We'll answer :
what makes one effective as a leader?
how do I learn to be one?
What's the worst thing can happen when you have a leader that cannot lead? Fifty-eight percent of the companies cited significant talent gaps for critical leadership roles in a survey. Imagine if there is a leader who has a vision but doesn't give any clear direction for their members and doesn't know about whom they lead. This thing doesn't make the whole works effectively.
So, what makes one effective as a leader?
Have you ever wonder why some names like Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Roosevelt is known as great leaders in history? One that they have in common; they fought for a cause. They have a clear vision. They become examples of determination and decisiveness in their pursuit of improving themselves, their group, and their country. Jobs said that you need a lot more than vision — you need a stubbornness, tenacity, belief, and patience to stay the course. They are proof that a clear vision will make a good focus on a team. By having it, means eliminating the unnecessaries and executing ideas into actions.
In leadership, there'll always be a crisis. Keeping your head calm when solving a problem will help you make the best decision. Like one mantra from Churchill that motivates Britisher in a hard time — "Keep Calm and Carry On"; an effective leader offers more than enthusiasm for their team. This way, you'll radiate a positive vibe and improve your team's morale to do the best even in a crisis. Not only that they can take care of situations, an effective one also can use available team resources to create maximum productivity.
By sticking to these points above, have you done it right? If not, how to be an effective one?
To become a good leader, the first thing you have to do is to set goals and priorities. Goals make you focus and stick on the track. While on the other side, setting out priorities means that you have to learn to sort out which one's important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important and not urgent and the last one is not important but urgent. Both things are needed in the timetable to ease you when making decisions.
Then learn to listen effectively and delegate wisely. It’s something we often miss. Research from the University of Missouri said that we spend 45 % of our communication time listening. So it has a major impact on building a relationship with others and on your job effectiveness. Listening makes you gain information, understand your surrounding and learn something. All of this information you get from listening help you manage your team effectively. You’ll know the weakness and strengths of your members and place them based on their capability. That way, you’ll work more efficiently. By listening and delegate wisely, not that only you'll develop a good performance from your team but also a good relationship with them.
And be proactive. Start to respond to any problem you find, rather than only to react. By doing it, you recognize your responsibility to make things happen. Focus on what's on your control, and you'll know what you have to do to change the situation.
As you become more proactive, you will make mistakes. Mistakes help you to improve and bring yourself a step ahead. Thus, admit them quickly and keep learning. In a recent Deloitte study, Global Human Capital Trends 2015, 85 % of the respondents cited learning as being either important or very important. Yet, according to the study, more companies than ever report they are unprepared to address this challenge. Yes, people need a leader who promotes learning and mastering things fast. And this one makes you more effective.
To lead is lifelong learning. It's your knowledge mastery that you cant master in one night. And by doing all of these habits, you'll determine your effectiveness as a leader. You'll grow better not only for yourself but together with your team.
