A leader is said to be a person who is able to influence a group of people to a particular set of action or a goal. But I personally believe he is more than that. An Effective Leader is a person who is futuristic, confident, enthusiastic, passionate, risk bearing and decisive. He is inborn with a creativity and innovation. He has a vision and knows where he wants to be. He is ready to invest himself in his dreams and accepts failures as a part of life. He is a role model for his team and continuously inspires and influences their behaviours. He motivates his subordinates to achieve a common objective and empowers them with his supportive attitude. He is a mentor, an achiever and a planner for the team. It is his experiments with innovation that makes a strong team in entrepreneurial or social world.

The term leader can be used in different contexts. However, one thing common with leaders, no matter what the situation be is that they are real influencers. With their RIGHT attitude, vision and productivity they prove themselves as real achievers and worth being invested in. They deal with difficult people and convert them into followers. They carry a command on their emotions and know to select their words well. Let us see some strategies which make a real leader effective without being harsh.

14 Strategies to Effective leadership

 Listen

To become an effective leader, it is mandatory to be an effective listener. A person who can hear the problems, the requirements of other people can effectively manage others. Even the basic foundation of good communication is listening. Effective listening helps one to resolve conflicts, develop rapport, inspire people, build trust and strengthen teams.

Communicate yourself well

An effective delivery of words can win battles without even fighting them. Strong communication inspires people and changes their thought process It influences them to follow their heads and achieve targets well on time. It further triggers critical thinking in teammates and motivates them. A command on public speaking helps in your career advancement as well and makes you more professional and successful

Be Confident

Not everyone is confident enough to take a lead, accept responsibility of results and bear the risk. A person who thinks negative, doesn't accept mistakes as a part and even is not aware of his talents can never be a good leader. One should take pride on oneself. A leader with self-confidence is a person with a belief in his mission and positively oriented to his goal. He takes the risks and plays on his talents to increase productivity.

Get Empathetic

EMPATHY is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It empowers you to step into the shoes of the other person and look at the situation from his perspective. To feel what he is feeling without getting into it. It involves sensitivity, compassion, commiseration and affinity for the other person. Further, it helps us to connect with other people and lays the foundation of strong social relations.A great leader is sensitive to the problems of his teammates. He understands their problems and reaches out to them whenever needed. In this way he wins hearts and further support.

Kill their laziness by your enthusiasm

A Team filled with enthusiasm is sure to make achievements and turn business to success stories. A lot of energy is required in managers and leaders to make their team productive, goal oriented and client turners. An uncharged head just works for an earning but a charged one to break records. So, to make your team a constellation of achievers a super energized fervour is a must. Go beyond skills, give them what they want to do, appreciate what they have done, celebrate the accomplishments of the team. All this boosts the teammates with positive energy and gives them zest to work earnestly for the organisation.

Further, nothing is more infectious than enthusiasm. If you are filled with high spirits carry an excitement to work and committed to results even your team shall follow you. A strong will on the part of managers keeps them going in spite of all negativity around. Develop heart on yourself and others on the team. Encourage it by appreciation till it becomes the part of the team.

Be a Role Model

A leader is a person who is followed by teammates. His behaviour, attitude and ways are imitated by others in the team. An ethically demonstrated honest, moral, industrious, confident, optimistic, creative behaviour motivates the followers. A good leader sets an example for his team and proves to be pinnacle of excellence.

Select your words carefully

Selection of words should be such that no one feels insulted or disrespected. Harsh words are to spoil relations and spread a bad word about. So, even when we are to state our point ,words should be right. This will boost our Self Esteem and at the same time respect the boundaries of others.

Confronting words are reprimanding to team spirit and can create envy and hostility. On the other hand, soft words encourage participation and encourage positive vibes in team.

According to Price, there are some phrases leaders should refrain from using-

"I am in charge or I am the boss"
"You are lucky to have a job here"
"I want results not relationships"
"I know everything-I have thought of everything"
"This is not my fault"

Delegate to Develop and Empower

By delegation we mean distributing responsibilities to the team members. It gives enough room and space to the subordinates to develop their talents and skills in the team. This further chisel them and prepares them for higher responsibilities in the organisation. A successful leader does a lot of delegation to improve their subordinates. This provides appropriate results to the concern. This in turn also increases his effectivity as a leader.

Support to develop rapport

As a leader you need to support your team. An integrated support both vice versa is a foundation of a strong team that can work out wonders and 'make a hole in the universe', if they aspire to!

Take the Responsibility

Leaders are responsible for the work of their subordinates good or bad. No matter it is mind boggling victory or a shameful defeat take the responsibility. You are their mentor and manoeuvre. So, the direction your team picks up is your duty.

Great Work and not harsh words be your armament

Be a role model and let your actions and achievements speak the standards you demand. Cruel or careless slurs are insulting  and carry long lasting effects. Even their effect spread beyond the person for whom they are spoken and at times can bring severe repercussions for the image of the leader. So mind your words and depict standards you expect them to follow.

Be Adaptive

Adaptability is a boon. It ensures you to stay afloat even when adverse situations try to sink you. Adjust in any situation and let your team do the same. It will increase your chances of success as new and unexpected situations spurt out. Also, adopt a diplomatic approach

Be a learning organisation

A leader keeps learning by his mistakes and those made by his teammates. Learning is an ongoing process. One needs to carry a basic set of qualification as required and also upgrade himself to the new technologies, skills and happenings around. A perfectionist attitude needs to be abandoned here.

Develop Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence  is associated with an understanding of feelings of self ,control on the feelings of self ,understanding the feeling of others emphatically and managing relationships well so as to be successful, contented and happy in personal and professional relationships.

Emotional Intelligence (also called Emotional Quotient) describes an ability to monitor your own emotions as well as the emotions of others, to distinguish between and label different emotions, correctly, and to use emotional information to guide your thinking and behaviour and influence that of others (Coleman,1995; Mayer&Salovey,1990)

Examples of Emotional Intelligence

DECISION MAKING: Can you make decisions for self or you wait for others to make decisions for you?
SELF AWARENESS: Do you feel low often and are not able to understand why are you feeling so?
CONFIDENCE IN SELF: Do you know your skills and capabilities and able to use them well as per the situation
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: Do you have healthy relationships with all co-workers at work place?
SELF EXPRESSION: Are you able to communicate your feelings well?
SELF CONTROL: Is your anger high and difficult to control or you can easily take over it?
RELATIONSHIPS: Do you know how to deal clients with different attitudes well?
EMPATHY: Are you able to step into the shoes of others and understand a situation in their perspective
 

Emotional Intelligence Pillars

There are four pillars of Emotional Intelligence. These are: -

SELF AWARENESS: Being aware of one's capabilities, skills, strengths &weakness is self-awareness. It also includes confidence in one's own self.
SELF MANAGEMENT: To control one's feelings is an important sign of emotional maturity. To express them at appropriate time is further an additive advantage..
SOCIAL AWARENESS: Empathy to understand the feelings of others by stepping into their shoes is important. Organisational awareness and service orientation are also a part.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: To manage relations by innate warmth, influencing others powerfully and easily connecting with others is a part of relationship management.

An Emotionally Intelligent leader is sensible enough to understand the problems of teammates and handle them to maintain connectivity as well achieve common team goals.

 

 Bottom line 

Great leaders are made not born. A consistent effort and commitment can work wonders. If you aspire to positions of leadership then take up a leadership development plan, keep an eye on your goal and hit the stride. Success will surely be yours.