iStaff.ph | 5 Habits of Effective Leaders

Do you agree it takes 30 days to forge a habit? Studies show it also takes 30 days to break one. Leaders built their habits out of years of routine, and the best of the best consider these second nature. Many industry leaders started out as employees, stepping out of their comfort zones and starting out on their own. Building on scratch was never easy, but becomes easier once the right habits are formed. Whether you’re in charge of a small team or a large corporation, here are five habits common among effective leaders you should emulate:

1. They Never Stop Learning

Some people think great leader have everything figured out, that they already have knowledge to everything worth learning. In contrast, real leaders never stop learning. They let their skills expand as they go along with their experiences. They continue to explore things that might help their company, their people, and themselves. Albert Einstein put it this way: life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving.

2. They Value Everyone’s Time

Assuming a position of leadership does not entitle you to abuse people’s time, especially not your people. They also have their own priorities, and they need time for themselves. Effective leaders consider their workers’ time as they have their own plans for their family, friends, and extracurricular activities.

3. They Listen Carefully

Good leaders exist not only to take good care of the processes, but also to listen to employees’ concerns and issues. It’s a leader’s role to listen carefully to his people, to be aware of their feelings and whatever situation they’re in. An effective leader hears everyone’s voice, so he can understand and empathize with them.

4. They Accept Failure

Leaders exude the impression they’re perfect, but in reality they’re far from it. As you progress in your career, you’ll experience failure and disappointments. Leaders increasingly become effective when they learn how to embrace failure. They are not the type of person who will give up easily when experiencing struggles. They stay positive as they look for ways how to resolve problems. There is nothing wrong in taking risk, trying new and different things. Failure comes with trying, you just have to learn from the experience and move forward.

5. They Communicate Goals Clearly

A leader becomes effective if he knows how to make his people understand his goal. A good leader knows how to communicate well, his short-term and long-term vision. Clarity ensures there will be no confusions, securing the success of the project.

Developing the leader’s habit comes requires effort, and there are times when you’ll question if your effort is worth the payoff. You only need consider industry heavyweights like Richard Branson and Elon Musk; they reap the rewards developing the right habits ensure.