In order to stay competitive, every business attempts to improve its efficiency and effectiveness through various means. Similarly, when people manage organizations or communities, they also need to rely on the principle of continuous efficiency enhancement. The goal of such a principle is to be able to integrate innovative management approaches which can support the success of the community or organization they lead. At the same time, to achieve the goal, one needs to make clear steps which ultimately can enable them to become a better leader.
The first action which is essential for leaders wishing to act more effectively is the need to act as an example to their community or subordinates. It is of great importance for leaders to maintain their attitude and mindset as positive as possible. People always look up to their leaders to gain guidance and vision, and to be a better leader, one needs to hold themselves accountable to the highest standards (Renjen, 2020). Thus, positivity must remain the only option for leaders no matter how difficult or complex the issue they face is. Staying professional at all times can instill a sense of confidence in the community and thus encourage it to make positive contributions. Remembering to be an example to the community they serve is one of the key steps in becoming a more effective leader.
Another vital action all leaders have to perform is being able to recognize failures and act to resolve them. Failures are a phenomenon which accompanies any enterprise and project, and therefore it is important to treat them as a natural occurrence (Skinner, 2019). Some leaders decide to ignore obvious failures, which ultimately negatively impact their reputation in the eyes of the community and subordinates. In other words, leaders may fear to recognize that their actions were wrong and refuse to fix them. It is obvious that without admitting to mistakes, no progress can be achieved. Therefore, leaders who want to act more effectively and efficiently need to highlight their failures and address them.
Being people-oriented is another characteristic of an effective leader who wishes to continuously improve their performance. The main task of every leader is guiding others and providing them with a vision. Yet, it is vital to ensure that the work of the leader is based on a people-centric perspective. For instance, leaders have to get to know their community members, their goals, personalities, and needs in order to incorporate these elements into the management strategy. Ultimately, leaders have to build an environment where people are respected, heard, and cared for. Such an atmosphere can encourage people in the community to share their ideas with the leader, which can improve their work. In other words, leaders must give opportunities to the community to participate in projects.
Open and honest communication is a component which can enable leaders to work more effectively. Essentially, it is necessary to not only create an atmosphere where everyone is heard but also to discuss the ideas shared by the community members. Moreover, leaders must change their communication styles and modes depending on the people with whom they communicate. The communication goal for leaders must be not only to listen to what others have to say but also to offer them feedback. Yet, most importantly, all conversations have to be honest, which involves recognizing the contributions and accomplishments of every person and helping them to develop their ideas further. Active listening and communication allow leaders to build trust between themselves and community members and facilitate joint work.
It is clear that when leaders try to engage in work which beneficial for a large community, they may lack time to complete all of the necessary tasks and deliver on their commitments. Therefore, to be more efficient, they need to change their priorities and allocate some of their responsibilities to other people, for instance, members of the community (Skinner, 2019). Efficient leaders understand which tasks they can delegate and which ones need to be completed by them. Moreover, assigning responsibilities to other people also allows leaders to create effective structures where people can solve different issues more efficiently. Thus, in order to decrease the workload and let oneself focus on the most important tasks at hand, leaders need to learn to delegate.
Leaders must commit themselves to continuous development and seize all of the opportunities to educate themselves on new topics, especially those relevant to their communities. Knowledge is the element which drives leaders to perform in a more effective and efficient manner. For instance, leaders can pursue degrees in leadership at universities or attempt to engage in self-learning. Additionally, leaders can participate in conferences and discussions with other leaders to exchange their knowledge and experiences with others. A more educated leader can perform their job better and be more efficient in their work with the community. Therefore, learning about new approaches and mastering new skills is essential for leaders who wish to increase their effectiveness and efficiency.
Vision is the key component which every leader has to convey when working with communities. Moreover, a proper vision involves setting clear and attainable goals, as well as expectations for the community members. A detailed vision is an element which can guarantee considerable success for every project (Knapek, 2022). At the same time, leaders must design their visions in collaboration with community members by encouraging them to ask questions and provide feedback. Including the community in the process of vision and creation can increase engagement and the quality of the final product. After completing the vision, it is the main responsibility of the leader to create a roadmap helping to make it a reality. As a result, the roadmap must consist of tasks and goals which the leader has to specify.
Finally, in order to be effective, leaders must not be afraid of change and trying new approaches. Some leaders may be committed to pursuing only one strategy in their work which eventually can stop being effective. Therefore, leaders have to rely on their knowledge and experience to find and implement new approaches to their work to achieve better effectiveness. Frequent interactions with community members enable leaders to become familiar with different ideas and suggestions which they may implement to improve performance. As a result, leaders should be constantly exposed to information and knowledge which can help them to make their projects better.
Leaders who interact with communities have to perform many important actions to continuously improve the quality of their work and increase their effectiveness. For instance, such leaders have to listen to the proposals put forward by community members and discuss their ideas in an open and honest way. Additionally, leaders should act as examples for entire communities by demonstrating their positive mindset and readiness to address all issues no matter how difficult they may be.
References
Knapek, C. (2022). To be a better business leader, become a community leader. Forbes.
Renjen, P. (2020). Resilient leadership: Sustaining for the long haul. The Wall Street Journal.
Skinner, S. (2019). Building strong communities: Guidelines on empowering the grass roots. Red Globe Press.