12 Tips for Becoming a Successful Leader
Jul 28, 2020 10:29 AM EDT
Good leadership is essential within all businesses and working environments. In particular, effective leadership will boost productivity levels in the workplace and improve employee engagement. Having a good leader also helps organizations meet their strategic business goals and attract top talent to their company. This should improve revenue and lead to a more profitable business in the long-run. That being said, not everyone is suitable for leadership. If you want to be an effective leader, then you must invest in professional growth and develop a certain set of skills that are essential to good leadership. With that in mind, here are 12 tips for becoming a successful leader:
1. Lead by example
People in leadership positions should act as role models and inspire positive change within the workplace. Leaders set the expectations for their employees and must model the behavior that they want their teams and employees to follow. For example, if you arrive at work on time every day dressed smartly, then your staff are likely to replicate this behavior. Being professional will also set expectations for how you want your team to act and perform while working. You should try to lead by example with everything that you do in the workplace. Remember that it will be much more difficult to reprimand an employee for unsatisfactory behavior in the workplace if you are also an offender. It will appear contradictory if you give a member of your team a warning for being late in the morning if you are not punctual yourself, for example. This is likely to lose you respect from your team, so you must always lead by example and practice what you preach.
2. Understand your team
A successful leader should get to know their team and adjust their leadership approach to match the needs of their employees. Remember that one leadership technique won't necessarily work for everyone. A good leader should be flexible and dynamic in their approach and tailor their leadership style to suit different people. Take the time to understand your employees' personalities, working preferences, and career goals. This will help you improve your management strategies and create a working environment where your employees feel respected and valued. This is particularly important if you are managing a new team or hiring new staff.
According to advice from Small Business Trends, you can get to know your employees by having an open-door policy, being approachable, and spending time with your staff outside of the workplace. You should also spend time shadowing your staff in the workplace and arrange regular one-on-one meetings with your employees to develop your relationships and discuss any concerns. Getting to know your staff and understanding their needs will make your employees feel valued, which in turn, should help you retain staff and avoid a high turnover rate.
3. Accept failures
A key component of becoming a successful leader is the ability to acknowledge that things will not always go to plan. Keep in mind that not every decision or activity will have a positive outcome. You must be able to admit when things go wrong and take responsibility for any failures. Arrange a meeting with your team to discuss failures and have an open conversation about what went wrong and why. Your employees will value and respect your honesty. The Dale Carnegie Leadership Study found that 84% of employees want leaders to admit when they are wrong, but only 51% of managers do this often. Remember that failures are often a stepping stone to success and you should utilize failures as a strategy to improve your work processes and overall business efficiency.
4. Don't be afraid to delegate
Leaders typically have to balance multiple tasks and activities. Doing too much is likely to affect your overall performance and may lead to high levels of stress and burnout. With that in mind, you must learn to delegate certain tasks and invest your time and resources smartly. Some daily business tasks that you should consider delegating include administration, customer service, and data entry. Delegating these tasks will reduce your workload and give you more time to focus on essential business activities that will drive profits and help you reach your strategic objectives. That being said, you should also know what tasks need to be completed yourself and avoid delegating core activities and responsibilities. For example, a leader should never delegate discipline or crisis management to another employee. Learning what and how to delegate is a key trait of a successful leader.
5. Gain additional qualifications
If you want to become a good leader you must invest in your professional development and understand your skillset and limitations. The best leaders continuously look for ways to improve their skills and expertise. One easy way to achieve this is by continuing your education with a higher qualification. For instance, earning an online mba no gmat will develop your management approaches and prepare you for a successful career in leadership.
One of the biggest advantages of online courses is that they offer flexible learning and allow you to study at your own pace, from anywhere with an internet connection. This means you can easily elevate your qualifications alongside your current work commitments. There is an excellent variety of other online courses that can enhance your leadership skills. This includes workshops to improve your communication skills or training sessions to boost your decision-making abilities.
6. Focus on communication
Good communication skills are crucial if you want to become an effective leader. You must be able to communicate your values and long-term goals with your team and create a shared common goal in the workplace. Make sure you maintain constant communication with your employees and experiment with different communication strategies and forums to find what works best for your team. Here are some of the most effective ways to communicate in business:
- Face-to-face conversations - Technology has opened up many new communication channels and allowed businesses to connect with their employees and customers via multiple online platforms. However, face-to-face conversations are still an extremely valuable way of communicating in the workplace.
- Email - Email is one of the most popular communication methods in the workplace as it allows people to send and respond to messages quickly. It also provides a convenient and cost-effective way to connect with people at another location.
- Social media - Social channels like Facebook and Linkedin allow teams to communicate online, build relationships, and share ideas freely. Research shows that companies that utilize social media in their internal communications have higher levels of productivity.
- Business meetings - Meetings can be an excellent way for teams to get together and discuss certain agendas and projects. It also gives employees the opportunity to raise any issues or concerns. Meetings can be held in person or virtually via video conferencing apps like Skype.
7. Make timely decisions
Leaders typically have to make several decisions or more on a daily basis. This may involve deciding how to invest business funds or choosing how to manage a key business project. As a business develops, leaders are often required to make more frequent decisions and the outcomes tend to have a bigger impact and more serious repercussions. Strong leaders must be decisive and able to make informed decisions quickly. As a leader, you should have the capacity to assess potential outcomes and have confidence in your ability to choose the solution with the highest chance of success. You must provide your team with proper guidance and be prepared to make decisions in difficult situations. Many successful leaders collaborate with their teams to gain their insight and opinions on the decision-making process. However, the ultimate decision should come down to the leader. There are plenty of articles and resources offering advice on how to improve your decision-making skills.
8. Maintain a positive attitude
Your team will look towards you for inspiration and a positive attitude will encourage your employees to be motivated and engaged in the workplace. You should adopt a 'can do' attitude and support your team in a positive manner to stop them from becoming stressed or overwhelmed. Leave any negativity outside of the workplace and remember that a positive mindset will help to maximize productivity and improve overall performance. A positive mindset is contagious and your employees are likely to mirror your attitude. Experts at People First Productivity Solutions state that positive managers have confidence in their employees, focus on the things they can control, believe that they can make an impact, and are growth-orientated. Successful leaders focus on developing and maintaining a positive attitude and don't let negativity affect business efficiency.
9. Be willing to take risks
Part of being a successful leader is having the confidence to face challenges and take calculated risks. However, risks must be assessed thoroughly and taken on an informed basis to avoid unnecessary or reckless risks that could be detrimental to your business objectives. Make sure you consider the positive and negative outcomes of a particular risk and assess the potential pros and cons to help you choose the right decisions. If a certain risk doesn't pay off, then you must be prepared to acknowledge your failure and face the consequences. Don't be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone and use failure as an opportunity to grow and develop.
10. Encourage professional growth
You should act as a cheerleader for your employees and encourage them to grow professionally and personally. Hold one-on-one meetings with your team to discuss their career aspirations and help them come up with a plan to reach their goals. Taking a genuine interest in your employees' careers will help you build meaningful relationships with your staff and gain loyalty from your team. Developing your employee's skills and abilities should also improve productivity in the workplace and increase your bottom line. Luckily, there is an extensive variety of online courses that can teach new skills or develop existing ones. Research relevant qualifications and encourage your staff to complete any courses that could help them grow professionally. It is a good idea to set aside a budget to put towards employee development i.e. to fund training sessions and workshops. Remember that an effective leader should be invested in the success and growth of their team.
11. Get feedback on your leadership
It can be difficult to get a genuine overview of your abilities and performance as a leader. One of the most effective ways to assess your leadership is by asking colleagues, fellow professionals, or employees for feedback on your leadership skills. You can send out an anonymous questionnaire asking for feedback on your leadership approach and style. This will encourage people to provide their honest opinions on your leadership and areas for improvement. You can also try leadership coaching to help you identify any areas that need improvement. A leadership coach will assess your performance and help you develop strategies to advance your approach and achieve your leadership goals.
12. Have confidence in your ability
It is natural to have moments when you doubt your leadership ability, especially after a failure. However, a good leader should have confidence in their ability and believe that they will achieve a positive outcome in the long-run. Remember that your team will expect you to guide them and will look to you for encouragement and motivation. You must, therefore, learn to stay calm in difficult situations and deal with pressure effectively. Have your short-term and long-term goals in mind at all times and keep working towards them regardless of the situation.
Summary
There are many different attributes that make a successful leader. If you want to become a great leader, then you must invest in ways to boost the overall effectiveness of your leadership skills. People in leadership roles should take the time to develop relevant skills and adjust their management style to suit different teams. Above, are a few common examples of ways to improve your leadership skills and motivate your employees to maximize their performance in the workplace.
