A
remarkable amount of time, effort, and money has been devoted to the study of
leadership. Despite all this research, there is little agreement about exactly
what leadership is.
Still, people know effective
leadership when they see it. And while great leaders may sometimes be born that
way, there are certain traits that great leaders share in common that anyone
can practice and adopt to become more effective.
What
qualities are those? Well, to be a highly effective leader, you must ...
... inspire action.
Try to paint a vision of the future
that inspires your people to do whatever it takes to get there. The best
leaders also clear away the organizational roadblocks that constrain employees’
natural creativity and initiative, unleashing a tremendous amount of energy in
the process.
...
be optimistic.
We all want to work with and for
people who lift us up into the clouds instead of dragging us down into the mud.
Make sure to seek out the positives in your people, helping them overcome their
own feelings of self-doubt and spreading optimism throughout your organization.
... have integrity.
Research shows that the top thing
that employees want from their leaders is integrity. Be honest, fair, candid
and forthright, and treat everyone in the same way that you yourself would want
to be treated.
... support and facilitate your
team.
For people to do their very best
work, they need an organizational environment that supports them by making it
safe to take risks, to tell the truth, and to speak up ... without being
punished for doing so. Support your employees by creating this kind of
environment, and it will facilitate their progress toward attaining your
organization’s goals.
... have confidence.
Highly effective leaders know deep
down inside that they and their team can accomplish anything they set their
minds to. Failure is not an option. Tentative leaders make for tentative
employees. If you’re confident, your people will be too.
... communicate.
In any organization, knowledge is
power, and great leaders ensure that every employee, from the very top to the
very bottom of the org chart, is provided with complete and up-to-date
information about the organization’s goals, performance, successes and failures.
To achieve this level of connection, you should also provide ample channels for
two-way communication between employees and managers, actively soliciting their
ideas for improvement and rewarding employees for submitting them.
... be decisive.
One of the most basic duties of any
leader is to make decisions. Highly effective leaders aren’t afraid to be
decisive and to make tough calls quickly when circumstances require it. Once
you have all the information you need to make an informed decision, then don’t
hesitate--make it. And once you make a decision, then stick with it unless
there is a particularly compelling reason for you to change it.
No matter what type of organization
or industry you're in, it's possible to become a more effective leader, inspiring
your people to give their very best every day of the week. Make a point of
practicing these 7 leadership traits, and you will be a highly effective leader
too.
BY Peter Economy http://www.inc.com/peter-economy/7-trai
No comments:
Post a Comment