Top traits to be an effective leader

Effective leadership in any economic climate is crucial to a satisfied, motivated and informed workforce. But in times of uncertainty, such as rises in the cost of living, ensuring that you are providing your workforce with necessary support whilst steering your organisation through stormy waters becomes increasingly vital.

It can often be easy to identify when a leader isn’t effective. Tell-tale signs such as a high staff turnover or high absenteeism can be symptoms of a lack of clear leadership, or an indication that staff don’t feel listened to.

Indeed, in a survey of employees seeking new jobs, 76 per cent said they wanted to leave their current company because of a toxic leader, whilst 26 per cent explained that their boss was looking out only for themselves. Further research has shown that it is not just their overall bosses who employees are leaving; rather, 57 per cent are reported to have quit their jobs because of their immediate superiors, too.

But identifying what makes a leader effective can be more difficult to put your finger on.  Excellent leaders are not just people who coordinate a team. They solve problems, monitor progress toward goals, and improve business strategies. Here we will cover some of the key traits to be an effective leader.

Feedback, feedback, feedback

The most crucial element of being an effective leader is knowing as much about your workforce as possible. Their wants, needs and concerns will impact their happiness, productivity, the company culture and ultimately how long they stay, so it is crucial to gain regular feedback.

How you decide to do this will of course depend on factors such as the size of your organisation. One-to-one meetings with each employee, for example, may not be plausible. But tools such as anonymised employee feedback forms are an easy and effective way to gain invaluable insights that you may not otherwise.

Your employees can also give invaluable feedback on whether the initiatives or policies you have introduced are working. As the ones experiencing them, they can provide a unique perspective that you cannot. Perhaps you offer access to a financial advisor on a Friday but that doesn’t suit most of the team as they work from home that day. It may seem insignificant, yet it can make a big difference not only for the team but also to ensure you are not pumping time and money into an idea which isn’t being utilised.

Honesty is the only policy

Gone are the days of the expectation of leaders to always keep a ‘stiff upper lip’, but there is still pressure on leaders to show strength – particularly in times of strife. Whilst it’s true that your workforce will be relying on you to keep the ship steady, they will also be following your example. If you lead in a way whereby you never show that you are being challenged, they may also feel the pressure to bottle up concerns – creating a ticking time bomb which likely won’t go away.

To be an effective leader, you must understand your own motivations, strengths and weaknesses. This means recognising the aspects that you are confident with and playing to these strengths, but also reaching out for support in areas where you have gaps in your knowledge. Perhaps you haven’t had much training in how to provide mental health support – why not explore free resources and online workshops about workplace mental health, upskill an existing member of staff or bring in an external consultant?

Pretending that you are an expert in everything won’t do anyone any favours. You can’t possibly know everything, so be mindful of how you react because that makes the real difference. Admitting that you are facing challenges will have the added benefit of encouraging others to feel more comfortable in doing the same, as well as working to forge mutual trust between you and your team. 

Agility means willingness

‘Agility’ is one of those buzzwords associated with leadership – what it really means is being able (and willing) to shift your approach if it isn’t working. It’s all very well collecting feedback from your team but acting on these suggestions is another beast. Whilst you won’t be able to meet every single request, if the general sentiment is telling you something, listen.

It also means reviewing processes regularly, the economic landscape is constantly shifting so initiatives that worked today may not be as relevant tomorrow. For example, your team may benefit from help towards fuel costs for their commute to work now, but if the price of fuel reduces, funds may be better spent elsewhere.

And remember, there is no need to operate completely alone, surround yourself with fellow leaders to help one another problem-solve. It can be easy to develop tunnel vision after working in one industry for years – leaders need other leaders to challenge their assumptions in order to learn from each other’s experiences.

In this age of uncertainty, you are not expected to have all the answers – if you need support, get in touch with our team today: https://www.robertsonbell.co.uk/