How to be an effective leader: 10 tips

There's more to leading than just being a good manager. It takes insight, empathy and hard work. Here's some tips to find out how you can be an effective leader.

Leading is tougher than managing.

If you manage people, you'll know it can be hard work. Every employee is different, with unique needs, desires and motivations. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses. And you have to figure those out if you want to get the best out of your staff.

But leading is even tougher than managing. Leading means:

• Bringing people with you on the journey

• Tapping into their emotions and engaging them with your vision

• Understanding their motivations and linking those to your organisation’s future, connecting all employees to a common goal

To explore what this means in practical terms, we spoke to Chiquita Searle, General Manager of the League of Extraordinary Women. Her organisation relies on volunteers, female entrepreneurs, interns and remote staff. They’re all working towards a common goal, so we asked her to share her tips about leadership.

Being an effective leader is often easier said than done. This guide will help you on your path to becoming one.

- Jo