Becoming An Effective Leader

In order to lead effectively you need to provide motivation and inspire people to do things they don’t believe they can accomplish. It’s very important for every aspiring leader, a leader is not a manager. Leadership is a different animal all together. It’s much easier to learn leadership than management when you understand the difference. The insights outlined below will start you on the path of becoming a strong leader.  One tool, we find to be very useful to fully understand how you currently lead so you can improve those leadership aspects you currently have and improve your weak aspects of leadership is the Everything DiSC Work of Leaders Profile.

Learning To Communicate Properly

Effective communication is an essential skill that will put you on a path of improving you leadership abilities. Effective leaders talk directly and honestly to every member of their staff. Than means everybody; not just the team leaders and managers. Try to find some way to encourage everyone especially if you are correcting bad behavior or disciplining an individual. Through effective and honest communication you build lasting trust with everyone you come into contact with. Tools we find effective in improving communication and listening in the work environment is the Everything DiSC Workplace Profile and the Personal Listening Profile.

Listening is an effective component of communication, it isn’t just about talking. All the individuals on your team have life/work experiences and skills that drive their behavior, something you must always keep in mind when you interact with them. Remember anyone can come up with that “killer” idea that could change your team for the better, if you don’t hear it you can’t act on it. When you listen to everyone on your team they will be inspired to improve their behavior and individual performance given that they will want to stand out. Finding areas where they can improve and giving them the assistance they need will inspire them even more to grow in their business pursuits and in life.

Proper Delegation

Delegation is a tricky subject and you might be hesitant to assign tasks to members of your team. You might be afraid to lose control or because that team member might do a better job than you…don’t let that stop you. That’s not the behavior of a great leader, only an ineffective manager. It is the duty of every leader to be aware of every situational aspect concerning the needs of the team and to act effectively. It is not only incumbent on you as a leader to ensure that the business is operating like a well oiled machine but also that your guidance is steering the operation in the right direction and to constantly reevaluate the current strategies. This defines the critical nature of delegation, because no leader has the time or energy to watch every aspect of an operation. Effective delegation gives you those additional eyes and ears to make sure the defined course is maintained.

Delegation is also a vital key to increasing team morale and displaying the confidence and trust you have in every member of your team. It becomes critical if you desire to become a great leader because among your many responsibilities the main one is to help team members develop and improve in order to go beyond the high standards you have laid out for everyone.

Developing A Positive Work Environment

Sometimes an overly strict work environment can become counter productive because people will can become intimidated to communicate their individual wants and needs. Your team members can become reluctant to tell you certain things that they believe you might not want to hear, which could negatively effect reaching the goals set for a project or assignment. You must learn to maintain the necessary flexibility to ensure that team members can feel comfortable to approach you with their concerns or suggestions. It is not enough to motivate people to be more productive and efficient so they will achieve the results you desire, but you need to create a work atmosphere that everyone feels comfortable in and wants to become a part of.

In Closing

Never forget you are not a manager, that’s the key to becoming a great leader. A great leader’s job is something totally different. It is the ultimate task of a great leader to maintain long lasting results from their team, while keeping an eye on making sure that the daily operation runs smoothly day to day. This requires a driven leader. The general ideas outlined in this article are meant for you to learn to become a motivated, driven, effective manager that your team members will gratefully follow.

About Steve Giles

Co-owner/Co-founder of Intesi! Resources. Educated as an architect I transitioned to technology during my career in architecture. Intesi! Resources was founded in 2004 and my focus is everything Web/eCommerce related from the design and development of our site to all the marketing activities involved. I also provide significant support for our clients on all our products and how they are used to deliver assessment-driven learning solutions that develop self-awareness and interpersonal skills.