By and large, the success of an organization is determined by the quality of its leadership. Truly remarkable leaders use their passion and enthusiasm to set a charge into the organizations they work with. However, one doesn’t become an outstanding leader by sheer stroke of luck or accident. It requires great planning. Great leaders organize and plan ahead. Thinking through various scenarios and possible impacts requires analytical thinking skills. Managing people requires a humanitarian side to your personality. It would not be an exaggeration to say that leaders need to lead with both, their head and their heart.

Effective leaders have many common qualities. However, one needs to constantly make the effort to practice and learn the skills it takes to be an effective leader. Here’s some sound advice on how you can become a more effective leader for your people.

Be both flexible and firm: In order to be an effective leader, you have to learn to balance being unbending and being adaptable. Great leaders know how to go with the flow without losing direction, moving their organization forward with resilience and alertness.

Delegate efficiently: Many leaders feel the need to be in control of every little thing. As an effective leader, you must allow others to do their job and encourage them do it well. When you delegate intelligently, you instil leadership skills, confidence and trust within your team.

Set direction: Every employee needs some sort of direction. Set specific and measurable goals with your team. Ensure that you regularly monitor their progress not only against their own goals but also their contribution toward organizational goals.

Communicate with honesty and clarity: Leaders who don’t communicate clearly enough or often enough often tend to mislead their teams. Make the effort to keep your team informed, and communicate clearly so that the team can work without any communication gaps.

Be accessible and available: At the end of it, leadership is all about your people. When someone needs you, it’s time to look up, make eye contact, set aside your work and your phone and any other distractions, and focus on the person standing in front of you.

Don’t be just a problem solver: There will always be problems, and there will always be a need for leaders who can create timely solutions that endure. Don’t be a leader who would settle for quick fixes that may cause bigger problems down the road. Focus on fixing the cause of the problem instead of treating the symptoms.

Consistently recognize the achievements of others.  Every team member wants to do a good job. And when they do, they want recognition from their leader. The simple act of recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done is enough to set you apart as a leader.

Lead From Within: If you want to grow into a truly effective leader, start today and cultivate these skills. So that, when the time comes, you’ll be prepared to steer your organization and people in the right direction.

To sum it all up, a good leader has to have a purpose that is larger than what he/she is. They should be capable enough to balance their personality and skills to put that purpose into action. At The Taplow Group we know that the practice of leadership development is a continuous process. The organizations also need to more closely examine what they expect of leaders and how to develop them.  Our Certified CEO program is an online certification course for today and tomorrow's CEOs and senior managers to hone their skills as more effective leaders. To know more about the program, visit us at www.TaplowGroup.com