How effective are you as a leader? Can you attach a grade to your effectiveness? I have met many managers who would describe themselves as an effective leader, but when interviewing their team, their feedback was less than stellar.
Read to the end and I’ll show you how to grade your own effectiveness as a leader.
A leader’s ability affects a company’s performance
A leader’s competence is a crucial factor in whether an organization is behind or steps ahead of the competition. It can affect employee engagement too, causing 24% of employees to be disengaged in the workplace, according to a Gallup report. You can turn this around, however, by becoming more competent in your position using these tips.
5 tips to become a better leader at work
1. Focus on yourself
It may sound counterintuitive, but to lead effectively you must first invest in yourself. Your growth lays the foundation. Your growth empowers your team to thrive and contribute to your organization's success.
You may struggle to lead and manage a team if you lack communication skills, for example. This is because effective communication lets you provide feedback, helping your team grow and excel in their responsibilities. Without it, your team may stagnate, unable to reach its full potential.
Evaluate your ability level on other fundamental leadership skills such as empathy, decision-making, delegation, and time management. Identify which of these you lack and create a personal development plan to address these gaps.
2. Improve your emotional fitness
Humans are bundles of emotion. As a leader, you must learn to navigate not only your own emotional responses, but also the varied emotional responses of the people you manage.
You will find yourself managing people who have different personalities from yours. It’s easy to get frustrated at some of their limitations but this will birth negativity which affects your work culture. You want to avoid this.
Employees in this environment lack the motivation to give their best and struggle to do the bare minimum. They will do just enough not to get fired. This results from mental fatigue and anxiety from communicating with either you or the rest of their colleagues.
Work on your emotional fitness with a morning inventory before you leave for work:
- Take five minutes to meditate and reflect
- Uncover what emotional issues are bothering you
- If possible, work through emotional turbulence
- Try not to share or project your issues onto your team
3. Adopt a growth mindset
Your team is 34% more likely to be committed to your organization if you present a growth mindset as a leader, according to research from Stanford. Plus, living life with a growth mindset is fun.
Develop a growth mindset by consistently challenging yourself to outpace yesterday’s results. Focus on these two skills:
- View criticism and setbacks as feedback to improve yourself and your situation, rather than catastrophic roadblocks
- Contantly hone your skills and develop new ones
4. Encourage humor, curiosity, and flexibility
Use humor to diffuse tension:
Laughter has been proven to reduce stress levels, boost mood, and improve overall mental well-being. When you inject humor into tense situations, you can create a more positive environment and help your team regain focus and composure.
Encourage curiosity:
Encourage employees to ask questions, explore new ideas, and challenge assumptions. This helps identify potential issues before they escalate and promotes engagement within the team.
Fostering curiosity empowers your employees to think critically and develop innovative solutions to problems. This could create a sense of togetherness, reducing employee clashes.
Break the rigid routine and be more flexible
Recognize that every situation is different and may require a unique approach. Being adaptable and open-minded can create an environment where employees feel comfortable experimenting with new strategies and techniques.
5. Work on your work brand
Decide how you want to be perceived. Do you want people to know you as the energetic person who gets things done or the complainer who avoids hard work?
Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, is an example of an effective leader who built a unique work brand. During her 12-year tenure as CEO, she transformed PepsiCo's product portfolio to include healthier options. Her success began by cultivating a strong personal brand. She was known for these qualities:
- Innovation
- Hard work
- Dedication
- Ability to connect with employees at all levels
Like Indra Nooyi, you must develop a work brand that reflects your values, strengths, and leadership style. This will help you gain the trust and respect of your team and become a more effective leader by becoming a symbol of the qualities of your personal brand.
Grade your own leadership
Effective leadership is rooted in self-awareness, adaptability, and a genuine connection with your team. Empower your team to excel and contribute to your organization's success by becoming the best leader you can be. Focus on these qualities:
- Hone your skills
- Manage your emotions
- Foster a growth mindset
- Infuse creativity and humor in difficult situations
- Develop a compelling personal work brand
As a fractional CMO and entrepreneur coach, I partner with companies from around the world to help them make strategic decisions to remain relevant and competitive. If you want to learn how to grade yourself as a leader, consider doing my Business Success Formula exercise to give yourself and your company a grade. Reach out to me through my Upwork profile to learn more.
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