Business Management / Leadership

10 behaviors of effective leaders

Laura Dolan

Updated: Jan 03, 2020 · 5 min read

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behaviors of effective leaders

The sign of a great company is directly related to its leadership. Great leaders know how to maintain high company morale while satisfying clients or customers.

Company culture is a key indicator as to whether or not business leadership is on point. When you’re researching a company, the first thing you should look at are the reviews. What are customers saying about the company’s products or services? Better yet, what are the employees saying about working there? Are they happy with their leaders or do they have one foot out the door, exploring other options?

Good leadership is what motivates employees to respect the company’s mission and perpetuate it in their daily responsibilities. Inspired employees will also carry out strategies and brainstorm what it would take to keep the company successful in the long run. Consider the following 10 examples of effective leadership behavior that will guarantee employees’ participation in growing and improving their organization.

Effective leaders:

1. Assemble a team of leaders who have a clear interpretation of the company’s goals and strategies. There should be no ambiguity as far as what would benefit the company and everyone should be on the same page in making sure goals are met and new plans are always being executed once the company reaches a desired point of success.

2. Ensure the leadership team sets a good example for the rest of the company. Properly training the top execs to model the disposition that will set the tone for the success of the company will yield a united way of thinking that will trickle down the hierarchy of the team. This will prevent discrepancies from happening while onboarding or training new employees. Consistency is key when it comes to strategizing and plan execution.

3. Have foresight. Successful leaders know when not to overextend the company’s limits and have a plan in place should finances slump. They make sure their employees still get paid and customers still experience the utmost quality service. They also know how to rally the troops when strategizing how to make a comeback and not spread panic, keeping everyone optimistic and motivated.

4. See the bigger picture. Excellent leaders gauge all of the moving parts of the company in order to comprise how it will all come together for a solid foundation and a bright outlook. They prioritize by “owning the whole” and knowing what it takes for each individual department to collaborate to help meet that goal.

5. Hold managers accountable. Middle management is a tough place to be in general, but if the expectations are clear, there should be no discrepancies between what execs expect of managers and what managers expect of their teams. Managers should do everything in their power to inspire, motivate and coach their teams. If someone isn’t meeting their goals, it’s imperative that the company has a proper disciplinary system in place that is constructive. If nothing changes after sufficient feedback is given, then it’s time to relinquish an employee. But managers should have an efficient review system in place for every employee so there’s no uncertainty as to how everyone is performing and what expectations are.

6. Are consistent. Great leaders get involved in approving job descriptions for new employees that will not change once they get hired. Don’t hire someone and then expect them to do something different once they’re on board due to having a shortage of people. The goal is to hire people that can hone their skills at whatever it is that will benefit the company and improve their performance. Recruit at a consistent rate and make sure the right people fit into the right roles so you avoid a high turnover.

7. Are readily available. Don’t be the anonymous leader at the helm that is unapproachable. Barricading yourself behind a closed office door all the time will result in a detached dynamic that will cause your employees to build resentment. Be accessible, have an open-door policy and let everyone in your organization know your name and face. You may not have time to interact with everyone every day, depending on the size of your business, but this will help your employees know they’re a part of something bigger and not just minions in a factory. Show your appreciation for them–plan a group lunch or a holiday party and spend time talking with everyone just to check in and see if there’s anything you can do to make their experience working for you a more enjoyable one. Don’t make it all about the company’s success, make an effort to gauge how you can help your staff members succeed while reaching a common goal.

8. Ensure proper training. As mentioned above, it’s imperative to have proper training in place for members of upper management so they can impart what they’ve learned and pass on what’s expected of their teams to ensure goals and expectations align. It’s up to the leaders to implement an effective training program for new employees that will instill confidence in them from the beginning. A company that’s invested in its team financially and productively will find more solidarity among team members who are excited about ensuring the company’s success.

9. Encourage continued learning. Many companies motivate employees toward continued education, some even pay a percentage of tuition for people to go back to school for an advanced degree. This is an opportunity to show how committed your company is to your employees by inspiring them to enhance their expertise. This way, whenever the company requests an employee to take on different responsibilities, or participate in a way they aren’t used to, they’ll be prepared with the knowledge and skills needed to execute their new responsibilities successfully.

10. Exude confidence and commitment to the company’s success. Effective leadership is also the result of positive thinking. If you’re a company owner who expresses a positive attitude and is excited about how their employees are involved in daily planning, your positive attitude will disperse throughout every department, yielding a fun company culture that is reflected in day-to-day operations, product development and customer service.

Investing time and money into the company’s bottom line and end goal is sometimes not enough. Keeping up morale and investing in the success of your employees will help a company thrive. Companies that struggle are battling inconsistency in training, low morale and neglecting employees’ needs. You can’t pump water from a dry well, you have to make sure it has all the resources it needs to be fully functional. Once you’ve determined what your company needs to stay on its feet, it will yield an outpouring of productivity that will aim the business toward a bright future.

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