Leadership is the act or process of directing, guiding, showing or demonstrating to others what needs to be done. Do these adjectives describe your job? Then you are in a position of leadership. You do not have to be the CEO or manager to be a leader. If your job involves at some point in time showing others what to do or how to do it, then you are a leader. This inadvertently means that we all are leaders at some point. 

However, if you own a business you are more of a leader than most. It is up to you to determine what needs to be done, the process involved and who best to get it done. It is also on you to determine what is acceptable or manageable and what is a total no. Read on to see how you can be the best you can be at leading. First off, let's identify your leadership style.

Leadership style.

Leadership style refers to the methods you implement or use to direct, guide or show people what needs to be. There are 4 leadership styles

1. Democratic style of leadership: A democratic leader values the opinion of those who work for him and put the customer first at all times.
2. Autocratic leadership: This is similar to being a dictator, you simply tell what needs to be done and do not ask for or accept contrary views.
3. Bureaucratic style of leadership: This style of leadership is rigid. You always want to play by the rules which is not a bad thing in itself. An autocratic leader finds it difficult to change or adapt and this minimizes innovation.
4. Laissez-faire leadership:  That is a French word which refers to a situation where there is little or no control over what people choose to do. A laissez-faire leader does not bother with what goes on in the organization. He is satisfied with the bare minimum and accepts whatever employees and customers dish out.

Which of these is your leadership style? All of these styles have their merits and disadvantages. To be the best you simply have to pick the positive part of each leadership style and implement it. For example, you can be a democratic leader by listening to and accepting suggestions from those who work for you, but you would also not just accept their suggestions blindly. In other situations, you are simply in the best position to decide and that makes you an autocrat. Other times still, you may stick to old ways of doing things especially when the outcome of newer methods has not been proven to be effective. Every leader should avoid letting their organization be a "free for all" where employees do as they want.

While they may have the freedom to implement their ideas, it should be to a controlled extent.

Let's now look at the skills required to be a great leader.

Necessary leadership skills and qualities for business owners/leaders.

1. Be a motivator: 

A great leader motivates others to work even when it seems difficult or impossible. To be a great motivator, you need to believe in the possibility of being successful and be enthusiastic about it. Employees can tell when enthusiasm is forced and as such leaders should have genuine love and interest in what they do. Employees/ followers would sense it and be motivated.

2. Visionary/goal-oriented:

Goals and visions are an integral part of the business. Without goals, for what then is one in business? As a business, make your goals known to your employees/followers. Do not assume that they know what to do simply because they work with or for you. It is advisable to review these goals periodically.

3. Conflict resolution:

Members of your staff are bound to have conflicts. How do you resolve them, with sentiments and bias? The way you resolve conflicts would go a long way in determining if you are a great leader or not.

4. Excellent communication skills:

Successful leaders put their thoughts together and give clear instructions. Avoid ambiguity in communication.

5. Humility:

Humility is necessary to be a great leader. It is what would help you admit to your mistakes and accept corrections from your subordinates.

6. Team player:

Great and successful leaders understand that everyone is important to the development and achievement of set goals. They avoid looking down on people who play "small" parts or do the "dirty" jobs and value everyone equally.

7. Successful leaders put the company first:

While certain lines of action may not suit them personally, they cast aside their own emotions and do only what is best for the firm such as working overtime.

8. A successful leader also values integrity:

Great leaders hold fast to core ethical and moral values and would not deliberately jeopardize the values of the company/firm.

9. Excellent decision-making skills are one skill that is required to be a successful leader in business:

One who is in a position of leadership in business needs to be able to think strategically and come up with "out of the box" solutions.

10. Great business leaders are honest and trustworthy:

Being honest and trustworthy is key to remaining in business and even more so as a person in a position of leadership

11. Excellent management skills:

Great leaders manage resources and people. As a leader striving for excellence, do your utmost to make the best of available resources, both material and human.

12. Risk-taker and problem solver:

Are you scared of taking risks in business? Think again, life itself is a risk. This is not to say decisions should be gambled with. Great leaders take calculated risks and are ever ready to solve whatever problems may arise from taking those risks which makes them successful leaders.

Successful and great leaders have more than the above-discussed skills and qualities. They are charismatic, persuasive, confident, not complacent, adaptable and excellent planners.

It's time to pause and introspect. Are you lacking some of these qualities? It's not too late to start working on them, you can still be a successful leader, and you can still be a great leader. Take a look at your workplace, get to know the people you work with and see how you can practicalize the steps mentioned above. Do that and see your ratings climb among your peers, employees, customers/clients and partners.

Share this article with those around you since you have found it useful and practical. 

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