How to be an effective Leader at any stage of your Career

The word “leader” tends to conjure images of that C-suite executive with a corner office and growing team of direct reports. But the truth is, leaders exist at all levels of an organization. You, yourself, can be a leader—no matter the stage of your career.

What is Leadership?

Leadership "is all about influencing people,” Lynde said. “Leadership is something that you don’t actually have to wait until you’re a formal leader with five or 10 direct reports to practice.”

Anyone can exercise influence at work. According to Lynde, you can display leadership by being:

If you aspire to become a leader at work, here are some qualities of effective leaders to consider developing, and a step-by-step framework to become an effective leader.

Qualities of Effective Leaders

It’s true that anyone can be a leader, but there are certain characteristics that are common among successful leaders. Consider developing these relevant leadership skills and abilities.

1. Communication Skills

Successful leaders almost always have exceptional communication skills. By developing your leadership communication skills, you’ll be able to better articulate your vision and foster a more collaborative environment. You should also keep an open line of communication with your team to remain transparent about what you’re doing and what needs to be done.

2. An Innovative Mindset

Simply put, innovation in business refers to generating new ideas and approaches to solve existing business problems and meet organizational objectives. Great leaders foster innovation in the workplace and are always looking for new and improved ways to do things that will help the business overcome organizational change.

3. Decision-Making Capabilities

Effective leaders need to make strategic business decisions under pressure with a limited amount of information, both individually and with their teams.. Following a specific decision-making process will help you guide your decisions and act in the best interest of your company.

4. Emotional Intelligence

To be an influential leader, you need to possess emotional intelligence, which is the ability to understand your own emotions and influence others'. Emotionally intelligent leaders also master empathy. Research shows that empathetic leaders perform more than 40 percent higher in coaching, engaging others, and decision-making. To help develop these leadership capabilities and become an effective leader, follow the leadership self-development model below.

How to be an Effective Leader?

If you want to become an effective leader, you first need to evaluate who you are as a communicator and collaborator, and be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses.

“We all have our behavioral styles and typical approaches that have been baked into us since we were young,” Lynde said. “Some of those styles and approaches work well when you become a leader, and some of them can hold you back.”

1. Pick a Goal

It’s easier to pick one goal than trying to fix multiple areas at once. If you’re not sure where to start, turn to your colleagues for guidance. It could be as simple as telling your boss, “I have aspirations of advancing into manager-level roles. Can you tell me what you think are the two or three biggest skill sets I need to develop to get there?” Or, “I want to get better at my role and improve as a team-mate. How do you think I could have a more positive impact?”

If the goal of leaders is to influence others more effectively, you need to have conversations with other people about how you can do better at contributing to the group and interacting with others.

2. Apprise Others of Your Goal

Once you’ve settled on a goal, share it with those you work most closely with whom you trust. Not only will the process hold you more accountable to achieving your goals, but it can elevate your professional relationships.

Research by Harvard Business School Professors Alison Wood Brooks and Francesca Gino shows that asking for advice makes a good impression. And the more candid you are about your goals, the more others feel comfortable asking for feedback in return—leading to mutually beneficial relationships that can grow your network.

3. Collect Ideas

Simply sharing your goal isn’t enough. You also want to collect ideas on how you can improve. If your colleague is strong in the area you’re trying to grow in.

What you want to avoid is putting your co-workers on the spot. Give them time to formulate ideas. You should also avoid asking, “How can I improve?” Not only is the question too broad, but your peers might shy away from providing honest, actionable feedback out of fear they could unintentionally insult you by highlighting an unknown weakness. Once you’ve collected the ideas, start working toward your goal, chart your progress and achieve it by your hard work.