Everyone has a different definition of who a ‘good leader’ is, but we can all agree that one good definition is that, “a good leader is someone who leads and let others lead him. One who provides effective communication.” While a leader’s actions may be scrutinized when things are going bad, it is their leadership qualities that shine through the worst of times. A good leader learns something new every day and is open to improvements.
Running a successful business requires more than just having a great idea. It requires having the right leadership skills. And let’s face it not all of us are natural born leaders
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way” ~ John C. Maxwell
Great leaders understand that their skills can always be improved. Check out the following tips for becoming and developing your leadership skills:
Be An Inspiration
Being a good leader depends on how you get things done. An effective leader should be able to motivate others and drive them to do their best in the worst situations. Great leaders move us and inspire us to do our best work. The best way to become a great leader is train yourself to become better and better every day; not only help others learn and grow, but also make sure you learn and grow as the organisation grows.
Keep Learning
Some say that some people are born leaders. I somewhat agree, some people indeed have inbuilt qualities and a great talent to lead others. But, for me, experience also makes good leaders. We learn and grow every day. We follow and we lead. It all comes around in a circle. A great way to develop your leadership skills is to take on more responsibility: with responsibilities comes more experience. If you have a great leader to look up to, you too can become a great leader whom others will look up to.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Communication is one of the most powerful tools as a leader. You can solve most problems and overcome most obstacles if you are a good communicator. Even someone who excels in many aspects of leadership will probably hit a ceiling if he or she is not a good communicator. A good communicator is not just a great speaker but a great listener too, so that nothing said can get misunderstood or misinterpreted. It’s important to keep a tab on everyone involved in your team and make them feel equal. It’s important to schedule weekly meetings to maintain a good line of communication to avoid problems which might occur later due to miscommunication.
Be willing to delegate
Delegation is one of the key ways to get the best out of your team. Surrounding yourself with smart and talented people is pointless if you don’t let them do their jobs. Effective delegation starts with a desire to offload some of your work so you can focus on growing your business. You have to let your team do the things they do best. You hired them for a reason, after all.
Be a leader by example
Being a leader does not give you the license to do whatever you like. If you expect your employees to work hard, you should also be working hard. If your employees feel that they are only being delegated difficult responsibilities while you keep fun or easy tasks for yourself, they may resent your leadership. Be sure that you are constantly pushing yourself to do the best job you can do.