Written by-Kerr Molloy
Some people think leaders are born, not made. That is just not true. Just like most other qualities important to life and business, learning how to be a good leader is a key to success. It takes study, practice and learning what inspires others. Read these tips to develop your leadership qualities.
If you're trying to increase your leadership skills, a good place to start is with honesty. When you are a leader, you always want to have a positive direction in which to lead your team. Your followers will recognize honesty and you will be appreciated for that quality. Subordinates will also be influenced to be more honest as well.
Focus on the people you are trying to lead, not yourself. It can be difficult to do that, but when you are a leader, you think of everyone. You must forget about yourself and focus on what you can offer to those who would follow you. That is the right thing to do, and you will find that most people appreciate that behevior.
Say thank you to your employees. Many studies have been done on the power of a thanks given from a manager to his or her employees. It increases productivity, often by a lot. Just a little graciousness really can help extend your power as a leader, so be active about it.
Look for talent in your team. It should always be apparent to you who would be most suited for the job you need done. The same is true of bringing on contractors, too.
Don't just fly by the seat of your pants. Instead, pick up a book and read. Don't just read books about business leadership, either.  
https://thehayride.com/2018/11/young-black-leader-preaches-to-choir-on-blacks-leaving-democratic-party-videos/  may find useful bits of knowledge that can be applied to your role as business leader in many different types of books, even those that tell fictional stories!
When you're a business leader, you should be stern but understanding. Make sure that the people working for you understand what you expect out of them. If they don't meet your expectations immediately, give them a chance to catch on. Everyone has a different learning curve, and the people that may seem slow to catch on could become your greatest workers.
As a leader, it is important that you set a good example to others. It can be fun to join the workforce for picnics and other activities outside of work. This helps to form good relationships. However, think twice before you join in on Friday tavern nights, poker games or other activities that could damage your leadership role. It is important to keep some things separate from the workforce.
You might feel like starting each day or shift with a motivational speech, but this can get old for your crew quickly. As a matter of fact, such tactics are overrated. The biggest impact you make in terms of personnel is who you hire, who gets fired, and who gets assigned to the big projects.
All leaders must be able to conduct meetings successfully. The next time you are meeting with your workforce, let them know of a few skills you are working on to help you to better facilitate meetings. Afterwards, get some feedback from a few employees, asking them how they think you did with each of your goals. You may learn some valuable information that will boost your leadership skills.
Be a good role model for workers. Don't just hide behind the title you have. In order for your employees to do the things necessary that makes them great, you need to be the one who sets this positive example for them to follow. Hypocrites are never successful leaders. Be a person whom others can respect. 
Get the facts  has to be able to communicate. Make sure your expectations are clearly understood by your employees when you delegate responsibilities. Check their progress every so often to keep things running on schedule.
Find out what motivates your employees. Using the right type of motivation will improve productivity. Remember that not all employees are motivated by the same type of incentive. Besides motivating your employees, you need to support them by standing behind them, helping them reach their business goals and helping them solve problems effectively.
Adapt your leadership style to complement the nature of the task at hand and the information available to you. For example, a directive style is appropriate for projects that do not have clearly defined instructions. A supportive style boosts morale and reduces stress caused by projects that are complex, frustrating, and minimally rewarding.
As a leader, it is important that you set a good example to others. It can be fun to join the workforce for picnics and other activities outside of work. This helps to form good relationships. However, think twice before you join in on Friday tavern nights, poker games or other activities that could damage your leadership role. It is important to keep some things separate from the workforce.
If you are a leader, become part of the team. You can bolster your team's morale just by showing that you aren't too good to do what they do. Try doing each job at the workplace periodically, whether it be cashiering, cooking, or answering phones. This will show your team that you appreciate what they do, and want to be a part of the success of the workforce.
Offer occasional rewards to your employees. These do not have to be high dollar items, even a certificate of recognition will do. Everyone needs to feel valued, and rewards can help your employees to understand how much you appreciate their efforts. This will encourage people on your team to work harder and put their best foot forward.
Leadership does mean creating mindless followers. It instead means fostering an environment where people can cultivate their own strengths, then use them for the greater good. As a leader, you do not want your team members to be dependent on you for their strength or their inspiration. You want them to bring those things to the table and allow them to be guided by your leadership skills.
Just because you think you are leader does not mean that people will follow you. In order to be a good leader and have good leadership skills, you must be able to make people understand what you want them to do. The information you just learned about gave you good ideas that will help get people to follow your lead.