While there are always ways to improve leadership techniques, some are tried and true. The final article of this series takes a look at best practices of successful leaders.

Many people assume that you either have what it takes to be a great leader or you don’t, due to the heavy use of the phrase “born leader”. However, being an effective leader requires certain skills that must be practiced, just like any set of skills, in order to be proficient. Below are some of the best practices that outstanding leaders utilize to help their organization run efficiently.

Offering Solutions as Often as Identify Problems – Recognizing where something went wrong or pointing out mistakes is easy. It doesn’t take a well trained eye to observe when things aren’t running smoothly. Being able to offer suggestions on improving the situation, takes much more thought and consideration.  When faced with an obstacle, great leaders not only acknowledge the problem, but offer effective solutions benefiting the entire team.

Create a Plan but be Flexible – When starting any new task or project, you need a plan. However, when the plan is created, you are using the information that is known at the time. As the project unfolds, there may be obstacles or issues that arise that were not known at the beginning. In order to meet the objectives originally set out, the plan may need to be deviated from. Having a flexible mindset allows for alternate ideas that will ultimately let you reach your goal in the most effective way possible……even if it’s different from the original plan

Take Responsibility for your Actions – Nobody is perfect but recognizing your mistakes and taking responsibility for them goes a long way with gaining respect from your team. It is also a perfect way to lead by example. If you accept responsibility for your actions, the more likely your employees are likely to do the same.

Respect the Importance of Personal Time – There isn’t a great leader out there who is a stranger to putting their nose to the grindstone and working long hours. But everyone needs time to recharge or burnout is sure to set in, which is sure to hamper productivity. It’s a benefit to everyone involved to take care of yourself and also understand that your team needs the same time to recharge that you do.

Implementing these strategies can help to create an organization of effective workers that contribute to the success of the company. Ultimately, best practices are ones that focus on developing authentic connections with your staff and build trust among team members.