How to become a successful leader? 7 steps to follow

There is a very fine line between being a boss and a leader — many managers can forget this difference in the corporate environment. The boss is the person responsible for managing a team, but he will not necessarily be a leader . A successful leader knows the real meaning of the term “leading people” and transmits this wherever he goes.

This means that the professional who knows how to be a leader demonstrates, through his attitudes, why he occupies the position, as this ends up being naturally perceived by other people. Do you want to be that leader and know how to inspire and develop your people? Don't miss the tips in the 7 steps below!

What are the 7 steps to becoming a successful leader?

1. Understand your role and know that it is the result of a choice

Surely, you have heard someone say that many skills, including the sense of leadership, are often born with the person. This phrase is partially correct, as many individuals really have the gift of relating and communicating well in their profile.

Although this is a skill that can also be learned, when a professional has this vocation, he can be led to follow a leadership path that , sometimes, was not even planned in his career.

It turns out that, even if you didn't aspire to be a leader, but came across an opportunity that arose through the recommendation of other people, know that playing this role must be your choice . And, from this, you need to be aware that everything you do will influence others, positively or negatively.

Therefore, the first step is to understand why you are where you are, what your role is as a leader, how you can become an even better leader, how you chose to carry out this activity and who is responsible for it. After all, it is not healthy to occupy a position that is beyond our control — it will not bring you any return.

2. Recognize people and their differences

Much more than delegating tasks, a leader must know how to deal with people , treating professionals in a healthy way in a corporate environment, which requires understanding that individuals are different, think and act in different ways and that this must be respected.

A good leader understands that there are varied behavioral profiles and that the skills of each one must be recognized, as well as the identification of points that need to be improved, that is, knowing how to manage by behavioral profile is one of the strategies that cannot be neglected when the The goal is to manage intelligently.

3. Be close and accessible to your team

One of the worst feelings employees have is not having easy access to their leader. Imagine wanting to show your results, the fruits of your effort and never having space for it? Frustrating, no? Therefore, good managers must be accessible, as far as possible, looking for ways to be closer to their team to get to know them better.

4. Establish transparent and open communication

The topic above leads us to elaborate on the importance of transparent communication and open dialogue with the team. There is no point in being accessible if when a professional asks for help, their manager does not know how to communicate clearly and effectively. Understand that good communication happens when people both talk and listen .

5. Invest in engagement and motivation techniques

Being a leader also means focusing on results and there is nothing more productive than a team that is satisfied and engaged with its work. This motivates employees to move forward and wear the company's shirt. However, it is not always easy to keep energy high and, above all, transmit positive vibrations to people.

Furthermore, we know that maintaining good engagement is one of managers’ biggest challenges. Not to mention that everyone has their days or phases of more or less motivation. Therefore, investing in techniques to motivate yourself and your teams is an essential activity for anyone who wants to become a successful leader.

To this end, there are several ways to keep your energy high:

• present good motivational talks ;
• spread a culture of partnership and mutual assistance in the workplace;
• offer compensation, such as awards or recognition programs;
• suggest improvements by employees.

6. Value the work of employees

Every employee likes to have their efforts recognized and this strengthens working relationships, both between colleagues — who are aware of the other's contribution — and between employees and leaders, as more opportunities are opened to give feedback that can help the professional's growth . .

7. Encourage self-development

Being a leader means inspiring growth , helping people evolve and sowing positive attitudes in those they lead, and all of this can be taught through the pursuit of personal development. Therefore, encourage employees to feel like they are constantly challenging themselves, becoming increasingly better as professionals and having autonomy in their actions.

Furthermore, this will also help you in training new leaders, as they will have a keener vision of the need for self-development and will be encouraged to evolve even more. Understand that one of the purposes of good leadership is to leave legacies.

An inspiring manager does not worry about training people who could be his competitors. In fact, he knows the importance of his role in developing top professionals, who will increasingly contribute to the organization and that other part that also aims for success.

It is worth highlighting that “success” is achieving what was initially planned or exceeding expectations. Therefore, keep in mind that there are several techniques and tips that can help you to be a true successful leader.