Five Characteristics That Make a Group Leader Effective

There are several characteristics of effective leaders.

Leadership is a combination of behaviors, knowledge, skills and values. A successful leader must recognize her own abilities, strengths and weaknesses, and have a willingness to learn and improve. Every effective leader possesses certain characteristics that make him effective. To be an effective leader, there are a few useful characteristics.

Recognition

Recognizing and rewarding people for hard work is a habit of an effective group leader. Recognition may take the form of giving a group a motivational or encouraging word, or by celebrating the completion of a particularly difficult task. Giving credit where it is due can encourage an environment of respect as well as motivate a team that might be frustrated, feeling undervalued or ready to give up.

Knowledge

An effective group leader will learn all she can about the group organization. It is essential for a leader to understand the organizational procedures, short-term and long-term goals, why the group exists, possess awareness on the subject matter of the group and fully understand the purpose of the group leader role. This knowledge of the group is essential for leading and obtaining the best results.

Leadership Styles

A group typically contains many people with different learning and working styles as well as different personalities. One method of communicating and leading generally will not work with everyone in the group. A characteristic of an effective group leader is the ability to implement different communication and leadership styles to lead the group as a whole and connect individually with each member.

Flexibility

An effective group leader has the ability to be flexible and possesses an openness to change. Change happens in every organization and often results in better operations of the group. An effective leader will recognize the value of change, learn to anticipate it, implement any major or minor changes in a positive and motivational manner and encourage flexibility in the group members.

Commitment

An effective group leader will not only commit to the members of the group, but also to reaching the goals and carrying out the mission of the group. True leadership often requires putting others before yourself and a willingness to make sacrifices for the good of the group. Committed leaders are not afraid to take on responsibilities and often possess self-awareness.

References

• Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rual Affairs: How You Can Be An Effective Leader
• Girl Scouts: Five Qualities Good Leaders Express