EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP –WHY? AND HOW IT CAN BE ACHIEVED?

What is Effective Leadership?

By definition of leadership is to lead a group of people towards a common goal. Let us face it; no successful organization in the world has achieved its place without effective leadership. Effective leadership is not about titles or praises; instead, it has a more profound and impactful meaning. Such leadership does not have a planned formula or stepwise execution, as it depends on the culture and needs of any organization. 

Effective leadership is all about the execution of the company’s vision according to the tone and organizational culture, redefining it in some cases. Effective leadership means planning, allocating resources, implementation, and improvement. The essence of effective leadership is about motivating people to work together in a team setting to achieve a specific objective. It is also vital to notice that leadership is different from managing. While management remains a fundamental part of the organization, leadership is an unusual phenomenon. As the name suggests, managers manage things. They supervise operational activities like logistics, budget balancing, and so on. While good managers also have practical leadership skills, the two ideals do not necessarily always go together.

Importance of Effective Leadership in a Professional Setting

Strong leadership can turn a high-turnover pool of employees into an engaged, committed workforce. Such leadership can spur creativity and innovation, where others fail to comply and empower their team to take ownership. They inspire them to take pride in their work rather than just wasting time and passing the buck. Effective leadership enables others to bring out their best. 

Even if they inspire and motivate people, they still have an essential responsibility, and that is to drive the company’s vision. In daily activities and hectic work schedules, it is easy to lose sight of what the concept is all about. Effective leadership has the ability to focus on that vision first and base everything else around it. An organization without a leader is like a ship without a rudder. Everyone flounders around as best as possible and then try to look out for himself or herself. Due to such a scenario, many companies fail to operate correctly. However, when a strong leader takes charge, employees have someone to trust and put their faith in. Once the trust is established, and they start to connect, they follow him through every challenge under any circumstance.

How is Effective Leadership Achieved?

For any businessperson, the last thing they need to worry about is managing people. While leadership is mostly a natural-born trait, some people receive training to become a leader. Early academics and advanced online master’s degree programs can help people in bringing out their inner leader and take charge. To achieve practical leadership skills, your organization can benefit from these essential skills:

  • Set the goals wisely for employees to give them direction and purpose to work for organizational development.
  • Delegate roles and authority wisely to multiply the amount of work and avoid having control of everything as it is a recipe for disaster.
  • Maintain effective and open communication with employees to get the job done on time and to keep them updated.
  • Make time for your employees and listen to understand their situation. Whenever an employee needs to talk, take some time out for them.
  • Recognize and appreciate the achievements of your employees. They put in their effort for work, and acknowledging them has positive effects on their mind.
  • Come up with lasting solutions for problems and focus on both short and long term effects of decisions.

Traits of An Effective Leader

 

  • Ability to Influence Others

 

The most prominent characteristic of effective leadership is to influence others by setting an example. They exert influence by knowing how to articulate the direction in which the company needs to go. Influencing requires building trust, focus on their motivations, and encourage them to share their opinions. They use that trust to show their voice and ideas.

 

  • Transparency

 

Transparency is a necessary part of the building and maintaining a trust factor, and an effective leader knows that. Openness creates a sense of responsibility in employees, and they understand their role in contributing to overall organizational success. According to Harvard Business Review, being transparent is about collaboration and knowledge sharing, but too much of it can have adverse effects also. Effective leaders keep everything open and expect followers to do the same.

 

  • Risk Taker

 

An essential trait of an effective leader is the ability to take risks and promote innovations. Experimentation is critical for organizational development and development. Creating a culture of situational experimentation makes it easy to find out about competitive advantage. Great leaders encourage innovation and risk-taking within their organization. 

 

  • Decisive and Values Ethics

 

The most defining trait of an effective leader is to make decisions according to a complex business environment. They make strategic choices according to the information present, and in that, they value ethical and moral considerations. Once they come up to a decision, they stick to it until there is a compelling reason to shift the focus. Their goal is to move the organization forward, and for that, they make decisions without wavering. Employees feel safe within such an environment and know their leader will advocate for them and treat them fairly. 

 

  • Optimistic

 

Remaining positive and optimistic in tough situations and in hard times is trait effective leaders possess. They know that they have to set an example by staying positive in every way to inspire their followers to remain calm and motivated. They know that not every decision ends up in success, and there are times when failures arise. At this point, staying optimistic and maintaining a positive attitude is the key to handle such a challenge. 

Final Word

According to a Pennsylvania State University study, effective leadership is essential for the smooth functionality of society. On a smaller scale, such leadership remains true for organizational and business success. Without effective leadership, no organization can evolve and sustain itself. In this digital age, brands without effective leadership are like a ship sailing without a captain. Effective leadership changes the way business commences and how customers interact with a brand.