego. The most effective work environments allow employees to voice new ideas and unique solutions.

As the leader, you will make changes to your workplace, and you will undoubtedly come up with unique new initiatives. However, being open to new ideas from your teammates can only increase your workplace’s productivity and creative potential.

How Can You Become the Leader You Were Meant to Be?

You can’t reach your goal without starting! But it can be hard to know where to start on your journey to learn how to be an effective leader.

A great start is to work on your daily habits. Your confidence, your communication skills, and your trust-building can all grow through small daily actions. These actions can spread to your team and improve your entire workplace environment! 

You can also take active steps towards learning more about leadership and helping foster growth in your team members. Reading books on leadership and participating in workshops can be great ways to learn how to be an effective leader.

Inspiring People to Perform Workshops can help leaders learn to communicate with employees better, improve self-awareness, expand employee capabilities and group efficiency, and so much more. 

Are You Ready to Start Your Leadership Journey?

An effective leader has to be different things all at once; it can be overwhelming. But at its heart, leadership is about being the best version of yourself and helping others be the best version of themselves.

If you are ready to learn how to be an effective leader, head over to our Contact page to book a call with us. Our workshops, consultations, and information sessions can help you become the leader you were always meant to be.