It’s been said that “An effective leader leads the people from above them; a great leader leads the people from within them.” This completely sums up the nature of being a true leader.
You don’t have to be the boss to be a leader; we are all suitably fit to be a leader if we have the correct mindset and take the necessary steps to be one.
Even those who hold the so-called “lowliest” of positions are ripe to lead. It all stems from being able to take advantage of our encounters with others.
A true leader is defined by the title on your resume, or a plaque on your office door. Especially when all indicators are pointing in the direction of the rise of remote work, these vanity mentions could prove meaningless for a real leader.
And when you’ve been equipped to press forward in order to genuinely lead, you can expect some great results.
Here are our five methods needed to be an effective leader.
1. Be Honest, Transparent, and Choose to Lead
As stated above, a great leader leads people from within. Whether you’re the CEO or a junior salesperson, you have to approach your ability to lead others by being truly honest, and while maintaining yourself as one of the rank-and-file.
Giving even a whiff of being ahead or above others will throw them off either subconsciously or consciously.
Another important quality to have in the honesty realm is to be transparent. This doesn’t necessarily mean showing everyone all of your cards, but it does mean making sure you’re not hiding anything. This is a tricky proposition — that leads to an important trait, discernment.
For when you choose to be non-transparent, you are thusly being dishonest and that will certainly yield to you becoming untrustworthy.
Trust is earned — as they say — and while being honest and transparent are great ways to build it, you also have to choose to lead.
Again, no matter your position, you can lead, and when you choose to lead and lead from within, you’re on the right track to success. Just don’t forget to be super mindful of the encounters you have. That’s the first characteristic of an effective leader.
2. Show Respect and Love, and Lead for Growth
It goes without saying that showing respect towards others is an important aspect of being an effective leader, but we’ll say it anyway.
We’ve all seen the movies and TV shows that feature a boss or someone in charge treating others as if they were beneath him or her.
“Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.”
– Michael Scott “The Office”
Ensuring that your coworkers’ abilities, qualities, and achievements are championed and at the forefront of your mind is how you truly show respect.
And showing respect is not possible without love. No, we’re not talking about the love a husband and wife share; we’re talking about genuine admiration for others.
If you look up the definition of love, you’ll find it’s not just a noun about an intense feeling of deep affection, it’s also a noun for having a great interest and pleasure in something (or someone).
Love immediately triggers an easy ability to show respect, and from that, you’re able to lead—and to lead for growth. See how all of this is bound together?
Leading for growth is the important follow-up to showing respect and having love for others in your workplace. If you’re fostering an environment where respect and love are flourishing, then you’re in an excellent position to foster growth.
No one likes going into a workplace where ignorance, animosity, or hate has a home, right?
3. Have Compassion and Empathy, and Lead for Change
Since we’ve just passed through the holiday season, you are all probably very familiar with heartless leaders like Ebenezer Scrooge or the stingy exec from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Sure, leading in a business can be tough and, at times, you have to make tough choices, but you don’t have to be without compassion or empathy.
Being stone-cold towards your coworkers only guarantees you—at the very least—won’t be liked, and you certainly won’t be genuinely respected.
Having compassion for others means you regard each individual in the workplace and consider their personal circumstances on a moment-by-moment basis.
And if you take the next logical step, you can then have empathy for them because you’ve known what it is to struggle as well. Heartlessness only serves to make you void of being able to relate to your coworkers on an even plain. (See? From within!)
Once you’ve mastered being compassionate and empathetic, you’re now able to naturally lead for change.
All companies and organizations need to grow, and you don’t learn to grow without making some mistakes along the way.
If you’re a leader who’s able to be compassionate and empathetic, you’re a leader who will also be able to make excellent changes that will certainly grow your business.
4. Have Clear Expectations, Hold Others Accountable, and Uphold Corporate Social Responsibility
As we mentioned above, leaders have to sometimes make difficult and tough decisions.
If you’re living out the methods for leading we’ve listed so far, you’re now in a position to start making those decisions from a respected and appreciated position.
And you will get nowhere if you don’t first provide your coworkers with expectations.
Being a leader means you have to set expectations, otherwise your teammates won’t know how high the bar has been set.
Once they know, they then have the means by which they can set their own goals. And along with your teammates seeking to fulfill those goals, you’ll be able to hold them accountable.
You don’t have to be iron-fisted, mind you; this is about leadership that is coupled with being respected and appreciated.
You don’t have to be a pushover either.
Being honest, showing respect, leading with a purpose, and having compassion will certainly put you in a position where you can be held in high regard while also having to inspire others to do a better and great job.
Once goals are set and they are encouraged to be met, you can then foster corporate social responsibility.
Each of your coworkers is a representative of the company or organization you work for, and each needs to represent with it with its voice and manner—they should be carrying your organization’s banner correctly and with pride.
As a leader leading by example first, you can then start to create and build an environment where your organization’s mission statement and voice are best represented by everyone who works there.
5. Listen Intentionally, Be Curious, and Lead Innovation
The last, but not least method needed to be an effective leader is to lead innovation.
Every company in the world doesn’t succeed without some kind of innovation. Whether it’s technology, process, or resources, innovation doesn’t have to be life-altering. Even the tiniest improvements can impact the biggest change.
And to achieve effective innovation, leaders need to listen with intention, and always be curious.
Listening intentionally is the first best step to take in this last method. Set aside your own knowledge—and frankly, your own pride—and be open to other people’s ideas and suggestions.
And bonus, willingly being open to listening will likely yield you some great ideas for progress while also building up your reputation.
Closely next to listening intentionally is being curious. Not just token curiosity, but naturally being curious to learn more, try new approaches, and take a few risks in order to succeed. For when you’re listening and being naturally curious, you’re finally able to push your leadership skills towards innovation.
Leading for innovation takes courage along with every other method we’ve mentioned. If you’re worried your boss will be disapproving, just remember that there are very few bosses in the world who wouldn’t appreciate a leader who was determined to manifest greater success regardless of the method.
And if you’re following our methods and keeping track of everything, you’ll be presenting innovation with great confidence while inspiring your coworkers to reach new heights.
