Leadership is an act of leading people, group or organization. Leadership is not just a position, it is a responsibility, it is not an easy task, it takes effort and patience.
An organization’s success depends on how good or well its leaders perform. Apple Inc. would not be where it is today, without the leadership of Steve Jobs. His character enabled his employees to be innovative. He is a visionary, passionate, a motivator, and takes risks.
As it is said “Rise and fall of the organization depends upon its leader”
What is then the standard of good leadership?
Good leadership is determined by how an organization or group is able to achieve their goals or not. He should have the character that will inspire his employees to perform at their best to achieve the goal.
Here are 10 Essential Skills that Make Good Leaders Great:
*Complete honesty
Ethics are the guiding principles that we rely on when making decisions that will affect the well-being of other people. Every leader has their own ethical guidelines. To be an effective leader, ensure that you inform your team about the ethics that you follow. The behavior of your team members and the overall performance of a business are a reflection of the leader. Therefore, strive to have high ethical standards and show them to your team. This will help them to embody your ethical traits and provide you with the results that you expect.
*Ability to delegate
A leader usually has the clearest vision for their organization. To ensure that this vision is achieved, they should share it with their team. This builds trust. One effective way of doing this is by delegating tasks to them. When you assign strategic tasks to members of the team, you show strength as a leader. You also empower the team members to bring your idea to fruition. The key to successful delegation is to find out the strengths of your team and to capitalize on them. Give each member a task that they are highly capable of performing. They will take pride in exhibiting their talent to you. This is good for the team and great for the organization.
*Good communication skills
Factors such as the mission and direction of the organization are usually clear in the mind of the leader. However, they could be vague to the team members. These factors cannot be achieved without the input of everyone involved. How does the leader get the team to understand them clearly? They can do this through communication. A leader should be able to clearly communicate what they want. They should use a language that the team understands easily. In this way, everybody will be working towards the same goal. This leads to the success of the organization.
*High levels of confidence
Every organization goes through some rough patches. During these trying times, the future of the entire enterprise becomes shaky. Employees can begin to doubt the viability of the business and begin looking for ways out. At such a point, the leader should be calm and confident. They should dispel any doubts that their team may have. In addition to that, they should inform the team that challenges are a necessary part of growth and that they should all stay strong and forge forward. Confidence is a key characteristic of a leader.
*Be flexible
The only constant in life is change. Sometimes things don’t go as planned. This is because environmental conditions are constantly changing. Nowhere else is this more evident than in the world of business. In this sector, changes occur on a daily basis. Examples of these are the introduction of new rules and regulations by the authorities, changes in competitive tactics and changes in the preferences of your market. In the capacity of a leader, you should be able to anticipate these changes and adapt as fast as possible. A good leader is flexible and is able to adjust their sails whenever storms brew.
*Tenacious courage
This is a fundamental characteristic of a leader. You need to be constantly strong and courageous. While in a leadership position, you are constantly charting a path for your organization. Your team members are following you and trusting your judgment. To keep their morale high, you should be courageous and tenacious in your endeavors. On the path to success, there are always people trying to put you down. This is a fact that leaders have to observe and deal with on a daily basis. A leader needs to be courageous so as to trust themselves and their vision.
*Humble presence
Part of being an effective leader is knowing the concerns of your team. The only way to know them is to interact with them as much as you possibly can. Make your presence felt among them as they work. Guide them as they apply their expertise. For you to accomplish this, you need to be humble while interacting with them. This shows genuine concern for them and their feelings. Humility is an important characteristic of a leader.
*Have a good sense of humor
While on the path of growth, organizations face many challenges. These struggles can be very frequent, especially in the early stages. It is important to keep your chin up during these times of trouble. One of the ways to do this is to turn the pain into humor. For you to be a successful leader, you should find something light-hearted about every challenge you face. This is liberating for you and your team. It also takes the pressure off and allows you to apply your skill effectively to solve the challenge that is at hand.
*Lead by example
People follow examples more than they follow instructions. If you want your team to produce high quality results, then you need to show them how it is done. A good leader should walk the talk. Do the things that you expect your team to do. This is a very important characteristic of leadership. Ensure that you preach water and drink it too.
*Creative thinking
Sometimes you are faced with challenges that are so unique that there are no recorded, ready-made solutions for them. You are forced to come up with some solutions in real-time. As a leader, the skill of creative thinking comes in very handy in such situations. You team depends on you for guidance and survival during these challenging times. Therefore, the ability to think creatively out of the box is tremendously helpful for all that are involved.
The definition of leadership has nothing to do with the hierarchy or anyone’s position within the company; it has nothing to do with imposing views but it’s about listening to those who know. Leadership is the attitude assumed by those looking for something different, who are committed to achieving a goal and whose conviction they manage to transmit to others through enthusiasm and optimism in order to reach a common goal.
Great leaders are made. They learn how to be strong enough to lead other people. Leadership is a skill that you can teach yourself. Above are the characteristics of effective leaders. By using them as guidelines, you can transform yourself into one and lead your team to greater heights.