How to Become a Good and Effective Leader

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.”

John C. Maxwell 

Leadership is an essential skill not just for business executives, top managers, political or religious leaders but also for everyone who desires to function efficiently in a team and generally in the community. It is a critical requirement for collaboration.

Having the skills required to lead yourself and others encourages and stimulates actions through innovation in planning and decision-making. Ideal leadership is what successful nations, teams and communities specifically have in common.

Leadership expertise is attainable. And it is particularly essential during this pandemic. Currently, we are seeing the effect of leadership in curbing the spread of COVID-19. In fact, some people are of the opinion that nations that have successfully curbed the spread of the virus did so with effective leadership.

While some believe leadership is an inherent ability, it is a skill that can be learned and developed over time.

Here are some tips on how to become a good and effective leader:

Understand yourself

Good knowledge of your temperaments, beliefs, anxieties, shortcomings and abilities lets you appreciate others. When you understand yourself, you will find it easy to understand others. While the ability to understand others is one of the main attributes of leadership, it is also crucial for leaders to understand themselves.

Know your leadership approach

You must identify your leadership style. Understanding the people around you is vital for effective leadership. Emotional intelligence helps you understand how your leadership style affects others and how you can adjust your leadership style to maximize results.

Be an effective listener

Listening is a crucial part of becoming a good leader. Hence, it is an essential attribute of good leadership. 

Respect others

Treating people with respect is one of the most important things a leader can do. It will ease tensions and conflict, create trust, and improve the effectiveness of those around you.

Encourage creativity

It is pertinent that creativity is welcomed and rewarded. Create a flexible environment so that those around you can tackle critical challenges outside of a controlled environment.

Have a positive attitude

A positive attitude makes you approachable. Having a positive attitude generally means you ‘re hopeful and see the best even in difficult situations.

Have Empathy

Empathy is very crucial to effective leadership. Therefore, if you are empathetic towards others, you are most likely to be seen as an understanding leader.

Integrity

Leaders with high integrity are approachable and are good listeners. Leading with integrity creates trust and understanding. In addition to integrity, honesty is very vital in maintaining trust.

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