If there’s one thing engineers had to learn when they started working, it’s harnessing their leadership skills. While college was about how crucial it was to understand the concepts discussed by every professor, working in the field meant learning how to work with a team and eventually, leading one.
It’s not easy being a leader of the group, especially when the people you work with have different opinions and there are so many tasks at hand. Whether it’s the kind of team that’s exposed to several sites or the team who works inside the corporate world, becoming a leader is not as easy as it sounds. Forget about getting what YOU want, it’s all about teamwork! Managing a team to achieve goals is not something our professors taught us back in college.
So, how do you become an effective leader?
Well, there’s no easy answer to that question. With so many leadership styles you can apply, you’re bound to get confused which approach will work best for you and your team. However, every leader knows that becoming a good one to your team requires time, patience, devotion and knowledge.
Source: LinkedIn
What traits must a good leader possess?
Having confidence and carrying yourself with poise make people become more drawn to you. When you feel confident about leading your team, it shows and people will also feel confident about you. While confidence is not something we gain overnight, don’t feel bad if you come across as anxious or shy when assigning tasks. There’s always room for improvement and simple exercises can help you gain more confidence.
One example is challenging your negative beliefs about yourself. Look at who you are in a positive way and work on improving those things that you don’t like about yourself. Another exercise to practice is stopping yourself from making too much effort in making everyone like you in the team. You don’t have to get everyone’s approval just to be more confident.
Another trait every leader should have is channeling one’s positive energy to the work at hand and to the rest of the team. Nobody wants to be led by someone who always doubts and has a negative outlook on work. Be a leader who focuses on solutions instead of problems. A positive outlook will make your team admire and respect you more.
And when it comes to leaders who love what they are doing, having the passion for work lets the rest of the team see how dedicated you are to what you are doing. When you show excitement, it can be infectious and people will want to work harder (and may even enjoy it too).
Lastly, a good leader is more focused on achieving something as a group instead of doing something that only benefits him. Being selfless means not getting all the credit and sharing it to everyone in the team when something good happens at work. It also applies when the team fails at the task at hand – the leader accepts all the blame from the boss or the clients.
Constantly showing how you care about the people you work with and encouraging them help each member become better at work too.
While these are just four traits mentioned, remember that not everyone can achieve these. Remember, not everyone is born a leader but you can still be a good one.
Article Source: glassdoor
