How to Develop the Qualities of an Effective Leader

Leadership skills are essential to success in any career. Whether you’re responsible for a single direct report or an entire team, these skills are absolutely key if you want to lead them effectively.

From empowering others, to recognizing success, to making hard decisions, these skills may seem difficult to develop if they aren’t innate to your personality. But if you want to be a better leader, there are ways to become better at communication, sharing your vision, and actively demonstrating your integrity.

Here are a few strategies that can help you to develop the qualities of an effective leader.

Become Part of a Mentorship

Mentorships are widely recognized as a beneficial arrangement for all parties involved. Whether you’re learning from someone more experienced than you or passing on the knowledge you’ve gained through your career, this relationship can help you to hone the qualities of an effective leader.

While learning from a mentor, you will see someone lead by example. You’ll witness firsthand some of the qualities that you’re trying to develop. So while you may not realize it, you’ll be learning how to lead effectively while also reaping the other benefits of this relationship.

And once you’ve reached the point in your career when you can be a mentor yourself, you can begin to emulate the people you’ve learned from. You can empower your mentee, praise them when they succeed, and discuss how they can improve in a meaningful way. There are all things you’ll need to do as an effective leader, so it’s best to start practicing as soon as you can.

Practice

You should not practice only within the confines of a mentor/mentee relationship. You can develop the qualities of an effective leader in other aspects of your professional life.

You can begin sharing your vision for your career with your boss and see if you can communicate it clearly and succinctly. If you have trouble in the beginning, work on it progressively. Once you figure out how to do it in this instance, you can carry that into other relationships and situations.

The same goes for demonstrating integrity. From the beginning of your career, you can rely on your values in a professional setting. This doesn’t necessarily mean always wearing your beliefs and feelings on your sleeve. There is a balance to strike. But if you stand up for what you believe is right from the start, you won’t find it so difficult to do so later in your career.

Seek Feedback

It’s not fun to hear about our weaknesses. But you must learn where you can improve before you act to better yourself. Therefore, you should not only ask for feedback, but also be open and receptive when you receive it.

Know that constructive criticism is meant to be just that – constructive. Do not take it personally. Instead, take the lessons your taught and act to do better in the future. It will certainly help you in the long run.

And when you do become a leader, continue to ask for feedback from your direct reports. People tend to like different leadership styles, so there may be some adapting required to lead your team effectively. Take their concerns and feelings into account and adjust your methods where appropriate. This will help you to further develop the qualities of an effective leader.

Exhibit Patience

You will not develop these qualities overnight. It will take time to become the effective leader you want to be. So be patient with yourself. And exhibiting this patience as you develop will help you to do so with your team as they learn new skills in the future.

If you’re looking for a new place to develop your skills as grow into the effective leader you want to be, take a look at our job listings. If you choose to apply, one of our expert consultants will be in touch with relevant opportunities.