8 Ways Leaders Become Better

Leadership still is viewed as central to an organization's success because it is what motivates and inspires the rest of the team to be accountable and productive. For example, in the Deloitte University Press Human Capital Trends 2014 Survey, leadership was at the top of the list of the most urgent global issues.

As the survey explained, "This ongoing need to develop leaders is also driven by the changing expectations of the workforce and the evolving challenges businesses are facing, including two major themes underlying this year's trends: globalization and the speed and extent of technological change and innovation."

The Deloitte Millennia Survey 2015 revealed that Millennials overwhelmingly believe (75 percent) businesses are focused on their own agendas rather than helping to improve society, while only 28 percent feel that their current organization is making full use of their skills.

This indicates there is some room for improvement in terms of the quality of leadership to lead this new breed of worker. Additionally, a World Economic Forum report stated the increasing global pressures on a CEO and other executive-level positions is reason enough to focus on honing one's capabilities as a leader.

In light of these challenges, the good news is there are numerous ways a leader can become better at their role. Here are eight ways a leader can make improvements in their style, delivery and the organization's results:

1. Hone the Traits that Align with Better Leaders: Research has indicated that many personality traits actually improve leadership ability. Now, you can't necessarily change your personality, but you can focus on those traits that align with effective leaders. These traits include being open, passionate, energetic, agreeable, conscientious, detail-oriented and extroverted. Each of these plays a role in gaining trust with your team, showing that you care and providing the pep and excitement needed to inspire others.


2. Determine Your Leadership Style and Apply What it Involves: Many articles debate which leadership style is the most effective overall, but in the end the most effective one is that style that matches your personality and that resonates with your team. First, you need to determine your strengths by undertaking an assessment or quiz that can then provide some answer as to your leadership style. These assessments then tell you what it is about that leadership style you can leverage to help you influence your team to be more motivated, productive or innovative. This same assessment also shows you what you may be weak at in terms of leadership practice in order to give you a starting point on where to improve.


3. Stimulate Your Team and Yourself: Even in your position your thinking can grow stale, especially if you only ever do the same daily tasks. The same goes for your team so they need activities and challenges that allow them -- and you -- to express their creativity and critical thinking skills. Seek ways to add tasks that are challenging for your staff, and, in thinking those up, you are also stretching the bounds of your own mind and changing things up from what can start to feel monotonous. You never want it to feel that way because your passion to lead the company will diminish and your team will see that. By allowing your staff to try something new, you experience something different as well and discover that you can engage with them in new ways, thereby stimulating you in the process and renewing your vigor to achieve greater success.


4. Don't Be Shy, Show Your Passion: No one really wants to look up the organizational chain and see a one-dimensional, cardboard cutout leader. Instead, they want to see someone who is outwardly enthusiastic, expresses their emotions and feelings and serves as a cheerleader during the good times and the not-so-good ones. You can be a better leader by letting your passion flow and show that you are genuinely enthusiastic about a new product, a new direction for the company or the contributions that other team member's have made. Consider the ways you can express this passion to others whether it is at regular employee meetings, at a speaking event or through regular updates to staff. The easiest ways to do this is to call out those contributions that others have made and express how much you value what they have done for the company. Be sure to also share with the team just how much the company means to you.


5. Learn The Fine Art of Active Listening and Conversation: You can be seen by your staff as a better leader when you shut up and let them tell you what they are thinking, how they feel or how they just came up with a really great idea that could change everything. When they there is a leader that actually stops, listens, asks questions and acknowledges what is being said, there is a great chance that they will want to do what you ask of them. They like to know that you are not only paying attention, but that you are also giving what they say a measure of value. In turn, you learn more about your staff so you can take that information and use it during future conversations to illustrate you were taking what they said to heart and mind. You can also practice the fine art of conversation when you interact and engage with your staff. Again, this is a time to gather intelligence about what is going on with your team so you can address that during other communications with them and apply it to productivity or strategy objectives. If you are not used to doing this, it will take some practice, but it will raise the bar on your leadership reputation quite high.


6. Focus On The Positive: While you don't have to be all rainbows and unicorns, you can focus on the positives to keep your team optimistic and open to try new strategies and innovative ideas. Not every day is going to be a great day and, as a leader, you may have scandals or problems that crop up that make staying positive pretty hard to do. However, you can keep that positive attitude to steer the organizational ship through troubled waters by focusing on actions rather than thoughts, select informal leaders to keep morale high, carve out personal time to get the necessary rest and exercise that creates a positive mindset and dig deep into the personal value or core set of beliefs that serve as the rock for you and your team.


7. Recognize and Reward Because, By Giving, You Receive So Much More in Return: You can be a better leader -- and person -- if you give and show others how much you value them. It's not even necessarily about what you do or how big of a reward you offer; it's more about the fact that you are focused on what other people are doing because you also know that their efforts and loyalty are what will increase the company's performance levels. In terms of recognition, you can recognize with words or a public display in front of other team members as well as implement an employee's idea. They feel good getting it, and you feel great doing it.


8. Take Risks and Try New Things: If you are telling your team that you want them to be creative and innovative, but you are not creating an environment to do that or even trying new things yourself, then you may not get the results you want. To show the team it is okay to take risks and push the envelope, you need to be the first one to jump from the plane and pull the cord on your parachute. When you do, others will follow you out of that plane and not be afraid of repercussions for doing something different or coloring out of the lines. You can even be as bold as to ask your followers what you could do differently to help them feel inspired.

Final Thoughts

You are a good leader but you can always be a better leader. Know your strengths and improve your weaker points, stimulate yourself and your team with opportunities to learn and be creative, proudly show your enthusiasm and passion, actively listen and accept feedback, be positive, celebrate and reward the accomplishments and let yourself and the team take the risks that create the disruption the company needs to get to the next level of success.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.