How do I become an effective leader?

This is a question that most leaders ponder over, and in the search for the perfect answer to what that ultimate leadership approach and style might look like, many probably realise that this is not as easy as they had imagined.

Why is this? There are many reasons – one being that there are so many books and opinions on the subject that it is hard to identify one that stands out significantly from all the rest, secondly, none of them seem to be the best in all circumstances, and thirdly, some of them plainly seem to emulate the particular style of famous and successful leaders!

Being an effective leader by being authentic?

Being a leader is a daunting task with lots of challenges and worries about doing the right things in the right way. Hence looking for the ultimate leadership style or method to be effective in all situations is an understandable desire.

In fact the quest for the perfect leadership style and characteristics has been relentless for decades, but has still not produced a clear picture of what that one ideal leadership approach or style is – and it probably never will!

This is because it depends on the situation, sometimes referred to as situational leadership. Churchill was ideal in the beginning of the 2nd World War, and is often contributed with the main credit for having mobilised the war effort in Britain in the early years of the war, later leading to victory, but generally perceived to be less effective in the following peacetime years. Ernest Shackleton has been called ‘the greatest leader that ever came on God’s earth, bar none’ for saving the lives of 27 men stranded with him on ice floes for almost 2 years in the Antartic. He never got his men to the South Pole, but he got them out alive under the most extreme circumstances!

These most remarkable men had very different styles of leadership, yet they were both entirely authentic as individuals. But however much you admire one particular leader, you can’t just suddenly imitate someone else’s style without coming across as insincere or fake.

Authentic leadership is about being true to yourself, to be your own person, stay true to your own values, be consistent and believe in a common purpose. Hence to be an authentic leader you would need to demonstrate that you are a leader who is able to build trust, demonstrate passion for what you believe in, practice what you ‘preach’, build solidity and ensure delivery!

When you have found your authentic leadership style and your own ‘voice’, you can then be inspired and learn from others, adapt to situations and apply situational leadership based on your own leadership style. In other words, we can learn from others’ successes and mistakes - but we can’t be exactly like them, because that would not be authentic!

Hence it is important to understand the fundamentals of what authentic leadership means to you, learn how to define your own authenticity and how to embrace it wholeheartedly, while appreciating how you can still learn from other leaders and your own experiences and adapt your leadership style when required.

Being an effective leader by managing yourself

Though being an effective leader is not only about leading others, but also about how you manage yourself. Effective leaders are able to manage and joggle multiple demands on their time and still stay focused without getting stressed out or lose the overview.

This is because they have built a set of effective behaviours and habits around them, which guide them and their direct reports, team members and colleagues.

Therefore being an effective leader has as much to do with developing the right leadership components to become optimally effective in leading others, as it has to build the most effective behaviours and habits.

John Lennon once said: “Now that you know who you are, who do you want to be?” Research shows that in spite of the most common belief, we can continue to learn new skills, embrace new competencies and keep learning and adapt throughout our careers.

No one is born to be a great leader – all great leaders grew into it. And the most successful are those that stayed authentic!