Leadership is the process of influencing the social aspects of others while maximizing their efforts toward achieving specific goals. A leader is responsible for the general welfare and performance of a unit.
Leaders aren’t just born but made through different skills, personalities, habits, and other fields of life. While being an effective leader isn’t easy, possessing the best skills and values will go a long way in shaping your leadership journey. All you need is to believe in yourself, respect everyone, and be determined. Others have done it; why not you?
An ineffective leadership affects the overall company’s well-being and reduces its longevity. On the other side, effective leadership satisfies its parties, boosts company performance, and attracts more participation from members. There are various ways you can distinguish effective leadership from the rest through characteristic features.
Here are eight common characteristics of effective leadership:
Characteristic #1: Open Communication
Effective leadership is characterized by open communication with different levels of operation to offer members the freedom to express themselves confidently. Open communication can be achieved by listening to others with no judgment, providing communication platforms like suggestion boxes.
In addition, the leader should adequately respond to questions and ask for feedback from the team members. A leader with open communication will undoubtedly last longer.
Characteristic #2: Team Development
Team development relates slightly to team empowerment as a characteristic of an effective leader. Influential leaders develop themselves and their team members through training opportunities, brainstorming and problem-solving sessions, and knowledge transfer booklets.
Team development can also be achieved by paying attention to each member’s ideas and respectfully correcting their mistakes with room for improvement. Likewise, the emerging leaders program places emphasis on teamwork. Team development is about training others to exceed the level you desire to be.
Characteristic #3: Team Empowerment
Effective leadership is also characterized by team empowerment. As a leader, your team members must feel motivated, respected and valued while working on their delegated duties. Team empowerment builds the players’ confidence, performance, and loyalty. This quality can be achieved by respecting each team member regardless of origin and co-working on problems when they arise.
Educating the players on how to overcome challenges, being kind to each other, and motivating the members to share their issues, work-related openly or not, have also proven beneficial in team empowerment.
Characteristic #4: Decision Making
Influential leaders practice good decision-making processes by welcoming various opinions even when they don’t match theirs. Through these varied opinions, the best decision is achieved; since no one is entirely right.
Good decision-making can also be attained by conducting free and fair idea polls, giving the team members time to think and evaluate a particular topic, and involving them in decision-making meetings and processes. However, an effective leader shouldn’t be compelled to adhere to specific ideas of a particular group, neglecting the majority in the game.
Characteristic #5: Conflict Resolution
Every unit in all aspects of life, from family, business, and friends, to partnerships, is bound to face conflicts at different levels. Disputes can be distressing and overwhelming, especially to a leader whom every member relies on for a resolution. Influential leaders are renowned for managing conflicts wisely and peacefully without taking sides.
They first understand the cause of the dispute, get both parties involved, listen carefully, and then reach the best resolution possible. Signing a peace treaty also goes a long way in maintaining a harmonious environment.
Characteristic #6: Integrity
Integrity and honesty are crucial aspects of an effective leader. Business or any other organization thrives better in a transparent environment. It makes the members feel safe to operate, express, and grow without the fear of intimidation. Leaders build trust within their team members by leading as an example of honesty and integrity, doing what’s correct and appropriate.
Characteristic #7: Functional Delegation
The world’s most successful organizations can testify to the incredible magic of delegation. No matter how competent you are as a leader, it’s nearly impossible to undertake all the duties alone while your team members are on-the-watch. Simultaneously, having the same few people undertaking particular roles every day creates biasness, thus affecting members’ motivation and confidence.
Functional delegation can be achieved by asking your team members what areas suit them the best. Additionally, you can provide training for different specializations and offer honest feedback on members’ performance in various departments.
Characteristic #8: Commitment and Passion
Effective leadership requires total commitment and passion from the leaders. We believe the crown was bestowed on you for a reason; maybe your team members saw leadership skills in you and not in someone else, or you’re simply God chosen. Either way, you need to believe in yourself enough and take total commitment to the role.
Let others envy you for how passionate you’re about your leadership. You will be a leading example to those who will take up after you. Commitment and passion can also be shown by relating with team members within and beyond the work environment. You can also participate in team-building games and ask your crew about their leadership interests and goals.