Five effective leadership skills that will help you become a better leader!

A great leader connects their team by encouraging open communication, facilitating team member growth and development, and sharing and acquiring feedback.

Anyone can sit in the corner of an office all day and delegate duties to their staff, but there is more to adequate leadership than only giving out orders.

Effective leaders significantly impact the team members they direct and their business/company.

Employees who work under a great leader tend to be more productive, happier, and more connected to the company/organization, which would have a wave effect that reaches the business's bottom line.  

An outstanding leader makes those around them better; if you want to know a great leader, look at their teammates/those around them instead of the individual. 

Are their teammates improving and becoming better versions of themselves?

Are their teammates happy and productive?

These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before labelling someone as a great leader.

If you look at your team members and notice they are stagnated and disengaged in their work, then it is time to reform and reassess your plans.

I will be listing a few behaviours that show poor leadership strategy:

• Your teammates are afraid of failure.

• Your team members never criticize your ideas.

• You spend more time designing your career progression than the team's progression.

• There are different answers when asked about top priorities.

• Poor work schedule

You can avoid being a bad leader by following good leadership strategies that encourage your team members to accomplish the company's goals.

Here is a list of good leadership strategies that could help you become a better leader.

1: Set a clear goal and expectation for the company!

Goals are essential if you want to create a successful company/organization. Goals give you an exact focus, encourage you and your team members, and set targets for the company to achieve.

Having a goal for your company provides you with criteria to see if your business is growing; in other words, goal setting is a benchmark for your company's success.

An exact, well-defined goal will help you take command of your company's direction and increase your chances of achieving more considerable business targets.

Setting clear goals encourages team members to ask questions and give feedback, which improves engagement.

2: Ask for feedback from your team members.

Please understand that your team members are not the only ones that benefit from genuine feedback.

A genuine self-assessment of your leadership can be quite difficult, so fellow professionals, mentors, and even your team members are priceless in estimating your effectiveness.

Talking to peers and friends will give you the necessary perspective on your leadership approach and style.

3: Be open to fresh ideas.

As a leader, you should maintain the emotional intelligence to understand and accept that change is inescapable.

Instead of maintaining the status quo because of consistency, learn to embrace change and innovation; you should always be receptive to new thoughts and opinions.

Every person has their unique idea to add, and that is something you need to take advantage of instead of discouraging.

If you are open to hearing the thoughts of others, then you will genuinely embrace every potential and possibility.

When a problem arises, ask your team members for their opinions; when you do this, you will see more engagement, innovation and success in your company.

4: "Teach don't order."

A good leader knows how to direct others on what is required, rather than simply telling them.

Leaders are meant to coach their team members toward a more committed and collaborative work environment without using force.

If you control your team members in a certain way, you will not get the desired level of engagement that you are looking for.

Instead of barking or shouting orders at your team members, you should inspire growth by teaching them.

5: Connect with your team members.

To lead a group of people, you need to have mutual trust, respect and understanding between the team members and the leader.

Building a genuine personal connection with your team members is essential in developing the trust and respect required to build a healthy culture of accountability and excellent performance.

To build a connection with your team members, you have to learn their personalities, strengths, weaknesses, interests, preferences, and hobbies; this would give you an understanding of their motivations and goals.

Conclusion

Being a good leader takes time and effort, and even though some individuals have a natural gift for it, you shouldn't be discouraged because leadership skills are something anyone can learn and improve on.

With dedication, hard work and good planning, you will lead your team to success.