Develop skills to become an effective manager.
Leadership is a quality that divides opinion. Some people believe you are born with it while others believe it’s a skill to be developed not inherited. Either way, whatever side of the argument you come down on, there’s no doubt that being a leader takes skill, diplomacy, tact, and no small amount of wisdom.
Leaders have to manage differing opinions and views, often competing personalities, to maintain balance and order in the organization they oversee. They should also inspire those under them, to aspire further, stretch themselves, work harder, to increase productivity while maintaining positivity in the overall working environment.
Whether or not you think that leadership qualities come from nature or are nurtured through experience, and whether you lead an established company or a budding entrepreneur starting your own, there are certain traits that exist that could and will make anyone a better, more effective, and considerably more respected leader when sufficiently put into practice.
For the purposes of this article, we will list 5 such qualities that we believe are essential to good leadership.
1. Communication
An absolutely essential tenet of leadership is communication, the ability to project your vision to those around you. It is surprising how many people in leadership positions do not regard communication as particularly important, this unfortunate and somewhat myopic mindset inevitably leads to problems that could otherwise be avoided.
A leader should not just be clear and concise in explaining what they require but also should welcome and encourage communication in the other direction. Listening and addressing what those under their charge are saying, what their needs and opinions are, valuing constructive criticism and debate leads to a more harmonious workplace for everyone.
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2. Inspiration
Being an inspirational leader – motivating people to go the distance willingly with you – is one of the most effective traits any leader can possess, but it is also rare. Genuinely inspiring people requires time to build trust, establish communication, and cement solid relationships.
Inspiration in leadership comes not just from words but also actions. Not just having an empathetic demeanor and doing the right thing for those working with you, but also seen to be doing them too.
3. Empowerment
Being a good and effective leader isn’t lording it over those working under you, it’s about acknowledging and validating their efforts in achieving the desired goals and objectives.
Empowering your team by letting them know how much you value them is an effective way to team-build, but also delegating important tasks to team members lets them understand there is trust there and that you rely on them to do a good job on given tasks. It also builds professional development which can aid you greatly in reaching your objectives.
4. Decisiveness
Another thing an effective leader needs to be is decisive, to make a firm decision based on available information, and stick to it if they genuinely believe it to be the correct move.
People respect decision-makers when it’s evident that they are working earnestly towards the greater good, and they follow leaders who project a confidence in their own abilities that they will make a decision and hold to it. When that decision proves correct, it builds renewed trust and confidence within the team.
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5. Conflict Resolution
Human nature is such that conflict will always arise at some point in a team, it is as inevitable as the setting sun. But having conflict, or strong disagreements within the team doesn’t necessarily have to be destructive.
A good leader can’t always prevent conflict from happening, but a good leader can prevent it from escalating with a measure of tact, diplomacy, negotiation, and empathy. Acting as a facilitator can help build trust in the leadership of a team, but at some point, the leader is going to have to make a firm and final decision in that team’s best interest. That could be delegating tasks to other members, or perhaps restructuring the team to work more harmoniously, but at the end of the day, a good leader knows his team well enough to ameliorate friction within and arrive at a solution that restores a sense of equilibrium to proceedings.
Here’s hoping this article has provided useful tips to develop your management potential.
