If you can be there for others, remain accountable, and set clear goals for yourself, people will naturally respect you and develop a sense of trust.
From time to time, we all need a hero. In the corporate world, that means becoming the kind of leader your company needs to take it to the top. You can have the best idea, the finest personnel on hand, and enough resources to make everything happen, but if you don’t have effective leadership at the top, that directionless uncertainty will filter all the way down to the bottom.
Naturally, you don’t want that to happen. You’d like to lead your company towards a brighter tomorrow. First, however, you have to find out how to actually become an effective leader.
Write it Out
The drafting powers of paper and pen can be of great assistance when working out a new speech or presentation for a meeting. You don’t want your employees to think that you are scatterbrained or don’t have a clear vision for the company. Take the time to map out your ideas before you speak them aloud so as to give you the chance to work out any kinks first.
Accountability Counts
Nothing costs you leadership points faster than preaching A and teaching B. As a leader, you are not just held to a higher standard, you are the standard to which people look to set the moral and business character of the company. If you come across as lazy, petty, selfish, and short-sighted, guess what type of employees and corporate culture you are likely going to have?
Set Goals
Last, but not least, you want to be sure to avoid wishy-washiness or any semblance of lacking direction. That means setting goals. That said, setting goals and then never hitting them is a bad blow for your reputation as a leader, to say nothing of the crushing emotional disappointment it can bring you. Setting small, individual goals that can be quickly and regularly attained is a much better solution.
Above all, try. There are many types of leadership and many paths to get there, but none will succeed if you don’t put in the effort.