How to Know If You Are an Effective Leader

RESULT is the one word that totally defines an effective leader, whether a person is born to rule or is made to do so, from the rest. Leadership is not just about the rank and file in your office or being called " the Big Boss " and gaining everyone's unquestionable allegiance. Effective leadership is more than taking responsibilities for the team, big or small, and making the group work on the same objective of delivering a goal.

It is easy to be a leader. It takes more to be an effective leader.

George S. Patton said, " Don't tell people how to do things... Tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results." This might be a little confusing, but being an effective leader is more than just the ability to delegate tasks. A leader will do what must be done, but the effective leader takes the time and commitment in handling his responsibilities, making sure that his or her subordinates would faithfully do their jobs not because they have to - but because they want to. Here lies the difference of the one true leader shining above the multitude of leaders.

The first thing that any leader should ask is: " Do I have the ability to ' really ' listen? "

Pride wouldn't be called one of the seven deadly sins if it doesn't bring harm. Just because you are privileged to be on the top of the corporate ladder doesn't mean that you are always the best. The ordinary leader knows there are plenty of ideas and solutions out there, but that leader will only acknowledge his or her ideas as the best. On the other hand, the effective leader is more in tuned with the management Buddha within the mind, which makes it easy to appreciate innovative ideas that work. The effective leader accepts that being on top is an opportunity of learning more of what every situation brings. It is like looking at the whole process, in a bird's eye view, always on the look out for new things, no matter how unconventional it might seem.

The second thing a leader needs to ask is: " Have I inspired people to achieve more? "

Molding a team to achieve a common goal is not an ordinary fete. It takes more than the best management trainings and skills to build the Trojan Horse of success. The effective leader knows how to simmer the pot of inspiration among the group and make them lust for the very soup of their hard work. It is through building a sense of commitment, trust, and love for the very task at hand that the leader is not only respected, but trusted. The effective leader knows how to balance each individual's effort and skills, putting it together in order to achieve results that are more than what is expected. Success is the outcome of inspiration, imagination and dedication, and only an effective leader can make the best out of his or her people. Any leader has a vision but the effective leader knows how to put the vision into synergy. Always remember this.

The last thing that must be asked is: " Do I have a leadership style that really works? "

Any leader could tell you the basics of Management 101. Only the effective leader has a style that has evolved from the traditional roles and works in a very compelling way. The effective leader knows that in any challenge, there's a risk involve and sometimes, taking that 1% chance out of a 99% probability will yield a magnanimous success. There could be a lot of styles any leader can choose from. They could be a direct leaders telling people to follow instructions, they could be coaches boosting the morale of people who want to do the job and have their skills polished in order to be appropriate for the task, or they can also be a supportive leader who knows how to stir the passion out of bored employees.

The effective leader knows how to do all these roles and works with skilled, passionate people who knows that they are trusted to do their jobs and are driven to do more. If you have answered yes to all of these three important questions, then surely, you are an effective leader deserving of your place in the hall of leadership's fame.

There is no magic potion that could turn anyone into an overnight success. An effective leader takes years of learning from things that work and those that do not. He or she is a proactive person who knows how to think a " Win-Win " situation, but acknowledges that they are humans, that they too will rise and fall. It is through learning and being open to countless possibilities that one rises into a competitive business advantage, being a leader who stays on top of all the leaders out there.