As a leader or potential leader you will find many articles that share insights about what makes for a great leader, or even a good one. They also share how you can go about them. Some leadership programs will also give you a perspective on the same. However the most important thing to do is to look at actual and everyday tips or exercises that can make you better, in small but powerful ways.

9 effective tips to become a better leader

Here are 9 effective tips to become a better leader:

1. Knowledge is good, but better when shared –
   You do not become a better leader by hoarding your knowledge, but by sharing it. That helps people to look upto you. So share a little each day.
2. Remain at the top of your expertise levels –
   Leaders are those who are constantly learning. So spend time in reading articles or news or even opinions that relate to your expertise , every day.
3. Move around –
   Leaders who restrict themselves to their rooms or cubicles, do not form relationships. Those who move around and connect with the employees every day, are the ones who are viewed as good leaders.
4. Listen in –
   Spend a little of your time each day by listening in. You could be listening to an audio or an inspirational leader. Or a peer. Or a team member. Or a panelist. Practicing the art of listening in, without speaking or sharing an opinion, helps you develop an innate respect for other people.
5. Prioritize the issues of the day –
   Each day has new work challenges. Some are absolutely essential to resolve. Learn to prioritize every day. What might be relevant to resolve today, might lose its criticality the next day.
6. Get feedback –
   This sounds difficult to do each day, but is a powerful exercise to undertake each day. So make sure to get some level of feedback about yourself, from anyone, each day. It puts things in perspective and allows you to remain grounded.
7. Work on your communication –
   You might be an excellent communicator, or maybe not. In either case, there is always room for improvement. A good leader is always an excellent communicator. Spend time each day on understanding how you can communicate better with the different individuals you work with – your team, your managers, your peers, your clients and vendors to start with.
8. Value your time –
   Most leaders are unable to work out an impactful time management approach. Understand the value of your time and spend it accordingly in the work activities. Knowing how to use it well, is a key skill.
9. Motivational tools –
   Getting your team to perform well is the bottom line. To make sure that this is happening, you need to work on finding new motivational tools each day. Some of these might work and others might not. But learning about them is a huge step towards becoming a good leader.

These tips will help you to get started onto the journey of improving yourself as a leader. They have a direct impact on the workplace.

More Information:

10 Benefits of Leadership Courses

How to Advance to the Strategic Leadership Role?

Top Leadership Skills You Need To Learn To Lead Your Team

Global Professional Certificate In Effective Leadership & Management from MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY