How to Become An Effective Leader

Leaders’ effectiveness can make or break an organization. Employees rally behind confident leaders and are more likely to be engaged in their work when they feel valued. A successful leader understands how to delegate work, solve problems, manage others and do a whole host of other things required to create a productive team.These articles and blog posts I’ve found offer tips on how to become an effective leader. You may find them helpful for an emerging leader you’re working to develop, or for yourself.7 Ways to Go From a Boss to a Leader. Entrepreneur: “Bosses tend to be very rigid in the way they want things done, but leaders understand that they must adapt their personal style to their team members’ needs. They understand and value each team member’s individuality, establish expectations clearly and adapt their leadership approach as necessary. Bosses may feel they are delegators, but because they don’t trust anyone else to do the job as well as they can, they never fully delegate anything. Leaders truly delegate. They assign tasks, and then let go (though they still follow up periodically to ensure their team members are on track to achieve the desired results).”51 Rules for Leadership Excellence. Inc: “If you're a fan of the ‘head slap’ made famous by NCIS character Leroy Jethro Gibbs,you know that this non-injurious action is usually meant as a reminder when a team member is in violation of one of the Gibbs rules. Gibbs's rules originated from his first wife, Shannon Gibbs, when she told him at their first meeting that, ‘Everyone needs a code they can live by.’ Personally, my favorites of the approximately 51 rules are rule No. 8: ‘Never take anything for granted,’ and rule No. 51: ‘Sometimes you're wrong.’ I have my own rules as well. I call them The Tabaka ‘No Fail’ Rules for Leadership Excellence.”The Art of Leadership: It’s a Lot Like Riding a Bicycle. TLNT: “There is no part of this bicycle that you could do without. If any of the operating parts were damaged or broken, you see the direct negative impact upon the whole organizational system. All of these pieces are mutually-interdependent upon one another for proper functioning. With a well-oiled machine, effective leadership and you-know-what in the saddle, the organization moves forward toward desired strategic objectives. It is obvious that the key role that coaching plays in the practice of leadership. We are fond of saying that ‘If you can’t coach, you can’t lead.’ They are inextricably connected in philosophy and practice.”10 Ways to Be a Leader — Even When You Aren’t in Charge. Success Magazine: “Nothing makes you look smaller faster than filling your conversations with everyone else’s weaknesses. I used to work with someone with a non-stop commentary on how everyone else was annoying, frustrating, uninformed or clueless, and so on. Most people who spend their energy in this way are trying to deflect from their own lack of confidence. It’s hard to have influence if criticism is your currency. This doesn’t mean you have to become a cheerleader or be someone you aren’t. Enthusiasm means confidence in your ideas, a positive outlook and valuing others. No one will show more enthusiasm for your ideas than you do.”The Top 10 Ways to be an Extraordinary Leader Today. Leadership Freak: “1. Work on internal environments. You can’t control the external world, but you can control the way you do things internally. Grab the bull by the horns, if you don’t like what you see when you look around. 2. Define wins in behavioral terms, not just by results. Identify, honor, and recognize behaviors that produce great results. Leaders who focus only on results use people. Leaders who focus on behaviors develop people. 3. Drive toward clarity and simplicity. Complexity is a lazy leader’s legacy. Any fool can make something complex. It takes wisdom to simplify. The path to simplicity and clarity is painful. Chaos happens all by itself.”Need help improving your leadership skills? Contact us; we’re happy to assist.Success Labs is a leadership development and management consulting firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to explore their business potential and improve their company and cultural performance. Contact us to get proactive about your people strategy.