by Laura Caine

Created on: January 10, 2008   Last Updated: March 04, 2011

If you've ever had the opportunity to work for someone with good leadership skills, consider yourself lucky. You probably learned, by the example they set, to become a better employee as a result. And better employees almost always receive promotions to better paying positions within their companies. In rare cases when they don't, a new employer is quick to recognize their value.

Jim Rohn, a motivational speaker and leadership expert says, "Leadership is the challenge to be something more than average." Effective leaders work to excel in a variety of areas, and have the ability to inspire the best in others. Let's examine some of the characteristics of effective leadership skills.

Confidence
Retired basketball coach John Wooden says, "The strongest steel is well-founded self-belief. It is earned, not given." Effective leaders have confidence in themselves, and in their team, to tackle the job at hand. Their enthusiastic approach inspires confidence from their managers that deadlines will be met, and from their employees who feel they are equal to the task assigned them.

Dignity
Effective leaders practice the old adage, "Treat others the way you want to be treated". Janice LaRouche, author of Strategies for Women at Work, says, "Asserting yourself while respecting others is a very good way to win respect yourself." A leader who treats others with dignity, and respects and plays to the strengths of a variety of personalities acts as a role model who brings out the talents in others. They have teams who value the assets of each individual as an essential part of the whole.

Loyalty
Wooden says, "Be true to yourself; be true to those you lead." Being true to oneself makes possible effective communication with others, and this communication builds trust. Effective leaders articulate their expectations for their teams and delegate work consistent with the abilities of each individual. At the end of a job well done, the effective leader gives his people appropriate credit. In this way, each member feels valued for his unique contribution.

By contrast, the following are characteristics of ineffective leadership: poor communication skills, favoritism, hogging the spotlight, inconsistent expectations, sacrificing creativity to achieve bottom line results, "by the book" mentality, demeaning and intimidating workers in an effort to increase output, and fearing repercussions from superiors. Ineffective leadership results in decreased morale and often high turnover. In time, this erodes the foundation of a corporation as skilled workers seek more rewarding positions elsewhere.

It's easy to see how effective leadership skills have far reaching benefits, extending beyond the workplace. When employees have job satisfaction, it greatly enhances their health and overall happiness. And that's good news for employers as well as society.

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