The very wise Aristotle once said that “He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader.”  A lot has been said about this old adage. There are many interpolations offering advice on how one can be a truly effective leader. It kind of plays along the lines of “learn the rules first before you break them”. Only, the more appropriate analogy is to “learn the rules first and improve on them” To be an effective leader, not only must you learn the rules – know how they work to your advantage!

Sounds like an illegal wall street scam right? Actually, NO. It is a basic aphorism that many powerful leaders ascribe to. In reality, there is a lot of truth to it. It is how effective leaders become stalwarts in their industries. Let us take a look at some steps bosses take from being a good leader to being a better one.

From being a doer to being a mover

Good followers are doers. They are task driven and they concentrate on end results. Better leaders learned how to channel people’s energy into finishing tasks and projects and get good results. Now, effective leader on the other hand, channel their energy in motivating people to have a goal for themselves. They challenge their employees into creating career goals. They coax employees to work towards a goals for themselves which they inherently want to achieve not just for the company but because they are empowered. Effective leaders are the right kind of pushy. They challenge employees to bring their best ideas to the table. This means that effective leaders have to be sensitive to their employees strengths and weaknesses.

Own up

Nobody is perfect. An effective leader owns up to his or her mistakes. They don’t pass the blame on to someone else. The buck stops with them. No one wants to work for a fault finder or a nitpicker. People need to know they have job security and won’t lose their job simply because of a minor mistake. Effective leaders make their employees feel that they have room to grow.

Perfect pairing

Great followers are most attuned to their strengths and weaknesses. They know which projects play up their strengths, which ones to take the lead on, and which ones to play supporting cast to. As a an effective leader, the master the art of pairing the right skill to the right task. This can only be gained by getting to know their people by spending time learning their strengths and what motivates them.

The beacon of light

Employees must know that they are not being just herded into a fock or supervised the way toddlers are supervised in day care. They must know that they are in the company of achievers. Effective leaders have to let their employees know that they are in very capable hands. To do this, they must earn the respect of their employees. As long as their employees know that they have laudable work accomplishment, moral integrity and a strong work ethic, leaders stand as someone who has the credibility to lead. Effective leaders are an example that employees too can achieve their goals. Great leaders make their employees  feel that they have something tangible to strive for and they will be more than willing to deliver.

Are you taking steps to being an effective leader?

Written by Jaie O.- The Help