7 Simple Ways to Become a Better Leader

There’s more to leadership than having a high-ranking title and being in charge of a team. You might have the authority to tell people what to do, but if you’re an ineffective leader, you won’t be able to guide and motivate your staff to accomplish their goals. Hereunder are some of the ways to become a better leader.

1. Connect and communicate

Leading a group of people requires a mutual sense of trust and understanding between the leader and the team members. As a first step toward that goal, leaders should learn to connect. Terry “Starbucker” St. Marie, a leadership writer and consultant, said that being what he calls a “more human” leader requires positivity, purpose, empathy, compassion, humility and love. These key traits will put you on the road to genuine connections with the members of your team.

“Building a real personal connection with your teammates is vital to developing the shared trust necessary to build a strong culture of accountability and exceptional performance,” St. Marie said. “With that culture in place, the team can achieve a successful business, a happy team and a fulfilled leader.”

2. Know your team

Once you’ve mastered the art of communicating and connecting with your team members, you can really get to know them — who they are, what they’re interested in and what their talents are.

“You can know your mission and vision, but it is equally, if not more, important to know your people,” said Joe Nolan, CEO of Motus Global, a company that provides biomechanical analysis for athletes. “If you care about and take care of your people, they will take care of your customers, and ultimately, you will accomplish your mission.”

3. Encourage creativity

If you want your staff to do their best work, you need to give them the freedom to brainstorm and explore.

“[A good leader] is always open to his or her team’s ideas and suggestions, ready to consider them and possibly develop them further,” Negrash said. “A good leader also gives the team new challenges, preventing them from becoming bored and complacent while showing confidence in their potential.”

4. Focus on the positives

As much as leaders wish that their team’s day-to-day operations could run smoothly all the time, they’re bound to run into the occasional obstacle. Whether it’s a minor miscommunication or a major error, the way a leader handles a negative situation says a lot about his or her leadership skills. Robert Mann, author of “The Measure of a Leader” (iUniverse, 2013), recommended focusing on the good in any set of circumstances.

“Look at three positive things about a problem before you identify what makes it dissatisfying,” Mann said. “The more you look at the positives in a problem, the more positively people react with one another.”

Similarly, Peter Fuda, author of “Leadership Transformed” (New Harvest, 2013), said that leaders can learn to focus on the positive by shifting from being a “critic” to “cheerleader” of their teams.

5. Show, don’t tell

An effective leader knows how to show others what is required, rather than simply telling them. Luke Iorio, president and CEO of the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), said leaders should coach their team members toward a more collaborative, committed work environment — without coaxing them.

“[If you are] controlling people to do certain things in certain ways, you’re not going to get the level of engagement that you’re looking for,” Iorio said. “Coaching is about helping the people you lead recognize the choices they have in front of them. People will [then] take a great deal of ownership over the direction of the project.”

6. Be direct

Taso Du Val, CEO and founder of Toptalfreelance talent network, said direct, honest feedback — even if it’s criticism — is the best way to guide your team in the right direction. You also need to know exactly where your business is headed, so you can give them the right advice.

“If you’re not direct, people won’t know what you truly think about them and their work, and they will never be able to improve,” Du Val said. “If you don’t know the precise direction your company is headed, no matter how much you’ve communicated to your employees and leadership team regarding their individual performance, they will flounder when it comes to making decisions and taking actions. Once those basic principles are in place, deadlines, regular product plans, performance reviews, structure and processes can easily be put into place.”

7. Ask for feedback

Your team members aren’t the only ones who can benefit from honest feedback. A true self-assessment of your own leadership can be difficult, so mentors, fellow professionals and even your own staff are invaluable in evaluating your effectiveness. According to St. Marie, talking to friends and peers often brings needed perspective on your leadership approach and style. Leadership coaching can also help you discover areas that need improvement. A professional who helps you develop a plan to achieve your leadership goals can be more motivational than books and seminars alone.

8. Understand your own motivation

If a person in a leadership position views his or her role as “just a job,” it’s going to show. To be an effective leader, you need to have the right motivation. Is it the money or the prestige you care about, or do you sincerely want to inspire people to do their best? St. Marie advised leaders to really ask themselves why they want to lead.