20 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders

How good is your leadership? How many of these good habits do you process or live on a daily basis? Leadership can be difficult at times, but when we have the right habits it can become a lot simpler. Here are 20 habits that I have experienced which made it easier for teams to follow the leader, which built trust, created rapport and got the very best out of the teams that were being led.

Leadership doesn't have to be difficult if you have the right habits.

1. Leverage the knowledge within their teams

They know that the reason that they have been put in charge is to get the best out of the resources in their team. So when it comes to deciding strategy, solving problems, or resolving issues, they look to identify the best resources available to get to a solution quickly. They understand that leading is not about providing all the answers, it's about ensuring the best solution is found and implemented.

There are few things that engage teams more than letting them contribute, and feeling that their input is valued by the leader. 

No involvement no commitment.

2. Respond, rather than react

Great leaders have great emotional intelligence, and they understand that emotional responses, knee-jerk reactions don't lead to the best outcomes. They are in control of their emotions and can consider all of the information and make the right decisions, the best decision not just an emotional decision.

One bad reaction can undermine a leader's credibility within their teams.

3. Take calculated risks 

They understand the difference between a safe bet and a wild bet. They know that fortune favors the bold, but they also know that fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Creating a culture of calculated risk-taking ensure stable growth, more positive outcomes, and it helps to build confidence.  

Smart risk create smart results.

4. They know that actions speak louder than words

If you want to know what someone truly believes don't listen to what they say, watch what they do. Leadership defines culture, but it does so by setting the example and living the desired culture on a daily basis, not by just posting a Vision and Values on the company website.

A vision spoken, but not lived, is a vision that quickly dies.

5. Focus on finding solutions not someone to blame

Blame is never the solution to an operational problem, a customer concern or any issue that crops up in business. Blame is a diversionary tactic and one that eats away at the effectiveness and efficiencies of teams. Good leaders look to solve problems first, then do the root-cause analysis to ensure that the chance of the issue repeating is mitigated. 

Most customers don't care whose at fault; they just want their issue resolving.

6. Are Confident Not Arrogant.

There is a big difference between confidence and arrogance; the former helps build trust in the leader, the latter destroys it. Great leaders are confident in their abilities to deliver, but share the credit for the successes. They also look to build the self-confidence of their teams too as they know that a confident mindset is a key contributor to success.

7. Ensure that enough planning is done before work starts.

If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. Great leaders know this, and they also understand the need for urgency, but they never jeopardize the chance of success by ignoring the planning. Great leaders find a way to slow things down, to take a step back and ensure that their teams are focused on the right things, and understand what needs to be done to be successful. 

8. Hire the best people available

Leadership is not about being the best person in the team; it's about hiring the best people, assembling the best team and delivering the best results. Great leaders know this, and they have the confidence to hire people who are more knowledgeable and skillful than they are. They don't feel the need to be the best at everything. I know when I was leading teams that if I was the most knowledgable person on every topic, then the team was in big trouble. 

Hire smart, hire the smartest. 

9. Focus on sustainable success

This doesn't mean that they avoid quick win. 

No. They understand the benefits that they can have in building momentum. But they do understand that the best success is the long-term sustainable success, success which requires the buy-in of the teams. It can also take time and effort to achieve, but that it's worth it in the long run. 

Great leaders leave a legacy of continuing success which continues after their departure. 

10. They know the devil is in the detail

Leadership is about big picture thinking, about setting the vision and direction for the team, the organization or the company. But once that's done, then there is the need to figure out the how, how will this success be achieved, and that requires the team, and often the leader to get down into the weeds. Leaders can't just remain big picture people if they want to achieve success. The devil is in the detail, and these devils need to be identified and addressed.

11. Focus strengths, outsource their weaknesses

Great leaders know that they don't need to do everything and that for the areas that they are weak, they can delegate that work, or get support from the team. They know that they have been hired because of their strengths and they focus on using these strengths to benefit their organization. They are also confident enough to be vulnerable and show their weaknesses and get support rather than to cover them up and try and hide them.

12. Determined but flexible

Knowing when to change tack is an important skill. It's great to be persistent and consistent but beating your head against a wall is never going to bring the rewards. That doesn't mean that you should alter your course at the first sign of trouble, but it does mean that after persisting for a while with little progress that an alternative approach might be needed.

Great leaders remain fixed in their goals but flexible in how they achieve them.

13. Play well with others

Leadership is about getting the best out of all of the available resources, and to do this leader need to be great at relationship building and working well with others. Great leaders leverage their networks, and they also know that this is a two-way street providing support to their network when needed to ensure that it will be there in their time of need.

14. Understand the power of recognition

What gets recognized gets repeated, and great leaders understand this and look to build a culture of recognition. They know that it start with them, and they take the time to send personal notes, give words of encouragement and praise people in public. 

The more we praise, the better the team we raise.

15. Share credit

Leaders set direction and define that strategy, but it's the teams that deliver the results. Yes, the leaders were influential and instrumental, but they understand the role of the team and give them the lions share of the credit. Great leaders know that they will receive credit without having to take it, they know that reflected glory from their team is just as valid and important.

16. Quick to praise, slow to criticize

Mistakes happen, people learn from them, and any organization looking to grow needs to have leaders who can create a safe environment which nurtures talent. When you're quick to criticize, especially in public, it kills growth and discourages others not just the person being criticized.

17. Laser focused

When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. Leadership is about helping to keep your teams focused on the goals, keeping their eyes on the prize and minimizing distractions. To do this leaders need to be laser focused because if they become distracted, the organization becomes distracted.

18. Hold themselves accountable

There are a million and one reasons why things don't work out as planned, but good leaders know that the buck stops with them. They don't make excuses; they look for reasons why things didn't go well and then look to fix those reasons. They hold themselves to higher standards than they hold their teams and look to be role models for accountability which encourage their teams to take ownership, which has a positive impact on results and outcomes.

19. Don't micro-manage

Micro-management is a sign of weak leadership, a lack of trust in the team, and can hinder the performance of the team. You need to give clear direction, set clear expectations and then give your teams to the room to be successful. It's ok to ask for updates, but daily, and even worse hourly updates just undermine the confidence of the staff and your credibility as a leader.

Micromanagement is bad for everyone involved, your team as it impacts performance and also for you as no one wants to work for a micromanager.

20. Practice consistency

There is nothing more destabilizing to a team that a boss who is inconsistent. I know I had the luxury of working for one for several years. What was accepted as a good quality one day would be ridiculed as poor quality the next. This created doubts in the minds of the team which then led to delays while teams sought perfection, or caused them to hesitate and make mistakes. Great leaders look to build confidence in their team's abilities, and one of the best ways to do this is through practicing consistency.

If you're looking to be a great leader the more you can adopt these habits and work them into your leadership DNA the better the leader you will become and the better the results you will deliver.