How to be a good leader

10 Tips for Becoming a Better Leader

Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author and educational consultant focused on helping students learn about psychology.

How would you describe a strong leader? In one study, leadership qualities such as assertiveness, adaptability, intelligence, and conscientiousness were cited as the most important.

Transformational leaders are positive, empowering, and inspiring. They value followers and inspire them to perform better. So what can you do to embrace these valued leadership qualities and become a stronger and more effective leader?

Transformational leaders are usually described as enthusiastic, passionate, genuine and energetic. These leaders are not just concerned about helping the group achieve its goals; they also care about helping each member of the group reach his or her full potential.

Consider some of the following tips for how to become a better leader and think about ways that you can implement these strategies in your daily life.

Start by Understanding Your Leadership Style

Understanding your current leadership style is essential. What are your strengths? Which areas need some improvement? One way to start assessing your skills is to take this leadership style quiz to get a general idea of how you lead.

Once you have completed the quiz, read about the major characteristics of your dominant style. Are these qualities helping or hindering your leadership? Once you’ve determined which areas need some work, you can begin looking for ways to improve your leadership abilities.

Encourage Creativity

Intellectual stimulation is one of the leadership qualities that define transformational leadership. Followers need to be encouraged to express their creativity. Effective leaders should offer new challenges with ample support to achieve these goals. 

One way to foster creativity is to offer challenges to group members, making sure that the goals are within the grasp of their abilities. The purpose of this type of exercise is to get people to stretch their limits but not become discouraged by barriers to success.

Serve as a Role Model

Idealized influence is another of the four key components of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders exemplify the behaviors and characteristics that they encourage in their followers. They walk the walk and talk the talk. As a result, group members admire these leaders and work to emulate these behaviors.

Research suggests that leaders are able to foster a specific belief and then transmit that inspiration to their followers.   As a result, followers are optimistic and have high standards for performance and achievement.

If you want to become a better leader, work on modeling the qualities that you would like to see in your team members.

Be Passionate

Would you look to someone for guidance and leadership if they did not truly care about the goals of the group? Of course not! Great leaders are not just focused on getting group members to finish tasks; they have a genuine passion and enthusiasm for the projects they work on. 

You can develop this leadership quality by thinking of different ways that you can express your zeal. Let people know that you care about their progress. When one person shares something with the rest of the group, be sure to tell them how much you appreciate such contributions.

Listen and Communicate Effectively

Another important quality of transformational leadership involves a focus on providing one-on-one communication with group members. Transformational leadership is effective when leaders are able to communicate their vision to followers, who then feel inspired and motivated by this vision. 

Good leaders should express sincere care and concern for the members of their group both verbally and nonverbally.

By keeping the lines of communication open, these leaders can ensure that group members feel able to make contributions and receive recognition for their achievements.

Have a Positive Attitude

Transformational leaders have an upbeat, optimistic attitude that serves as a source of inspiration for followers. If leaders seem discouraged or apathetic, members of the group are likely to also become uninspired.

Even when things look bleak and your followers start to feel disheartened, try to stay positive. This does not mean viewing things through rose-colored glasses. It simply means maintaining a sense of optimism and hope in the face of challenges.

Encourage People to Make Contributions

Let the members of your team know that you welcome their ideas. Leaders who encourage involvement from group members are often referred to as democratic or participative leaders. While they retain the final say over all decisions, they encourage team members to take an active role in coming up with ideas and plans.

Research has shown that using a democratic leadership style leads to greater commitment, more creative problem-solving and improved productivity. 

Motivate Your Followers

Transformational leaders also provide inspirational motivation to encourage their followers to get into action.   Of course, being inspirational isn’t always easy. Fortunately, you don’t need motivational speeches to rouse your group members.

Some ideas for leadership​ inspiration include being genuinely passionate about ideas or goals, helping followers feel included in the process and offering recognition, praise, and rewards for people’s accomplishments.

Offer Rewards and Recognition

Another important quality of a good leader involves knowing that offering effective recognition and rewards is one of the best ways to help followers feel appreciated and happy.   It may also come as no surprise that happy people tend to perform better at work.

Keep Trying New Things

Who says leadership is a one-way relationship? As you work toward developing some of these leadership qualities, don’t forget to look to your followers for feedback and inspiration. Pay attention to the things that have been effective in the past and always be on the lookout for new ways to inspire, motivate, and reward group members.

Mental Health in the Workplace Webinar

On May 19, 2022, Verywell Mind hosted a virtual Mental Health in the Workplace webinar, hosted by Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW. If you missed it, check out this recap to learn ways to foster supportive work environments and helpful strategies to improve your well-being on the job.

How to become a good leader ЕГЭ: детальный разбор и ответы

How to become a good leader ЕГЭ: детальный разбор и ответы

Сначала посмотрим на сам текст «How to become a good leader ЕГЭ», который представлен на сайте ФИПИ.

It is not hard at all to 32 ______ the difference between a good and a bad boss.

В данном задании проверяется знание устойчивого выражения tell the difference – отличить.

Ответ: tell

A33. При выполнении этого задания руководствуемся значениями имеющихся слов.

Exceptional leaders – those who are respected and 33 ______ by their team – have a lot of secret skills that they put to use every day.

be amazed by smb – удивлен, поражен кем-то/ be amazed at smth — удивлен чем-то
be admired by – вызывающий восхищение кого-то
be impressed by – впечатлен чем-то
be enjoyed by – пользоваться (о правах), наслаждаться

Exceptional leaders – those who are respected and admired by their team –have a lot of secret skills that they put to use every day. — Исключительные лидеры — это те, кого уважает и кем восхищается команда — обладают множеством секретных навыков, которые они применяют каждый день.

Ответ: admired

А34. Следующее задание проверяет знание предложных управлений. Таблицу со всеми управлениями, которые могут встретиться на ЕГЭ, вы можете найти здесь.

depend on smth/smb – зависеть от чего-то/кого-то

That means your success depends greatly 34 ______ interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.

Ответ: on

A35. Запомните устойчивое выражение achieve a goal – достичь цели. Еще больше интересных фактов о глаголе achieve и его синонимах вы найдете здесь.

Значению и употреблению этих предлогов мы посвятили целую статью. Скорее переходите по ссылке и читайте. Также вы можете пройти наш тест и узнать, насколько хорошо вы разбираетесь в данной теме.

36 ______ to the research, managers with the strongest emotional intelligence were much more likely to succeed.

Ответ: according

Exceptional leaders are ones who regularly 37 ______ employees of the main goal.

Однако давайте также посмотрим, что означают другие глаголы, ведь они также могут встретиться в последующих тестах.

revise — проверять, просматривать, перечитывать (перед экзаменами), дорабатывать (статью, книгу, письменную работу)
review — рецензировать (о книге, статье)
recall — вспоминать

Более подробно узнать o remember, remind, recall, recollect вы можете здесь.
Также не забудьте потренироваться и выполнить наш тест, посвященным разнице между эти глаголами.

Ответ: remind

А38. В последнем задании нам предлагают еще одно устойчивое выражение make sure – убеждаться/ делать так, чтобы.

Great leaders 38 ______ sure their daily behavior is a model for their team.

Хотите знать все о выполнении заданий 32-38? Мы собрали для вас все детальные разборы на одной странице. Здорово, не так ли? Они непременно пригодятся в ходе подготовки к ЕГЭ!

Разбор следующего текста «Solo travelling» уже совсем скоро. Следите за обновлениями и совершенствуйте свой английский вместе с ABC.

10 Ways to Become a Better Leader

Learn how to be a good leader to improve your team’s engagement and success.

Anyone can sit in a corner office and delegate tasks, but there is more to effective leadership than that. Effective leaders have major impacts on not only the team members they manage, but also their company as a whole. Employees who work under great leaders tend to be happier, more productive and more connected to their organization – and this has a ripple effect that reaches your business’s bottom line.

“I think a great leader is one who makes those around them better,” Dana Brownlee, founder of Professionalism Matters, told Business News Daily. “There are many litmus tests for a great leader, but I really look to those around them: Are they growing, becoming better leaders themselves, motivated, etc.?”

If you look around and see that your team members have become disengaged or stagnant in their work, it may be time to reassess and reform your strategies. According to Brownlee, the following behaviors are signs that you may have a poor leadership strategy:

A recent study by the Center for Creative Leadership showed that roughly 38% to more than half of new leaders fail within their first 18 months. Leaders can avoid becoming part of this staggering statistic by incorporating good leadership strategies that motivate their team members to accomplish their goals.

We spoke with CEOs, directors and leadership experts to learn what those leadership strategies are and how you can incorporate them.

1. Engage in honest, open communication.

One of the most important elements of effective leadership is creating an open line of communication with your team members. Sanjay Patoliya, the founder and director of Teclogiq, said that your own honesty and transparency should serve as an example for your team members.

“When you are responsible for a team of people, it is important to be straightforward,” he said. “Your company and its employees are a reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior as a key value, your team will follow.”

Brownlee added that great leaders are able to customize their interactions and communication styles to suit each situation and team member, based on individual preferences. “This means they take the time to figure out which communication mode is preferred by each team member – e.g., are they a text person, email, phone, or face-to-face? They’re also great listeners and are authentically interested in other people.”

Displaying active communication skills and transparency can build trust among your team and improve overall morale. Ruslan Fazlyev, CEO and founder of e-commerce solutions provider Ecwid, said that in all your communications, it’s important to be genuine above all else.

“There are many leadership styles; there’s no right and wrong,” he said. “But there’s genuine, and there’s fake. There’s no following to fake leadership.”

Key takeaway: Maintaining honest and straightforward communication inspires your employees to reciprocate. Each team member may have a different communication style so it’s important to tailor your communication based on the individual.

2. Connect with your team members.

Leading a group of people requires a mutual sense of trust and understanding between the leader and their team members. To achieve this, leaders should learn to connect.

Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie, a leadership writer and consultant, said that being a “more human” leader requires positivity, purpose, empathy, compassion, humility and love. These key traits will put you on the road to genuine connections with the members of your team.

“Building a real, personal connection with your teammates is vital to developing the shared trust necessary to build a strong culture of accountability and exceptional performance,” St. Marie said. “With that culture in place, the team can achieve a successful business, a happy team and a fulfilled leader.”

To build a connection with each of your team members, focus on getting to know their personality, interests, strengths, weaknesses, hobbies and preferences. This can give you insight into their goals and motivations.

Patoliya said that successful leaders allow their teams to develop autonomy and add value according to their own personal strengths. “Being able to recognize the strengths of individuals within their team, and allowing them to be responsible and accountable, not only increases employees’ confidence in themselves and their leader, but also increases their performance.”

3. Encourage personal and professional growth.

Acting as your team’s cheerleader is an important part of being an effective leader. You should be invested in their success and growth.

Keri Ohlrich, the CEO of HR consulting company Abbracci Group, said that leaders should set aside a budget, if only a small one, to dedicate to the growth of their employees.

“With options as varied as on-demand, virtual [and] in-person options, there’s ample opportunity to continue learning new skills or further developing existing ones,” she said. “Empower your employees to take the time to learn and infuse that in the work they do.”

In addition to investing in your employees’ growth financially, you should invest emotionally. John Rampton, founder and CEO of Calendar, said that great leaders empower their employees to grow by giving them challenging opportunities and guiding them as needed.

“To motivate and inspire employees, leadership strategy is about empowering others to do their best and take on new challenges,” he said. “Employees like challenges and feeling the satisfaction of overcoming them. Whether it’s a tough client, a difficult sale, a hard situation or whatever the case, it’s always good to let them take on these challenges.”

When leaders believe in their employees and give them the opportunity to learn and grow, they might be surprised how much they can accomplish. Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks and encourage freedom and creativity.

4. Keep a positive attitude.

As much as leaders wish their team’s day-to-day operations could run smoothly all the time, they’re bound to run into the occasional obstacle. Whether it’s a minor miscommunication or a major error, the way you handle a negative situation says a lot about your leadership skills.

Robert Mann, author of The Measure of a Leader (iUniverse, 2013), recommended focusing on the good in any set of circumstances. “Look at three positive things about a problem before you identify what makes it dissatisfying. The more you look at the positives in a problem, the more positively people react with one another.”

In his research, Mann has found that after individuals point out things they’re happy with in a problematic situation, they don’t feel so strongly about the problem and are better able to think clearly and solve it. The same is true when a leader needs to improve their strategy. If you or a team member notices a particular course of action you’ve taken that just isn’t working, figure out some things you’ve done in the past that have worked.

Patoliya added that focusing on solutions, rather than problems, can help your team maintain positive engagement. “A positive environment is more likely to create a more engaged and productive workforce. By displaying enthusiasm and confidence, a good leader will see the impact that they can have in their working environment.”

5. Teach employees instead of giving orders.

An effective leader knows how to show others what is required, rather than simply telling them. Luke Iorio, president and CEO of the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), said leaders should coach their team members toward a more collaborative, committed work environment – without coaxing them.

“[If you are] controlling people to do certain things in certain ways, you’re not going to get the level of engagement that you’re looking for,” he said. “Coaching is about helping the people you lead recognize the choices they have in front of them. People will [then] take a great deal of ownership over the direction of the project.”

As opposed to simply barking orders at team members, Rampton said that good leaders should encourage growth by teaching. “People wouldn’t grow if leaders never taught them anything. Leaders need to be teaching so they can grow new leaders to take their place.”

6. Set clear employee goals and expectations.

Setting clear goals and employee expectations for your team is key to employee success. When setting these objectives, encourage employee questions and feedback. Including them in the process can increase engagement.

Amish Shah, president of ALTR Created Diamonds, said that good leaders will also explain the company vision and how team member goals fit into that equation.

“For a leader to motivate and inspire, they need to keep their team in the know about their vision,” he said. “This helps employees understand the end result they’re working towards as a unit. When goals are clearly set, everyone can track progress and identify achievements in a tangible manner.”

Ohlrich also stressed the importance of explaining how these goals impact the organization as a whole. She said that, regardless of seniority level, every employee should be able to articulate how the work they do supports the success of the company.

Don’t let team member goals go static. Periodically revisit goals to modify or rearrange them as needed. This will let your team members know that you are present and aware of what they are working on.

Tip: When setting these objectives, encourage employee questions and feedback. Including them in the process can increase engagement.

7. Give direct feedback about performance.

Taso Du Val, CEO and founder of the Toptal freelance talent network, said direct, honest feedback – even if it’s criticism – is the best way to guide your team in the right direction. You also need to know exactly where your business is headed so you can give them the right advice.

“If you’re not direct, people won’t know what you truly think about them and their work, and they will never be able to improve,” Du Val said. “If you don’t know the precise direction your company is headed, no matter how much you’ve communicated to your employees and leadership team regarding their individual performance, they will flounder when it comes to making decisions and taking actions. Once those basic principles are in place, deadlines, regular product plans, performance reviews, structure and processes can easily be put into place.”

In addition to providing constructive feedback and performance reviews, highlight employee accomplishments. If a team member does something great, let them know. Celebrate their wins and thank them for their hard work.

“Positive recognition will create an environment of productivity,” said Shah. “Acknowledging successes by outlining how it impacts the business, rather than with vague pats on the back, is not only encouraging but also helps a person work better in the long run.”

8. Ask for feedback on your leadership.

Your team members aren’t the only ones who can benefit from honest feedback. A true self-assessment of your leadership can be difficult, so mentors, fellow professionals and even your own staff are invaluable in evaluating your effectiveness. According to St. Marie, talking to friends and peers can give you necessary perspective on your leadership style and approach.

Leadership coaching can also help you discover areas where you need improvement. A professional who helps you develop a plan to achieve your leadership goals can be more motivational than books and seminars alone.

“Coaching allows leaders to make the connection and apply [changes] in a real-life setting,” Iorio said. “You need time to integrate, process and reflect, and unless you go through those steps, you won’t have sustainable change.”

Fazlyev agreed, noting that your team can give you critical insight into what’s working, what’s not working and what obstructions you must overcome to achieve success.

9. Be open to new ideas.

Good leaders have the emotional intelligence to understand and accept that change is inevitable. Instead of trying to maintain a status quo just for the sake of consistency, embrace change and innovation. Be open to new ideas and alternative ways of thinking. Everyone brings a unique perspective to the table, and that is something to take advantage of, not discourage.

“When you’re open to hearing the thoughts of the talent around you is when you truly embrace every possibility and potential,” said Shah. “See things through till the end. Understand that there will be errors along the way, but if something doesn’t work, try to figure out why and how before scrapping it.”

When solving a problem, encourage team members to provide their insights. When employees feel like they can openly bring new ideas to the table, true innovation, engagement and success can prevail.

Key takeaway: Encourage your employees to bring new ideas and perspectives to the table. By doing so, you empower your team to become more innovative and invested in company growth.

10. Understand your own motivation.

If a person in a leadership position views their role as “just a job,” it’s going to show. To be an effective leader, you need the right motivation. Is it the money or the prestige you care about, or do you sincerely want to inspire people to do their best?

St. Marie advised leaders to really ask themselves why they want to lead. “I look at leadership as an honor and a vocation. If, in your heart, you feel leadership is your destiny and how you’ll make a difference in this world, then you are certainly starting from the right place.”

In addition to what motivates you, Ohlrich said it is important to know what decreases your energy. “Knowing your strengths and weaknesses help you diversify your team and get a well-rounded portfolio of skills. It helps you not hire carbon copies of yourself and surround yourself with others who are not like you.”

Your leadership style plays a role in how you interact with employees and should be evaluated as well. There are nine different leadership styles, and the best leaders are able to adapt each style to their situations and employees. If you are currently in a leadership role and aren’t sure where you stand on some of these qualities, you can take a quick leadership self-assessment quiz from the Leading With Courage Academy to assess your leadership abilities.

Remember that being a good leader takes time. Although some individuals are naturally inclined to have good leadership skills, it is something anyone can learn and improve upon. With hard work, dedication and strategic planning, you can lead your team to success.

Additional reporting by Nicole Fallon and Shannon Gausepohl. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

How To Be A Good Leader

How does one learn how to be a good leader? As a good and effective leader, you must guide and take your followers through the best path possible.

Your followers see you as their key to success.

You must be their compass when they are lost as well as their torch when they are in the dark.

The Importance Of A Good Leader In A Business Organization

A good leader fulfills many roles to ensure that the business’ operations and staff work smoothly and efficiently.

Here are some of a leader’s roles:

Asides from those roles, a good leader also:

Steps To Becoming A Good Leader

You now know or have been refreshed about the roles and importance of a good leader, but the question of how to be a good leader remains.

There are three basic steps to becoming a good leader:

Characteristics Of A Good Leader

One of the basic keys to being a leader is to absorb the qualities of a good leader who can be in charge and can find the ability to be on top of things.

Below are just a few of those traits.

Read them and you might just pick up some important leadership skills.

Good Trouble Shooter

The road to success is not a straight one.

And that is also true when learning how to be a good leader.

You and your team will often find yourselves facing problems that may set you back.

Solving those problems can prevent you from going back on your progress or push you forward toward your goals.

You must be capable of coming up with ways on how to solve those problems without creating complications.

Excellent Decision Maker

You and your team will be faced with many situations where you need to make tough decisions.

Your decisions should be timely and sound and they should always consider the best interests of the stakeholders and your followers.

Strong Commitment

Before being a good leader, you must first become an ideal follower.

The best followers are the ones who are strongly committed to the instructions they are given and the organization they are part of.

If you yourself cannot commit to or follow the things you or your leader decided on, then your followers will hesitate in committing, too, when it is your turn to lead.

On the other hand, if you cannot commit to something you have decided despite being strongly committed to your goal and job, then you might need to re-evaluate your decision to see if it is the right one.

Accountability

As you learn how to become a leader — and a good one at that! — expect the inevitable. You will make bad decisions from time to time.

So, if you made a mistake, ensure that you do not stick with it.

Admit that you were wrong, and be accountable for your decisions and actions.

Also, you should take responsibility and face whatever consequences you have brought upon yourself and your team.

Ability To Delegate Tasks

You should not be the only one to decide, commit, and be accountable — or do all the work.

Learn to delegate tasks.

Do not think for one moment that you should baby your followers just because you are the leader.

As a leader, you have the right and responsibility to delegate tasks.

If you believe that one of the things you need to accomplish for the team is beyond you, it is best that you pass it on to someone suited for the job.

Confidence

Confidence is one of the crucial qualities of a good leader.

Remember that your followers treat you as their guide.

They will, by default, believe and trust that you know what you are doing.

However, it does not mean that they will never doubt or question your words and decisions.

Your followers will doubt you if you aren’t confident.

For example, passing a task to one of your followers without confidence can easily demotivate the one receiving the task and may encourage them to question your authority and capabilities.

Motivated

If your confidence in your decision to give a task to your staff isn’t enough to make them believe that they can accomplish the task, you should provide motivation and encouragement.

Motivation is a primary driver in work efficiency.

Note that you cannot motivate others if you yourself aren’t motivated.

Also, when motivating others, be sure that you are motivating them in the right direction.

Great Communicator

Actions speak louder than words.

While that’s true, both action and words are equally important and must be ‘heard’ when leading a group of people.

Good communication skills are important characteristics of being a good leader.

You can’t motivate others if you cannot communicate your thoughts well.

Words have the power to unite your group.

They can also motivate your followers.

And they can help your followers know which direction to take in order to achieve your goals.

Empathy

You should know that when you’re learning how to become a leader, you’re not going to lead a bunch of robots.

You are going to deal with human beings that are social and emotional.

In one decision you make, it will surely set off some character differences in your crew.

Empathy is the ability to recognize another person’s emotion.

Just knowing what your staff is feeling and being aware of their mood will allow you to create decisions and a work environment that promote good vibes and reduce negative emotions.

Honesty

There will be times when you are unsure of the decisions you make.

So while you always need to be confident, never place confidence on a decision you doubt.

In that kind of scenario, honesty is the answer.

It is better to honestly admit that you do not know anything than be confident and commit to something you do not know, which may lead to failure.

Integrity

Honesty is essential for integrity as integrity is one of the core keys to being a leader.

Integrity takes honesty to the next level.

You can be honest about your motivations, feelings, and thoughts.

However, being honest is nothing if the real reason for not telling lies is immoral and unethical.

The Responsibilities Of A Good Leader

Being a leader, you have basic responsibilities that you should always do.

Accomplishing all of them is one of the ways to be a leader.

Being The Best Example

Talk the talk, walk the walk: that is one of the best leadership tips you should follow.

If you want your followers to become ideal followers, then make sure that you show them how to be ideal followers.

Setting an example encourages your followers to copy you and reinforce your ideal.

Being The Proficient One

Being a leader, it is important that you should be at the front or ahead of everything and everyone.

You need to be aware of the consequences and results of all of your actions and decisions as a group.

Of course, it will be ideal if you can think two steps ahead of everyone.

But that’s a difficult skill to master.

Nobody expects you to be a fortune-teller.

Being Positive

Being positive is one of the most important leadership skills to have.

It allows you to create a positive environment for your team.

A positive environment pushes people to become more productive and engaged.

It also allows you to give off and spread confidence and enthusiasm.

One of the quickest ways to be always positive is to avoid blaming and complaining.

If you cannot do that, try your best to channel the bad vibes somewhere else.

Being Transparent

Never hide any crucial information from your members.

They should always be aware of anything related to the progress and status of the group.

Leaving someone in the dark only causes that person to distrust you and causes the breakdown of your crew.

Also, you should be accessible most of the time.

This means that you should be approachable and open-minded.

You should be the kind of person that people can open up to without fear and hesitation.

Remember that being transparent generates respect and trust.

You need a lot of those two in order to lead your crew well.

Always Looking For Opportunities To Improve

One of the most important leadership tips you should know is that you need to get rid of your weaknesses and limitations through continual development and learning.

As the saying goes, there is always room for improvement.

Never stop learning and looking for ways on how you can be a better leader.

Understanding Your Leadership Style

One of the first steps to being a good leader is to identify and understand your leadership style.

According to psychologist Kurt Lewin, there are six leadership styles: Authoritarian, Democratic, Delegative, Transformational, Transactional, and Situational.

Authoritarian

Your style of leadership falls under this category if you always provide clear-cut and fully detailed instructions.

You lay out the foundation of things you need to do and set up precise expectations.

Under the authoritarian style, the creativity of an organization is significantly low.

Your followers will also view you as dictatorial, bossy, and controlling.

One of the primary advantages of authoritarian leadership is that the group achieves progress faster.

However, the effectiveness of this style depends on the gap between the skill of the leader and the followers.

Teams with a skilled leader and average to below-average followers require this style.

Because the decision relies entirely on the leader, no time is wasted in consulting followers for opinions.

This leads to saving time and having fewer mistakes.

However, due to the authoritarian nature of leadership, there is the possibility of creating a hostile and abnormal environment.

Democratic

Your leadership style falls under democratic or participative if you value the input of your followers.

Despite giving your members the option to provide input and give suggestions, the leader in this democratic style still has the final word.

This style is effective most of the time.

Aside from giving members a voice in the group, the democratic leadership style also pushes the leader to give guidance to the members.

However, the guidance provided is unlike the laid-out, minute-by-minute planning of the autocratic leader.

One major disadvantage of this style of leadership is that people are less productive than those under authoritarian rule.

However, productivity is followed by high-quality results.

The democratic leadership style also empowers members of the group and make them further committed to the group’s goals.

Delegative

As the name suggests, this type of leader mostly passes tasks on to members.

Unlike the previous two styles, they are mostly hands-off to their groups.

They offer no guidance and they let their followers do the decisions.

Delegative leadership often falls apart fast.

Members tend to make demands, don’t cooperate well, and are unable to work without supervision.

The usefulness of this type of leadership type is narrow.

For one, it is only useful in groups with members that are highly specialized and skilled.

It can also be used in groups with members with already assigned roles and assignments.

Transformational

This style is often praised as the most effective leadership style.

It is a style that is required for becoming a great leader.

In this style, the leader often focuses heavily on both the organization and the members’ goals.

This style puts emphasis on creating positive changes and inspiring members.

According to numerous studies performed on this leadership style, it provides the highest output and satisfaction level of the group and its members.

The only drawback is that it is very demanding for the leader.

The leader that wants to adopt this style must be passionate, energetic, and emotionally intelligent.

Transactional

This is the most common type of leadership you will see in a business environment.

A transactional style commonly restricts the role of the leader and the members to employer and employees, respectively.

Employees accept the leadership of the employer because of the employment agreement.

Basically, the followers of this style of leadership are paid in exchange for following the leader’s command and decisions.

The biggest advantage of this style is that the roles of the leader and the followers are strictly defined.

Also, leaders can take advantage of monetary awards or rewards to motivate their followers.

However, the disadvantage here is that this style can prevent creativity due to the strict relationship between the leader and follower and their positions.

Situational

This type of leadership style varies.

And as its name suggests, it encompasses different styles and techniques, depending on what situation the group is in.

Sub-styles under situational include telling, selling, directing, coaching, and supporting.

Final Thoughts

Indeed, there are many ways to be a leader and lead your team effectively: understanding the value of teamwork, listening to your staff, etc.

However, regardless of the leadership style you choose to employ, you must focus on the bottom line; what will benefit the company, and what will benefit you and your staff.

The success of your business lies in your ability to become a great leader.

Practice what you preach and be the right role model your staff will follow.

Has this article helped you understand how you can be a good leader?

Do leave us your comments!

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Leadership Effectiveness: How to Be a Better Leader

01 Introduction

There may not be an «I» in team, but there is an «I» in disengaged.

«Improving your leadership begins with a focus on improving what you’re already good at.»

We would call that leading with your strengths: the things that come naturally to you and that help you succeed daily. When you intentionally apply your strengths as a leader, that’s when your life and the lives of those you lead begin to change.

This page will provide you with new ways to think about your role or position as a leader. Legitimate improvement begins with a refusal to ascribe to one-size-fits-all solutions. Stay with us, discover why your strengths matter and then learn to use yours to become a transformational leader.

02 What Is Leadership?

Improving leadership is an idea that can be difficult to grasp in tactical or practical ways.

The first step to improving it is to define it.

Our leadership definition, in its simplest form, means «the act of getting individuals aligned and moving in the same direction toward a desired outcome.»

Picture this: a world where every leader knew what goals they wanted to achieve, knew how to get their followers working toward that goal and knew how to use their strengths to get there. The world would be a much different place, wouldn’t it?

A key to effective leadership is the ability to define outcomes, but then helps individuals put their talents to use to get there. The best leaders know their people and are more aware of those people’s strengths than they are of their weaknesses. Great leaders aren’t blind to their own or others’ weaknesses; they just know that their competitive edge lies within their strengths.

Let’s put this into perspective.

And even better, he knew that what he had originally desired had changed.

But he didn’t listen. Jim opened his own bakery, hired full-time staff and grew a successful business.

From an outsider’s perspective, it was easy to see what Jim should do.

The advice from Jim’s inner circle wasn’t great. Their intentions were, but they were ignoring natural excellence and emphasizing weakness in hopes of mediocrity.

Defining Leadership Roles and Expectations

Having clear expectations in your role as a leader is vital to success. Most of the time, understanding your role and the expectations that come with it begins with deciding what outcomes or goals need to be met. Whether you define them yourself or have an organization define them for you, they need to be clear, manageable and well-communicated.

When leaders lack clear expectations for their own roles and outcomes, it can create a lack of trust among their followers. They can come off as incompetent and lose buy-in from their team members.

Think of any leader you’ve had personal experience with. If you asked them, «What is the outcome of this supposed to be?» or «What is the purpose?» and they said, «I don’t know,» there would be an apparent issue with how they go about fulfilling the duties of their role.

03 Leadership Traits: What Makes a Good Leader

A good leader takes responsibility for their leadership. They understand that everything they do directly affects the people they lead.

In other words, the best leaders lead with their followers in mind.

We’ve studied which leadership skills are the most important to a follower. What do you think we found? Maybe «good communication,» «motivational» or «highly committed»?

While these traits are certainly important for leaders, what followers crave the most are trust, compassion, stability and hope.

Check out the descriptions below. Which one of these traits do you excel in? Which one doesn’t come as naturally to you, and how can you lean on strong complementary partnerships for that trait?

The Most Important Leadership Traits

Example: Share your concerns or struggles as a leader. By modeling this, your followers will be more likely to trust you with theirs.

Bring positive energy and a willingness to listen. Being compassionate means caring about your followers holistically while seeing them as more than just their ability to perform. Compassionate leaders should be willing to share their own struggles and accept the same honesty from others.

Example: React calmly and empathetically when followers are dealing with difficult situations in work or life. From family burdens to workplace burnout, modeling compassion can help them succeed.

Example: Try to be as consistent as you can when responding to those who follow you. Seek to answer the questions your followers have. This will help provide the stability they crave.

Encourage people to believe in a better future. While stability focuses on today, hopefulness deals with the future. People need to see that their leaders have a clear direction in mind. They want to have faith that their leaders are guiding them in the right direction. When leaders communicate hope, they can help followers feel more enthusiastic about the future.

Example: Talk about the future as if it’s bright. Even when things are hard, you can acknowledge difficulties while still communicating the best possible outcome to your followers.

To practically apply these traits, make them a part of your everyday communication. Every email, conversation, instruction, etc., should be building hope, trust, stability and compassion.

Learn more about these essential leadership traits (also called the «four needs of followers») from Gallup experts.

04 Seven Expectations for Leaders

If you Google «effective leadership skills,» «developing leadership skills,» «characteristics of a good leader» or anything in that ballpark, you’ll notice a pattern: Almost every article, website or business leadership skills «solution» is geared toward trying harder and investing in developing weaknesses. Or trying to adopt certain leadership qualities that simply don’t come naturally.

This isn’t the right way. It doesn’t produce long-lasting results.

Self-awareness is key in using your strengths. It’s hard to use something you’re not aware that you have.

What all leaders need is a fresh look at the leadership behaviors that actually contribute to performance, development and success.

These are the expectations for every leader:

Being able to do these seven things well can be the biggest differentiator between being an average leader and an exceptional leader.

05 The Most Effective Leadership Styles

You may have wondered, «What kind of leader am I?»

There are countless ways you could answer this question. But most people look to academic leadership theories or find a list of leadership personality traits and different leadership styles to try to answer this.

For example, there’s transformational leadership or authentic leadership. Well, wait, aren’t all leaders supposed to be these two things? Then there’s transactional leadership and laissez-faire leadership, or you could be more autocratic or a coaching leader. OK, now I’m really confused.

With many ways to pinpoint your leadership styles or categorize your relationships with your followers, your attempts may leave you feeling discouraged or irritated. But if you’re not sure what kind of leader you are, how are you supposed to find support or improve?

Instead, ask yourself a different question: Why and how do I lead?

Each leader is naturally drawn to different things, so you may find that more traditional ways of compartmentalizing leadership styles leave you feeling confused. Instead, answer the questions presented by the four domains of leadership below.

Traditional «Choose One» Leadership Styles

Traditional methods of leadership discovery say to choose the statement that best describes you to discover what one specific type of leader you are.

Top Left Quadrant: I am task-oriented and like to get things done. Top Right Quadrant: I can motivate others and can often be commanding. Bottom Left Quadrant: I am more analytical in my approach to leadership, always lost in thought. Bottom Right Quadrant: I tend to focus on relationships and can understand where my followers are coming from.

Four Domains of Leadership

The four domains of leadership say, «You naturally do all of these things; you just do them differently than others. Let’s discover your unique way of leading.»

Top Left Quadrant: How do you make things happen? Top Right Quadrant: How do you influence others? Bottom Left Quadrant: How do you absorb, think about and analyze information and situations? Bottom Right Quadrant: How do you build and nurture strong relationships?

The four domains of leadership are a helpful framework because when you search for one specific leadership style, you wind up trying to spend more time categorizing than you do developing.

Each of the four domains encompasses a set of CliftonStrengths that fit that category. Leaders who know their CliftonStrengths become more effective leaders in a few ways. Knowing their strengths helps them:

Those who know and use their CliftonStrengths are also:

06 Leadership vs. Management

At the end of the day, leaders and managers are both focused on two things: developing people and delivering team (or organizational) success.

Leadership : Traditionally, leaders have been responsible for creating the overall strategic vision.

Management : Managers are the ones who «get things done,» execute leadership direction and direct teams.

But as the workplace continues to change, the line between the roles of leaders and managers continues to blur.

The expectation is for the manager and leader to be more of a coach than a boss.

The biggest difference between a leader and a manager is where they fall within an organization. A manager is someone who is usually in charge of leading people, where a leader is in charge of leading the people who lead people. Leaders are more responsible for creating the strategic vision and are a little more removed from the front lines. Managers are more about getting the actual work done.

Check out this video that talks about the differences between leadership and management:

07 How to Lead a Team to Success

Success is measured and defined differently by all, which means that good information on how to lead your team to success or understanding what makes a successful team can be hard to find. Before you know how to lead, you need to know what a successful team looks like.

A successful team is a team where individuals are positioned to do what they do best and get the resources and partnerships they need to do their best work.

CliftonStrengths makes this easier. Having team members discover, develop and lead with their strengths can lead to higher employee engagement and performance, which are outcomes of a successful team. However, they aren’t the most important outcomes because giving your employees the opportunity to do what they do best is the greatest measure of a successful team.

To lead a successful team, be willing to admit to your team that you’re not great at everything. It’s good to acknowledge, and it’s even better for your team to hear.

Conventional wisdom says that to become a better leader, you should develop the areas where you are naturally weak. And to be a good leader, you encourage your team to do the same. But CliftonStrengths says you should invest in the places where you’re naturally strong.

As a leader, you could look at your team’s grid to determine who would good be partners to:

Knowing the makeup of your team’s strengths allows you to lead more confidently because you know how to set each person up for success.

Position individuals to do what they do best, better use each individual’s strengths, build more effective partnerships and teams, and then mobilize the team to increase individual and team effectiveness.

For more information about the team grid and bringing strengths to your team, contact us.

08 Leadership Development

If your attempts to develop in the past have fallen short, it may be because too few leadership development programs can clearly define the experiences that lead to excellence in leadership. They don’t individualize, they can’t match leader to experience at the time it’s most needed, and they don’t help leaders analyze their experiences so they can effectively apply them in the future.

1 We believe that knowing your strengths is a great foundation for creating a leadership development plan. When you take the CliftonStrengths assessment, you will get a report with personalized results. Our CliftonStrengths 34 report (featuring all 34 strengths in rank order) will help you discover what you do best and give you the confidence to live and work every day using those strengths.

The descriptions of your top strengths, and the order in which they appear, will be unique to you. Because just as we believe that no two leaders lead the same way, we also believe that no two people have the same strengths.

2 Learn to identify your own key experiences. Key experiences are some of the most critical components of leader success. Put simply, «Key experiences are events in a leader’s life that result in learning, growth and/or increased capacity to effectively lead.» Every role and every industry looks different, but key experiences are one of the foundational elements to leadership development anywhere.

Here are a few examples of key experiences that have helped develop leaders in the workplace:

Although those key experiences will look different for each person, you can notice a pattern or commonality between them all. Embracing new situations and being uncomfortable are important parts of developing as a leader. When things look tough, lean in. That’s where growth happens.

3 Take a look at the seven expectations for leaders. If you truly want to develop, those are where you should begin. Start with a self-assessment. At first glance, which one of these core leadership competencies do you do really well? How can you get even better? Then determine which one doesn’t come as naturally. How can you use your natural strengths to develop it?

For more details, check out the Seven Expectations for Leaders section. And to get started right now, download this free activity to help you develop.