7 Ways To Be An Effective Leader

At some point, your boss will hand you more responsibilities—suddenly, you’re leading a project or a team, feeling completely unprepared. 

The good news? Great leaders aren’t born—they’re made. You are more capable than you realise. 

1. Know When To Step Back

It's time to put your observation skills to use and be aware of how your team members are performing at all times. This makes it easier to spot potential and occurring issues and address them with clarity.

2. Look Inward 

Being self-aware of your performance and finding ways to improve is a sign of being an excellent reader. Do not be afraid to seek constructive criticism from your peers and superiors on negative traits that would have been overlooked. 

3. Take Everything As Learning

As long as you open your heart and take your time to reflect on your past mistakes, it could turn into valuable lessons. Comprehending what went wrong will equip you to handle similar situations better next time. You could even share these mistakes with your team members to ensure it doesn’t happen to them as well. 

4. Learn from Everyone

Your superiors and team members are your best resources to learn from. Superiors have the necessary experience to offer expert advice while your team members can teach you to remain open-minded. Do not discredit their ideas just because they lack experience. They offer a fresh point of view for solutions most of the time. 

5. Push Yourself

There’s always room to evolve and develop your skills, and what better way than challenging yourself? You can start asking for more leadership-based responsibilities, training junior employees, and lead project meetings. If you want to upskill, search for online courses on skills you’re unfamiliar with.

6. Always Ready To Adapt

The ability to adapt is crucial for everybody, but especially for those in leadership positions. When changes occur, your team members are looking at you for guidance. It will not do to be uncertain. So always encourage resilience within your team and cultivate a culture where innovation thrives.

7. Track Your Progress

This provides as a documentation of your efforts, becoming a tangible tool for self reflection and strategic planning. This allows you to identify patterns, areas to further improve on, and what you should continue doing.